Why don't you wear your colors?
 

I just discovered this page and I apologize if I am raising an old issue. But I was wondering why non-BGLO organizations where there letters in colors that are not their official colors? I was also wondering why I see members of NPC sororities in IFC letters or vice versa. Again I apologize if this has already been brought up.

Call me dumb, but WHAT??? Clarify your question a little more. This may not be hard for the greeks to understand though.

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Set your goal!! Strive!! Bask in your reward!!

Positive Kay

They are probably wearing their boyfriend's letters. Depending on the fraternity and/or the campus, this ranges from a common and cool thing to a big no-no.

Years ago, they might have been little sisters but those do not exist anymore.



[This message has been edited by 33girl (edited September 25, 2000).]

To answer your question about the colors. I think that often times members get shirts with different patterns or colors that are not their org's in order to show some individuality. It set them apart from everyone else. This way their representing their organization as well as their personality. One of my sisters have a t-shirt she made that has a ballerina pattern. She loves ballet and the sorority and wanted to show both.

For the second question as to why you see girls wearing fraternity letters, I know of a sorority whose pledges wear their brother fraternity's letters for a day. It's a tradition and the shirts have been passed down family trees.

It seems to me that just wearing one color shirt with one color letters would get extremely boring. There was nothing more fun than getting a new t-shirt, going to the greek store at URI and picking out my background fabric and my pattern! I LOVE THAT! My fave was a aqua shirt, black background with skulls and crossbones fabric!

There is another reason that organizations like Zeta Phi Beta use only the official colors (although black and khaki are also common) other than the mandate from our International office. Practically speaking, folks who are not greek often times only recognize NPHC organizations by our colors...often times non-greeks may not recognize the greek letters of ZPB, for example, but they will know "the women who wear Blue and White". Additionally, since the actual colors have meaning to our Sorority...it would be challenging for me to have purple and orange fabric with ZPB, as those colors have no significance to us.

Finally, it's not really boring, because NPHC greeks have many t-shirts (I have at least 15-20 different Zeta tees, baby tees, etc.), back packs, check book covers, umbrellas hats, prints and pictures, (I've even seen hosiery)--almost anything that can tastefully have letters has them, so we get our variety from the number of items available, rather than changing the colors of the letters/para themselves.

I knew a girl on my cheer squad who was in an NPC sorority and she wasnt sure what the official colors of her org were. (Now, I'm pretty sure this is not the norm...) But my take on it (and this is just my vibe from what she told me) was that when it comes to 'nailia, the colors chosen were not as signifigant as the letters themselves, or the mascot.

Other than black or white (and sometimes khaki) as a BACKGROUND color, I wouldn't wear any 'nailia that was not Rhoyal Blue and Gold. As a matter of fact, there are no certified vendors that sell NPHC goods in the "wrong" colors.

The women of Sigma Gamma Rho are represented by,
colors; royal blue and gold
flower; yellow tea rose
mascot; french toy poodle

My fav color is actually red and I prefer cats over dogs, but I wouldnt get a shirt made that way, cause that's not what the organization is represented by--regardless of my personal tastes.

It's just another one of the minor differences between NPHC and NPC/IFC orgs. No big whoop.

Could you IMAGINE a Delta wearing her letters in pink and green?? Or an Alpha wearing his letters in purple and gold????

That's just the most craziest thing I have ever heard!

I guess that's just what makes BGLO's different.

I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that there are only 4 NPHC sororities, compared to 26 NPC groups.

I can think of 3 or 4 NPC groups off the top of my head that use red as a color...same with blue. NPC colors aren't as "original" to begin with. Let's face it there are only so many colors you can use! I mean, who wants to go around in chartreuse and puke green?!? http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/biggrin.gif

I know at my school it's very common for people to customize their letters. The backgrounds they choose are sometimes a reflection of their personality. I know one girl who has John Deere tractor letters! And to match it her shirt is green... but her sorority's colors are maroon and lavender.

For NPHC orgs, the "official" colors are specific (ie crimson and creme, salmon pink and apple green, black and old gold) but for para, any SHADE of those color is acceptable (ie red and white, rose and emerald, black and yellow). So even though we are limited in color, there are varieties of shade as well as background colors like black, white and tan. Beleive me, many members of a NPHC org have para collections that can rival ANYONE in type and variety!


[/QUOTE] I mean, who wants to go around in chartreuse and puke green?!? http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/biggrin.gif
[/B][/QUOTE]



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mccoyred

Dynamic
Salient
Temperate

Black and yellow is not an acceptable substitute for Black and Old Gold. I'm real picky about my 'nalia.

Okay, Old Gold is on every corner. Get off the pedestal and stop trippin'.

Are you a member of a NPHC organization?


