Can you USA-ers answer a question? (OT)

Sorry to be a pest, but i've heard references to this for ages and always
wondered why....are you not allowed white shoes after Labour Day?? It's
piqued my interest for ages, but I keep forgetting to ask. We have no such
custom I've ever heard of down under. (we have our own weird customs
involving racing strange creatures such as cockroaches, camels, toads and
rubber ducks)

--
Excuse the typos. I have a lapful of purry Siamese. In the process of my
writing this, they have
1.Clawed their way up my leg
2.Climbed my head, removing several clumps of hair on the way
3Talked incessantly about the shocking food on offer, and what I'm going to
do about it
4 Changed Caps Lock a few times
5.Typed several lines of gibberish
6. Demanded continuous cuddles, which means I am typing left handed
7. Put the monitor to sleep
8. Had a fight over who gets which part of The Lap
9. Chased Greeblings in my shirt/hair/monitor
10hdagsa90_{poi

meeee wrote:

Sorry to be a pest, but i've heard references to this for ages and always
wondered why....are you not allowed white shoes after Labour Day?? It's
piqued my interest for ages, but I keep forgetting to ask.

It's just a fashion convention, and a mostly outmoded one at that.
Saying they're "not allowed" is drastically overstating the case.

The custom was that one should wear white shoes only during the summer,
which officially starts on Memorial Day (holiday commemorating service
people killed in war), which is at the end of May, and ends on Labor Day,
which is at the beginning of September. In some circles, it was seen as
a faux pas (perhaps literally ) to wear white shoes in the wrong season.

I've always thought it was a weird and non-useful tradition, so I've
never paid much attention to it. But I don't think it was something
observed much by my generation (baby boom) - my mother used to remark
about it, at first seriously, but later, more facetiously.

Joyce

wrote in message
...
meeee wrote:

Sorry to be a pest, but i've heard references to this for ages and
always
wondered why....are you not allowed white shoes after Labour Day?? It's
piqued my interest for ages, but I keep forgetting to ask.

It's just a fashion convention, and a mostly outmoded one at that.
Saying they're "not allowed" is drastically overstating the case.

The custom was that one should wear white shoes only during the summer,
which officially starts on Memorial Day (holiday commemorating service
people killed in war), which is at the end of May, and ends on Labor Day,
which is at the beginning of September. In some circles, it was seen as
a faux pas (perhaps literally ) to wear white shoes in the wrong season.

I've always thought it was a weird and non-useful tradition, so I've
never paid much attention to it. But I don't think it was something
observed much by my generation (baby boom) - my mother used to remark
about it, at first seriously, but later, more facetiously.

Joyce

Ah now I understand!! So it's an etiquette type thing that 'people like us'
observe. That's very interesting, you've satisfied my curiosity! Thanks

meeee wrote:
wrote in message
...
meeee wrote:

Sorry to be a pest, but i've heard references to this for ages and
always
wondered why....are you not allowed white shoes after Labour Day??
It's piqued my interest for ages, but I keep forgetting to ask.

It's just a fashion convention, and a mostly outmoded one at that.
Saying they're "not allowed" is drastically overstating the case.

The custom was that one should wear white shoes only during the
summer, which officially starts on Memorial Day (holiday
commemorating service people killed in war), which is at the end of
May, and ends on Labor Day, which is at the beginning of September.
In some circles, it was seen as
a faux pas (perhaps literally ) to wear white shoes in the wrong
season.

I've always thought it was a weird and non-useful tradition, so I've
never paid much attention to it. But I don't think it was something
observed much by my generation (baby boom) - my mother used to remark
about it, at first seriously, but later, more facetiously.

Joyce

Ah now I understand!! So it's an etiquette type thing that 'people
like us' observe. That's very interesting, you've satisfied my
curiosity! Thanks

I also think it depends upon your climate. In Hawaii, where it's warm all
year-round, anything goes. In a colder climate, say....Minnesota, dark
clothes in winter used to be the "norm". With dark clothes, you wear dark
shoes. I agree with Joyce, that it's a completely outdated tradition.

kili

"kilikini" wrote in message
...
meeee wrote:
wrote in message
...
meeee wrote:

Sorry to be a pest, but i've heard references to this for ages and
always
wondered why....are you not allowed white shoes after Labour Day??
It's piqued my interest for ages, but I keep forgetting to ask.

It's just a fashion convention, and a mostly outmoded one at that.
Saying they're "not allowed" is drastically overstating the case.

The custom was that one should wear white shoes only during the
summer, which officially starts on Memorial Day (holiday
commemorating service people killed in war), which is at the end of
May, and ends on Labor Day, which is at the beginning of September.
In some circles, it was seen as
a faux pas (perhaps literally ) to wear white shoes in the wrong
season.

