White Pants

[iris]

Now that memorial day is behind us, I figured wearing white pants is acceptable until labour day. Frankly, I don't know the reason why this generally accepted custom exists; I've worn (or at least, wanted to wear) white as early as April but, at any rate, I digress.

I am wondering what brands offer white pants of relatively decent quality and good value. I live in the Philadelphia metro area and I'm close to off fifth, NMLC, nordy rack, etc. (just about everything but a filene's and C21) Any suggestions?

 

[jet]

good god

 

[brad-t]

Originally Posted by jet

good god

lol +1

 

[irbe]

White pants are only allowed in rap videos.

 

[Robert]

I wear mine only between July 2 and August 12.

 

[melonadejello]

Seriously, I want the Opening Ceremony x Levi's white cords, but there's no way I'm paying that much for Levi's fabric and hardware, even at the 33% off they're at now.

 

[dmash]

Hahahaha

 

[Jr Mouse]

Have you considered white denim instead of a true pant? I know there are several brands making decent white jeans these days. Try JCrew for a reasonably priced option.

I don't know the history behind the rule but I bet a google search would find you the answer.

 

[Robert]

It's a dumb rule. And I don't think people pay any attention to it. I wear white pants (jeans and otherwise) any time of the year.

 

[ctrlaltelite]

choosing a great pair of white pants starts with knowing the amount of cadmium versus nickel in the zipper...

 

[Exit English]

That rule is so lame, and only douchebags follow it like its a religion. I love how you say you wanted to wear your white pants but chose not to because of some age old saying that everyone throws around, usually as a joke.

Ive never met any guy who would actually say something that stupid without me wanting to smack them in the face.

Here is a rule for you.. "Learn the rules, then ******* break them"

According to this article I just read, it originally referred to shoes.

----------------------
Dear Yahoo!:
Why aren't you supposed to wear white after Labor Day?
Fletch
San Francisco, California
Dear Fletch:
As with many customs and etiquette dictums, it's difficult to pin down the reason behind the prohibition against white after Labor Day. We searched on variations of "wear white after Labor Day" and sifted through the Etiquette and Fashion categories in the Yahoo! Directory. We managed to turn up a bit of information on the fashion dictate.

Originally, the rule was more along the lines of "Only wear white shoes between Memorial Day and Labor Day." Furthermore, it mainly applied to white pumps or dress shoes. White tennis shoes and off-white boots seem exempt, as are any shoes worn by a winter bride. "Winter white" clothing (e.g., cream-colored wool) is acceptable between Labor Day and Memorial Day too.

The only logical reasoning we could find cited temperature. Image consultant Nancy Penn suggests that because white reflects light and heat, wearing white would make you cooler in winter, and thus should be avoided. But others suggest the rule stems from a class issue. Acting Director of the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology Valerie Steele notes that in the late 19th century and the 1950s, more people were entering the middle classes. These nouveau-riche folks were often unaware of the standards of high society, so they were given specific codified rules to follow in order to fit in.

Several sites quoted a charming refrain about G.R.I.T.S. -- girls raised in the South. This bit of folklore states, "Southern girls know bad manners when they see them," and a clear sign of bad manners is wearing white shoes before Easter or after Labor Day. Because fashions in the American South can be a little more formal than elsewhere, perhaps the no-white-shoes rule came from south of the Mason-Dixon Line? Even Star Jones (an otherwise fashion-forward Southern lady) admits that white shoes "are for Easter Sunday and not the dead of winter."

We can only surmise that the point of this rule is to ensure that people only wear summer fashions during the actual summer months. The opposite probably applies as well, but people generally don't need to be reminded to avoid wearing a goose-down parka in 100-degree weather. If you live in a locale with summer temperatures year-round, we can't see the harm in wearing white shoes or a head-to-toe white outfit in October. And we promise not to tell Miss Manners.
----------------------

 

[iris]

hmm, maybe I should've specified jeans instead of pants

I'll go give Jcrew a look. Can anyone tell me the quality of polo ralph lauren's white jeans?

 

[Robert]

Originally Posted by ctrlaltelite

choosing a great pair of white pants starts with knowing the amount of cadmium versus nickel in the zipper...

Cadium should be at least a third of the alloy. You'll pay more though.

 

[Robert]

I wore white pants to dinner at a friend's house (a Southern girl) the day before Memorial Day, and she didn't mind one lil ol' bit.

 

[iris]

You can wear white pants any time of year. They look great on a bright sunny January day with a thick navy shawl cardigan, for example.

Duly noted, thanks for the tip.

Iris? That's a woman's name.

Your point? Everyone has them, granted they have functional, healthy eyes. And there doesn't have to be a correlation b/t your real name and an internet screen name.