Q: Can I really only wear white between Memorial Day and Labor Day?
A: NO! As long as the fabric is season-appropriate (i.e., not white linen), you can wear white year-round. In fact, the Emily Post Institute in 2004 ruled it "a thing of the past." That "rule" stemmed from days of old when furnaces were coal-burning and emitted bits of soot into the air. Thus, when weather turned cooler (often around Labor Day in some parts of the country) and the furnace turned on, white and light-colored clothing was moved to the back of the closet to avoid stains from the dirty air. When the weather warmed again (usually around Memorial Day) and the furnace was turned off, people felt free to wear their white clothing again. SO...the moral of this story is, unless you are burning a coal furnace (which if you are, you've got bigger worries with the EPA than the Fashion Police), wear that white year round! Just don't be surprised if you get glares from older, Southern ladies who hold steadfast to their rules or yore.
Q: Can I wear black and navy together?A: Yes! Colors that used to clash now look cool. Navy and Black, Brown and Black, Pink and Red...just make sure you are wearing true representations of the color in question (a true black, for example, not a faded one) and pair somewhat carefully.
Q: Is it a faux pas to wear hose with open-toe shoes?
A: While nude pantyhose worn with open sandals definitely is a fashion no-no, basically because nylons faking invisibility over your bare toes is just creepy, opaque tights worn with peep toe heels (particularly ones with a sturdier platform or wedge) looks sassy and trend right. Just make sure there's not a visible seam at the toe (buy sandal foot or tuck under the seam.) To stay classic, wear dark tights and/or ones the same color as your shoes. For the more fashion adventurous, try a pair in a bold color or interesting texture or pattern. Q: When should a man keep on or take off a hat?
A: I'm glad you specified a man, because the rules for hats & men are much different than for hats & women (for which there aren't many rules). These days there aren't the hard-and-fast rules about hats that there used to be, but here's my take: In situations other than sports, I like hats when worn as outerwear. So basically, when you take off your coat, take off your hat. However, whether you have on a coat or not, hats should be removed in most public spaces, like restaurants (or any other dining table, public or not), churches, office buildings and courtrooms.
