Throw out the “no white after Labor Day” rule! This is 2012 and the game has changed. This season, rock the shade with chic fall textures and bold accents!

Winter white is an interpretation of white: champagne, egg shell, off-white. Try some of the season’s big textures like faux-fur and brocade to make the shade pop for fall. This sleeveless brocade dress is perfect for an office party or can be paired with a cute blazer and riding boot for a day look.

Winter white looks great with everything- especially black. Try a cute sheath dress with black accents for a more iconic, dimensional look.  With a red lip or statement accessories such as bold bangles, you are sure to turn up the heat this season!

Go for something classic like this cute button down dress. Whether paired with opaque tights or a great cape coat you will always look bright, crisp and on trend!

neimanmarcus.com

Rules are set in place for a reason, they give us the structure and standards that allows us to determine the rights, wrongs, the dos and don’ts of the world. But when it comes to fashion, some rules are meant to be broken. And now that we have unofficially welcomed the fall season, the old adage “No White After Labor Day” happens to be one of those very rules we can actually forego. So if you’ve planned to put away those white jeans you loved during the spring and summer season, keep them out–you’ll be able to work them into fashionable outfits well into the fall season. One tip to remember: When embracing white after Labor Day, wear white garments that are of a heavier weight; stay away from linen and lightweight fabrics—this way you’ll still be seasonally appropriate.

Here are a few white garments you’ll love breaking the rules wearing….

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A scene from last year’s parade. Image: AP

The West Indian American Day Parade is underway on Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn as we speak. And while the festival is known for delicious food, great music and beautiful costumes, it’s important to point out that it’s a revenue generator as well.

A study conducted by the Empire State Development Corporation finds that the parade generates $86 million for every one million attendees. It’s estimated that three million people will attend the parade this year.

Money for the event comes from New York State grants, sponsors, fundraisers and other sources. This is the 45th anniversary of the event and even though the numbers are down a bit this year, it’s still a big opportunity for businesses. We just saw a bit of live coverage on CBS News with reporters asking food vendors about the biggest sellers (oxtails was one response). The parade is bringing as much cash as excitement.

Separately, this weekend was also the annual Tom Joyner Family Reunion in Kissimmee, FL to celebrate African-American culture. The decade-old event includes music, activities and families from all over the country who make the trip to the party. Vendors selling food, jewelry and gear supporting President Obama are also a big part of the festivities. For coverage, click here.

Everyone enjoy the parade and the rest of this great Labor Day weekend!

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Asos.com

Labor Day marks the “official” end of the summer season, and the entire weekend is punctuated with Labor Day white parties. Still looking for the perfect white haute look in which to make your grand entrance? Here are 9 pieces that should help narrow your search.

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The season of beaches, BBQs and outdoor festivals is quickly coming to an end, but it’s not completely over yet! Take advantage of the last unofficial weekend of the summer season — Labor Day weekend — and pack lightly (or not at all!) for these last-minute, affordable ideas for ending the summer on the right note!

Image: iStockphoto

Online Deals

Deals online through various getaway websites like Groupon, LivingSocial, Last Minute Travel or Expedia can make your last summer weekend your best weekend of the season. With many deals in various destinations, going online to book a last-minute trip has become one of the most popular ways, with up to 80 percent off regular hotel prices.

Tip: Make sure you read the fine print of your online deal to make sure the Labor Day holiday weekend is covered with the number of nights you need. Book your travel, pack your bags and you’re all set to soak up the last summer weekend.

The NYPD appears to have had no shame when it came to the annual West Indian Labor Day Parade held in Brooklyn this year. Videos of officers dancing with women who were apart of the festivities were widely circulated, but in light of recent news in The New York Times of a “No More West Indian Day Detail” Facebook Group where officers shared their racist thoughts on the event, it would appear the dancing cops were merely poking fun at the “animals” and “savages” participating in the parade.

Those were just two of the comments left on the wall of the group which had 1,200 members. Others included, “Drop a bomb and wipe them all out.” “Let them kill each other” was posted under a name that matched that of a police officer; Nick Virgilio, whose name also matches a police officer, wrote, “Filth,” and yet another said, “It’s not racist if it’s true.”

While few officers were concerned that the discussion, which appears to violate the Police Department’s rules against “discourteous or disrespectful remarks” about race or ethnicity, might be reported to internal affairs, an analysis found that the cops were at times encouraged by civilians and other city workers, including members of the Fire Department. A comparison by The Times of the names of some of the more than 150 people who posted comments on the page with city employee listings showed that more than 60 percent matched the names of police officers.

A commenter who identified himself as Dan Rodney, wrote, “I say have the parade one more year, and when they all gather drop a bomb and wipe them all out.” Mr. Rodney confirmed that he was a police officer and that he had used Facebook, but denied making the comment. “That wasn’t me,” he told The Times, suggesting that someone else might have been responsible. “I leave my phone around sometimes. Other than that I have no comment.”

Some were more toned in their remarks, noting the safety concerns of the event. “It’s a scheduled riot,” one person wrote. Another commented, “We were widely outnumbered. It was an eerie feeling knowing we could be overrun at any moment.”

Benjamin Moore and Paul Lieberman of Brooklyn Defender Services found the comments on the group’s open Facebook wall and put them before a jury in a gun-possession trial concerning a man who was arrested at the parade in 2010. The attorneys suggested that Sgt. Dustin Edwards planted the gun and used the ranting to back up the claim of racially targeted arrests. The remarks garnered little attention outside of the courtroom, so they sent a digital copy of the Facebook conversation to The Times. The printed document runs 70 pages.

In the end, the gun possession charge was dropped, and a spokesman for the Brooklyn district attorney said the office would investigate any matters stemming from the trial referred to it by the Police Department. It will be interesting to see if they keep their word.

Do you think officers who commented on the group page should be reprimanded? What do you think about continuation of the West Indian Day Parade in lieu of the violence and ill police relations that continue to be an issue every year?

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

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(New York Times) – Labor Day must seem like the movie “Groundhog Day” to President Obama. On Monday, for a third year he celebrated the holiday that honors workers with union members and their families in a political swing state, promising job-creation measures to reduce a 9 percent unemployment rate and calling on the Republican opposition to “put country before party.”   Mr. Obama, speaking to a riverfront crowd estimated by the police to number 13,000, said he would propose “a new way forward on jobs” in his speech on Thursday to a joint session of Congress, which returns this week from its August recess.  Mr. Obama did not provide details — “Tune in on Thursday,” he teased — but he said millions of unemployed construction workers would be able “to get dirty” building roads, bridges and other public works under his infrastructure proposals.

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Looking for some jams to play at the BBQ? Check out this list over at
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Styleblazer

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theGrio

(New York Times) — LABOR DAY is meant to be a celebration of work. Yet, on this Labor Day, few have reason to rejoice. Even those who have jobs. The Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, which has been polling over 1,000 adults every day since January 2008, shows that Americans now feel worse about their jobs — and work environments — than ever before. People of all ages, and across income levels, are unhappy with their supervisors, apathetic about their organizations and detached from what they do. And there’s no reason to think things will soon improve.  Employee engagement may seem like a frill in a downturn economy. But it can make a big difference in a company’s survival. In a 2010 study, James K. Harter and colleagues found that lower job satisfaction foreshadowed poorer bottom-line performance. Gallup estimates the cost of America’s disengagement crisis at a staggering $300 billion in lost productivity annually.

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