>>>For NPHC orgs, the "official" colors are specific (ie crimson and creme, salmon pink and apple green, black and old gold) but for para, any SHADE of those color is acceptable (ie red and white, rose and emerald, black and yellow). So even though we are limited in color, there are varieties of shade as well as background colors like black, white and tan. Beleive me, many members of a NPHC org have para collections that can rival ANYONE in type and variety!

Let me just say that there are differences between our organizations. Period. That doesn't make one better than the other, or more respectful of our founders, or anything else!

I love the scarlet & olive that our 7 founders chose. It has significant symbolic meaning to our fraternity. I love the golden lyre that symbolizes our fraternity. I love the red carnation that represents our bond. I love my fraternity and all it represents!

I also love that I am allowed to buy what appeals to me personally. I can be creative while representing my organization. Our (AXO) bid day shirts, party shirts, etc. can have different themes and different colors. We have had navy shirts, purple shirts, bright blue shirts, black shirts etc. depending on the event. I have letters in red/green plaid (its very hard to find scarlet & olive together so we tend to settle for the Christmas version http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif) I have letters in a floral print. I have them in animal print, and blue dragonfly print. I love them all, not because of the colors that they are, but because of what the actual letters mean to me . No matter if they were pink, blue, red, yellow, purple, whatever...the AXO letters will always mean the same thing to me - love and respect for my organization.

If people want letters in their group colors - that's fine. If they want different colors - that's fine too. If a group mandates what colors can & can't be used - that's fine too.

I just think too often in life we are too quick to say one way is better/best/the only way/etc. It shouldn't be that way here. We all learn new stuff on this board from each other. Some stuff we agree on, some we don't. Sometimes we disagree within the groups. Sometimes we can actually agree on things!

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"Alpha Chi Omega - If you only had 2 wishes, what would your second one be?"

[This message has been edited by AXO Alum (edited September 27, 2000).]

Yes.

I am not trippin'. My love for my organization runs deep. My heart pumps black and old gold. If am trippin' because I refuse to settle, than let me say that I fell a long time ago. I wear my colors and if that means limited nalia than so be it.

OK, as far as colors--I have noticed that NPHC greeks traditionally remain with their org's colors (duh..if you read any of the above messages). While it is mostly the NPC greeks that do not stick with their org's colors. A couple reason's: My sorority, we have letters in Cafe Au Lait and Old Blue ( our official colors), letters is out chapters colors, letters for our "families"(line of bigs and littles) to differentiate from the other families. Then colors that we pick to designate our likes and dislikes from our school mascot (alot of the girls have these) to some of the most random patterns you would ever guess, like to stay trendy I have seen girls get animal print letters recently. However I have noticed this to be a purely girl thing. Most guys I see in there letters remain to a plain background and plain letters , now I don't know their colors so they may differentiate the colors from there org's official one's but I'm not sure. Anyway's it is a very basic t-shirt most of the time. As far as girls (even independants) wearing fraternity letters. anyone can wear a shirt that has letters on it, as long as they are the non-embroderied greek letters, for example you can waer the shirt that says XYZ Fall Rush 2000, and the fraternitys even distribute their rush shirts to us , so we can "sell" them around campus. In order to wear the official letters, to the best of my knowledge, you must be "pinned" (lavilailered)(spelling?) from a member of the org. And I may be wrong but from what I understand (someone please correct me if I'm wrong)that this is a very big deal in fraternity's, not taken lightly because you are giving your letters to some girl, and our saying you value her over your brothers(or on par with your brothers or something?), that it is equivalent with being engaged to be engaged, and that the brother in question gets alot of ribbing from the other brothers.

Guys voluntarily permit their significant other to wear their letters. I'm not trying to be a smart a*s but is that anything like what happened in Scream 2. I'm just curious.

Never saw the movie scream, so I can't comment on that, but I can tell you that for us (Kappas) it is not proper for us to allow our significant other to where our stuff.

Also, to the question of the color of nalia, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. has a set of rules that spell out what type of nalia is acceptable and what is not. ALL nalia should be krimson & Kream. Not red letters on a black background (wrong!!!!), not our letters on denim, (wrong!!!!). Red and white, and various shades of the two colors are acceptable. Sounds harsh, but I know of brothers who have been taken to woodshed for breaking with proper etiquette.

My sands came to a meeting with this nice shirt on. It was black with red letters. The Polemarch (President) looked at it, and was like nice shirt, but it's illegal. Don't wear it again.

Now before someone says, "oh that's crazy, I would wear whatever color I want to, he can't tell me what to wear." Let me stop you now. When it comes down to how he represents our frat, there are certain rules that we all must follow.

Kappa is hard but fair, you know what you are getting into from the beginning.

