The JCPenney near us currently has lots of cute sundresses--and a good thing about old Jacques de Penney (in my best French accent) is that a lot of people don't think to shop there anymore, so it's not like American Eagle/Abercrombie/Jcrew where everybody in the world has seen all the dresses they carried in the spring. I saw a bunch of red and black sundresses there, so I told a couple of friends whose daughters are going to UGA next year to pick them up for football games!

Outlet malls can be your friend. :)

When I was a Recruitment Counselor, we (the counselors) got together and took pictures of appropriate attire for each day. These pictures were included in a booklet about rush that was mailed out by the greek life office to incoming freshman, as well as kept in the GL office.

Check and see if you can find something like that from the school.

Have none of you ever seen "The Look for Less" on the Style Network? They shop at Macy's, Sears, Forever21, wherever they can find...the look for less.

It doesn't matter where you buy your clothes. It matters is how it looks on you.

We're college students...so looking good on a budget should be considered a survival skill.

I can't emphasize this enough. At my school, some PNMs got "dressy" confused with "party attire." Sequiny sparkly shirts, ripped up hems that show your belly ring, tanks that show your bra straps, and pants that show your butt crack are never appropriate for recruitment. Err on the side of pretty, not sexy. If you happen to be a big chested girl, unfortunately any low-cut top is inappropriate. I don't want to see your boobs!

I'm with everyone, a full business suit is really too stuffy for recruitment. However, pieces of a business suit can be appropriate in the right context. Express has some cute suit jackets that would look great paired with a camisole, nicely tailored jeans, and heels.

One other thing...if you're wearing a thin fabric shirt or skirt, or a top with a big knit, stand in bright light (like outside or in a well lit room) and have a friend look at you from all angles to make sure nothing's see through. Some PNMs have been embarassed when they've realized their thong is totally visible through their new skirt in the bright sunlight, or that their red bra is visible through their sweater. And not to be gross, but wear correct undergarments under thin tops...sometimes the rooms can be cold...and that's all I'm saying about that! :D

For the record...I'm a Target and Old Navy kind of girl. My budget is very tight as well. I got my recruitment clothes there and later I found my whites for ritual at Target. You don't have to spend to look good, you just have to know how to wear it well.

Ditto that. A well fitted, flattering outfit is going to look better than a designer outfit that doesn't fit well any day of the week, IMHO.

I'd take your time shopping. If you're unsure of your own judgement, take a friend who looks well put together. I also find that Ross and Marshalls are great places to scout out bargains.

You might also try the clearance racks of more expensive stores, especially the online clearance racks, which often have better bargains than in-store ones do. (I have this crazy little Anthropologie addiction, and I swear by their onine clearance racks. It's the only way I can afford it, and even then it's a splurge.) In general, online stores tend to have pretty permissive return policies. Some even let you return in store so you don't have to pay the shipping back. The bargains are there, you just have to start early and be persistent.

Honestly, though, I'd just buy in a price range I can afford. If well fitted clothes you can afford aren't good enough for them, the organization isn't worth joining. Do you really want to go broke on clothes for recruitment and then find that you're feeling like you have to keep up with the Joneses for the rest of your active years? I spent most of my college years on a Target budget, and I know I personally would have felt really out of place in a chapter where Prada and Tiffany were considered vital for survival.

I went to Ross last weekend and they had some amazing items! I found this really cute polka dot tunic, and it looks amazing with jeans and heels. And it was only $7!:eek: I now like swear by that store. Definitely check it out!

My D goes to a very small LAC with a spring recruitment. Many of the freshmen girls felt as if they were judged from Aug-January not just Rush Week. With that in mind, can you buy brandname outfits at TJ Maxx/Marshalls/Filene's Basement or at outlets? If you are at a school that dresses up for football games, you may need a lot of sundresses anyway. Look for sales early on throughout your last months at home. Even if it's not your primary summer job, perhaps you can add a weekend retail position so you can get an employee discount.

I haven't gone through recruitment yet, but I am the bargain master. I always have trendy, stylish clothes that fit, and are super cheap. I only splurge on jeans because I'm short and well, when you're short you have limited options.

As some other girls mentioned: Ross, TjMaxx, Marshall, Burlington Coat Factory, and Forever 21/Gadzooks are excellent places to get clothes. Ross usually has really great name brand shoes/purses for incredibly reasonable prices. Depending on what area you live in- you might have an H&M. H&M always has GREAT clothes, straight outta European fashion mags, at really low prices.

Also, don't be afraid to check out thrift stores and cosignment shops. You'll be suprised what you can find. If you're creatively inclined/a bit of a seamstress, thrift stores are great places to get an item that you can customize. I've made tons of awesome shirts and skirts based on some clothes found in Vogue, from peices I've found at thrift stores. Cosignment shops usually have newer items that are well taken care of at near thrift store prices. If you live in or near a community that is wealthy, I can pretty much guarantee you'll find lots of stellar name-brand stuff.

Happy shopping! :D

MY FAVORITE PLACE EVER. I save up for when I travel to New York to go here. And the clearance racks at Anthropologie as mentioned above. If they would sell online, they would make a KILLING!

NPC recruitment attire is more relaxed than what I have expierienced in NPHC.

One of my old classmates was getting ready for NPC rush and she wore the prettiest sundress ever.....I think she got it from Old Navy, this was a couple of yeas ago.

I guess I was just blessed with a mother who is great with a needle and thread! She made my senior year homecoming dress (it's a big deal in Texas), my sisters prom dress, plus my sister's wedding dress and all of her bridesmaids' dresses! So naturally when I needed a chalk white dress for rituals and was on a tight budget I called her. That's really nice because you KNOW it's going to fit well! She's also made me many a skirt that I've worn to sorority events that would be rush-appropriate.

However, assuming your mother is more like me and doesn't know the difference between a surger and surgery, I see absolutely no problem with Old Navy, Ross, TJ Maxx, and cute tops and stuff from target. I always get Old Navy's perfect fit tees and pair them with dress pants. One of my best friends (who could afford to buy couture gown with the change in the seat of her car alone) gets a TON of her jewelry from Target, they have some really cute stuff if you know how to pair it. My pref dress I found on the super clearance rack at Dillard's on black friday for $40 and I got a rediculous number of compliments on it! My NUMBER ONE piece of advice though is pick reeeally comfortable shoes for the first 2 days (or two rounds, whatever) because by the time you get to the dressier nights and you HAVE to wear those adorable stilletos, your feet will hate if you've already been building up blisters on them and you won't be able to walk at all!

And the ironic thing is, a lot of the 80s styles were kind of knockoffs from the 60s and other decades. There isn't really much else to do with clothes at this point, until we all start wearing Star Trek outfits (although I think Uhura would wear pajama pants instead of a skirt that barely covers her butt).

I have a VERY clear memory of standing waiting to cross the street, wearing black stirrup pants, a white/black/pink big shirt and my big black belt. And thinking I was TEH HOT. Yipes.