I've always thought it was a weird and non-useful tradition, so I've
never paid much attention to it. But I don't think it was something
observed much by my generation (baby boom) - my mother used to remark
about it, at first seriously, but later, more facetiously.

Joyce

Ah now I understand!! So it's an etiquette type thing that 'people
like us' observe. That's very interesting, you've satisfied my
curiosity! Thanks

I also think it depends upon your climate. In Hawaii, where it's warm all
year-round, anything goes. In a colder climate, say....Minnesota, dark
clothes in winter used to be the "norm". With dark clothes, you wear dark
shoes. I agree with Joyce, that it's a completely outdated tradition.

kili

Plus, in colder climates, all the slush and mud caused by melting snow
showed up on white shoes much more than dark shoes. I watch "What Not To
Wear" on the Lifetime channel (they're supposed to be the last word on
what's fashionable and what's not) and they say that this fashion "rule" is
no longer in effect.

Hugs,

CatNipped

meeee wrote:

Sorry to be a pest, but i've heard references to this for ages and always
wondered why....are you not allowed white shoes after Labour Day?? It's
piqued my interest for ages, but I keep forgetting to ask. We have no such
custom I've ever heard of down under. (we have our own weird customs
involving racing strange creatures such as cockroaches, camels, toads and
rubber ducks)

Ummm.... "not ALLOWED"???? SFAIK, that's one of the
outmoded fashion dos-and-don'ts that most people observe
only if they feel like it. (They got around the one about
not wearing white clothing - other than shirts - by
inventing a shade called "winter white".)

There may have been a practical reason for the white shoe
edict, simply in the interests of keeping them reasonably
clean. Cold weather can set in fairly early in some parts
of the U.S., it tends to rain a lot in the autumn, and back
in the days when coal was the main source of fuel for
heating buildings, rain + soot from coal smoke = very dirty
shoes.

My guess is that the custom originated in a part of the country where autumn
gets chilly and wet, and wearing white shoes is asking for trouble when it's
muddy. I also think it started with shoes and then extended to anything else
white.

Blessed be,
Baha

meeee wrote:
Sorry to be a pest, but i've heard references to this for ages and always
wondered why....are you not allowed white shoes after Labour Day?? It's
piqued my interest for ages, but I keep forgetting to ask. We have no such
custom I've ever heard of down under. (we have our own weird customs
involving racing strange creatures such as cockroaches, camels, toads and
rubber ducks)


--
Message posted via http://www.catkb.com

Ah I understand now. So your Labour Day is kind of the end of
summer/beginning of mud and unpleasantness. I thought it must be some kind
of strange political statement !! Labour Day in Oz is about politics so
hence my confusion...I can understand the mud/white shoes problem....having
very little snow or mud here it's not an issue!! Thanks, everyone

meeee wrote:

Ah I understand now. So your Labour Day is kind of the end of
summer/beginning of mud and unpleasantness. I thought it must be some kind
of strange political statement !! Labour Day in Oz is about politics so
hence my confusion...I can understand the mud/white shoes problem....having
very little snow or mud here it's not an issue!! Thanks, everyone

Once upon a time, Labor Day was a political holiday in the US, too.
But, as with all holidays in the US, it has become mostly an excuse
to (1) have a long weekend, (2) spend money, (3) go on vacation, and
(4) spend money. Oh, did I mention spend money, too?

Joyce

wrote:
meeee wrote:

Sorry to be a pest, but i've heard references to this for ages and always
wondered why....are you not allowed white shoes after Labour Day?? It's
piqued my interest for ages, but I keep forgetting to ask.

It's just a fashion convention, and a mostly outmoded one at that.
Saying they're "not allowed" is drastically overstating the case.

The custom was that one should wear white shoes only during the summer,
which officially starts on Memorial Day (holiday commemorating service
people killed in war), which is at the end of May, and ends on Labor Day,
which is at the beginning of September. In some circles, it was seen as
a faux pas (perhaps literally ) to wear white shoes in the wrong season.

I've always thought it was a weird and non-useful tradition, so I've
never paid much attention to it. But I don't think it was something
observed much by my generation (baby boom) - my mother used to remark
about it, at first seriously, but later, more facetiously.

Joyce

Heh. In my growing up years, Easter was the official date the white
shoes could come out, but MUST be closeted along with straw & white
handbags the moment Labor Day was over. I assume this also applied to
men, who wore those hideous white shoes and belts in the late
60's-70's.
I still can't wear white shoes or sandals after Labor Day. Like Erma
Bombeck once said, I never really knew exactly what would happen, but I
rather fancied Macy's would fly their flag at half-mast or something.

Sherry