Peace and Much Luv

MN

[This message has been edited by ManndingoNUPE (edited September 29, 2000).]

Thank you for breaking it down Mandingo Nupe. One of my bruhs was joking about buying a shirt with some print on the letters. He had to be informed that is not allowed. We don't wear colors outside of those chosen by our founders. It is that simple. I cannot fathom allowing someone to wear the letters that I earned. To me that is unspeakable.

I never quite understood why people would go out and get all kinds of crazy printed letters that had absolutely nothing to do w/ the org's colors, symbols, etc.

I have a lot of respect for how the NPHC does things so conventionally, but I can also see using prints/colors that are SIMILAR to your org's official colors (aka leopard print for black and gold) or have something to do with your group's symbols (aka Skull & crossbones for Phi Kap Sig, turtles for DZ).

But, for ex, a KD in a gray shirt with purple background and mickey mouse pattern or an ADPi in red and gold...makes no sense to me. Maybe b/c even in my younger days, 'team colors' were important spirit-builders and identifying elements when i did things like cheerleading, soccer, track...

Just my thoughts...

Hey Manndingo,
Just a few weeks ago, I was at a local hangout and this girl, who knows I'm a Delta, came up to me and told me about another girl wearing a Kappa shirt. She had to attitude that I should go rip it off of her just because I'm greek. I had to explain that 1) I'm not a Kappa and don't know your protocol, 2) I didn't see the actual Kappa (he's a friend) around to discuss it, plus I don't know what kind of relationship/arrangement they had about the shirt.
When I explained this to her, she just sighed, rolled her eyes, and walked away.
This just frustrated me because I don't like to see any non-greek wear letters they haven't earned. That's like my boyfriend wearing one of my Delta shirts. I think he would look silly.
But I felt it wasn't my place to "check" the girlfriend. I'm sure my friend knew she had his shirt, but probably didn't think she would wear it in public.


[This message has been edited by c&c1913 (edited September 29, 2000).]

I can't speak for all NPC/IFC groups, but I do think that there is a commonly-held attitude among those org.s on this topic. DISCLAIMER! I am only trying to clarify how I perceive the general opinion of the non-BGLO's. I could be way off base. (please jump in if so).

Scarlet red and olive green are what is meaningful to my chapter - and it is about what those colors and their origin and their role in my sorority represent to me as an initiate. It isn't about whether I wear them, or how I wear them, or whether someone else wears them. If I saw a sister wearing the letters and colors in a disrespectful way, there would be an issue for me. I believe it is about WHO is wearing the letters and how. If a sister who is true and pure of heart is wearing the letters in a different color -- she is STILL representing my letters in a way that makes me proud to be her sister -- not because of the style or color but because of who she is.

My sorority's colors are very similar to those of other groups. Just because Kappa Sigma, an IFC fraternity, has a similar dark red and dark green as their chapter's colors... means nothing to me. It means something to THEM, in the same way that ALL tradition and symbols mean something to THOSE WHO WEAR THEM. If I see a Delta in a crimson shirt or a Chi-O in a cardinal shirt, I don't think that she is posing, just because my sorority's color is scarlet red and the colors can be similar.

Now... if my sorority were part of a national group (i.e. NPHC) for which chapter members' colors are always worn a certain way, I would definitely respect that within my umbrella org. But, since the NPC/IFC see colors as symbolic but not absolutely identifying, I do not feel disrespected when a sister wears colors that are not "ours".

For me personally, what matters is the girl INSIDE the letters, and how she represents my chapter - but not how she individually chooses to do it. Did I explain this correctly? If not, please let me know!!!

more of my two cents on another topic in this post!

To wear the letters of another chapter, IMHO it should only be when you attended an event hosted by that chapter. If the Sigma Chis and the Tri-Deltas have a 60's-themed exchange and they get together and print a tie-dyed T-shirt with the date and both letters, then both members can wear that shirt with pride, because it represents a function that both participated in. Or, if you are invited by a fraternity brother as his date to his winter formal, he might give you the T-shirt made for that function, which will bear his letters and the date. As an official guest of the fraternity for that evening, I think that it is okay to wear those letters in that respect. Hypothetically, I don't think that people look at that girl in that t-shirt and think "oh, who does she think she is? is she aspiring to the ritual of XYZ Fraternity?"

"Little Sister" and "sweetheart" programs, while definitely outlawed by national IFC org.s, are still in existence at lots of schools. At some schools and some fraternities, brothers allow "little sisters" to wear their letters as an indicator to the rest of the campus that she is "affiliated" with that group. Personally I disagree with this practice... but it is one of those long-standing Greek traditions that will take decades to erase.

Here's my input.

I can't even attempt to understand all the interworkings of BGLO's. However I hold much respect for members of such orgs. I don't agree with a lot of things which go on behind closed doors during pledging, or even after the fact. However, this doesn't mean that I disrespect BGLO's.

However I have noticed that in this thread and others, (specifically with some of those unlisted comments) that there is blatent disrespect for NPC and IFC orgs. I'm sorry, but show a little respect. I'm not saying you have to agree or understand.

However, represent what your letters are suppossed to stand for, and be the person your Org. expects you to be. And, if you want to slam NPC or IFC houses or any NPHC org than put you name on it, so your cowardice can be shown.

Besides, if you are being disrespectful than think about you motto, and realize you aren't fulfilling the honor of the letters or colors you wear.

Much Love,

Kymberleigh
Delta Delta Delta

SigmaGrrrl...did you say URI Greek Store! Are you a URI girl? Much Rhode Island love!

So, it's not okay for me to have a long-sleeved black t-shirt w/ my letters in green and red?

CORRECTION: The National Pan-Hellenic Council does NOT decide how the members of its member organizations can and cannot wear their respective colors. Each organization: APhiA, AKA, KAPsi, Omega, DST, PBS, ZPhiB, SGRho and IPhiT decides how the letters of their respective organizations can and cannot be worn.

You learn something new everyday. You don't feel out of place wearing the colors of another sorority on your shirt? Some of the patterns I have seen do not reflect the image I am sure your founders were trying to project (skulls, snakes). I wear clothing in the color of other organizations, but NEVER even think of disrespecting another organization by putting MY letters in THEIR colors. Now that I know NPC's think the letters and not the colors are important, I now can understand why I see an array of patterned letters on my campus.

I just got a lettered sweatshirt made, and I love it. Forest green, shamrock print, edged in green and gold. (For the record, my sorority's colors are royal blue and silver). I chose this combination of print-cloth and colors for my sweatshirt because I like it, and it means something to me. I am representing my love for my sorority; simultaneously, I'm representing my pride in being an OU College of Engineering student. I see no conflict of interest in representing my sorority and my personal taste/personality simultaneously. I don't dispute the merit in all sisters wearing lettered clothing in strictly royal blue and silver - it would certainly make a visual impact.

There's a few points I'd like everyone to consider:

(1) Even though I have the opportunity to choose colors/print-cloth that don't necessarily represent my sorority, I would never wittingly choose another sorority's colors and/or symbols for my lettered clothing. I think this is true of any greek who has this option in their lettered clothing. It's respecting one's own affiliation, as much as it is respecting another organization. Why would you want your affiliation to be mistaken?

(2) I would hazard a guess that greeks who have the option of having letters other than in their colors choose either (a)colors that flatter them or that they like, or (b) a pattern/print that is special to them. Example: I once saw a lettered sweatshirt that had a stars and stripes theme (this greek came from a family with a long history of military service). Another example: I was debating trying to find some material with owls or cannons on them (as well as the shamrock) for my letters (the owl and the cannon have some significance for OU engineering students) - but then I remembered that more people know the owl to be associated with Chi Omega than with Sooner engineers! So I decided against that design. Another example: my Sister Artimis has a lettered sweatshirt that has a heavenly bodies (sun-moon-stars) theme to it - this is a theme she loves, if something has midnight-blue-with-stars-and-moons-and-suns, you can bet she owns it (or will shortly!)

(2) It could be that the colors have much different meaning for some greek organizations than others. It might be that there's a specified protocol for when and how colors may or may not be used. Perhaps colors are reserved for special occasions, and "mundane" use (such as in clothing) is frowned upon. At any rate, I would imagine that even with letters, clothing after all is clothing, and its color/pattern scheme comes nowhere as close in importance as, say, one's badge or pin, other than to proclaim to the world, "Look, there's goes a member of XYZ!" (After all, those letters are anywhere from 3 to 5 inches tall, and pretty darn hard to miss! http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/wink.gif)



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equeen
A Lioness has her Pride!
@>--;--
Alpha Sigma Kappa - Women in Technical Studies

CrimsonDiva -

Just to take the NPC as an example, there are 2 sororities (TPA & Tri-Delt) that have silver, gold & blue as their colors, and 5 that have some form of red (cardinal, crimson, etc) as a color. So if you look at it that way, even when you do wear your own colors, you're wearing someone else's. See what I mean?

I had a pink sweatshirt with my crest on it and I never even thought of "someone will think I'm wearing DZ/AKA colors!" I just like pink and happened to like the way the crest looked on pink. This is just another one of the BGLO/GLO differences that this board is so good for learning about! http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif

Phi Kappa Sigma call themselves "Skulls" and Sigma Nu sometimes call themselves "Snakes." This is a national thing. Why I don't know, maybe one of their brothers will hop on here and enlighten us.