Making Clothes for Rush
 

Hello everyone! I just had a question about clothing for rush. I'm really interested in sewing and making my own clothes, do you think it would be tacky to wear some of the clothes I have made? :)

A lot of the answer depends on where you'll be rushing, at a SEC school (or the like), or another area of the country.

As we both know, there's sewing and there's sewing. If you make clothing that amazes people that you made it, or even designed it, you'll get further than if it's an obvious Butterick pattern #0000. I sew well (when I have the time!), and have worn creations to various important events, and the only time someone knew that I made my dress was after they wanted to know where they could get someone like it, and I had to say that I made it. Ironically, I have an aunt who makes most of her clothes, and while you can't tell, she is totally incapable of changing a pattern to suit her better.

if you are an amazing seamstress/tailor, and as honeychile said, folks can't believe that you made the outfit, then wear it. also, you don't have to spend big bucks on your purchased outfits-they just need to fit properly and flatter your body type.

your skills might work in your favor. sororities are always having to come up with costumes for different events, and most would love to have someone with sewing talents in the chapter.

Re: Making Clothes for Rush
 

It would only be tacky if the clothes you make are tacky :)

If it is a competitive rush, I wouldn't wear them, unless they really are incredible

Re: Making Clothes for Rush
 

Yes.

If it's in the SEC or ACC, do not wear homemade clothes. Otherwise go ahead. Some would look down upon it because it's not Vuitton or Ralph Lauren or whatever. I'm sure these clothes look great, but still don't do it.

This isn't aimed at ilikehazing; just a general observation.

Would most college girls, even those at SEC schools, actually be able to identify a piece of clothing as LV or Ralph Lauren, etc. without seeing the label? I mean, it's one thing to recognize something you see in Vogue or W; but to memorize the details of an entire designer's catalog?

I do know that a lot of the sorority women on that message board that's geared toward SEC greeks claim to be dripping in Prada, Burberry, Tse and whatever designers are of-the-moment, but I think we all know that they're not telling the truth.

I think Lilly is pretty recognizable because there are a limited number of styles and fabrics but beyond that, it's hard to believe that our colleges are populated by fashionistas who can smell Gucci at twenty paces.

What do you all think?

PS Sorry about hijacking your thread, Dee!

I agree. In fact, I agree with everything else you said. Handbags are easy to recognize; clothes, not so much (unless it's, say, Lilly Pulitzer or something like you mentioned).

My mom made my white dress for Bid Day, and it looked just as good as everyone else's store-bought ones.

Are you joking?

I helped a girl clean out her car, at a mid-tier sorority, she had burberry and prada shoved in the back of her car, like she didn't even know they were there, or care. Most every girl I've ever hung out with always has real Prada and Burberry

You actually helped someone from a mid-tier? How noble of you!:rolleyes:

They're most likely faux.

I would have to disagree with this. UK is hardly competitive when compared to our more southern SEC counterparts and I saw girls completely designer labelled-out during rush. I'm not a regular magazine reader, but I have an online shopping addiction, so it was pretty easy to spot the girls that dropped big bucks on their wardrobes. I can only imagine how things are in the deeper South.

I wouldn't be so fast to dismiss designer stuff as faux. I've seen the shopping habits of some sorority ladies, and a lot of them are lucky, lucky girls

Sidenote... my Bid Day dress was from Lilly, and it makes me a little more than sad that it doesn't fit like it used to.

i say wear what you want as long as it is appropriate for the setting (ie. not wearing a skirt with your but hangin out or a bathing suit in a blizzard). if these women are going to be your sisters, they should accept you even if you don't waste all your money on expensive labels. i think it is super creative of you and you can use that to market yourself-you could help the chapter make greek week costumes, do cool crafts for new members or make some clothes to be donated to charity.

on a personal note, if you came into rush with a cute handmade outfit and you were nice and met minimum standards, id give you a bid in a second!

i don't know when being greek became all about brand names and clothes......

If I was you I would look around in my classes and see what the sorority women are wearing and emulate their level of designer or lack of designer. On my campus sorority women wore all different stuff from Old navy to Burberry...
Personally I am more on the side of being your self... but you should be your very best you:) I think it comes down to wearing what looks best on you and what you like wearing.
I have a wonderful faux Coach and Prada purse:)

Thanks!
 

Thanks so much! :) I don't have a problem with designer clothing and bags...I have a few of my own. But sometimes its hard to find a dress at a store that fits you perfectly. And sometimes I just like to combine styles of dresses that I see in the stores to fit my personality better :)

I wish I could sew better... my skill is limited to curtains.... I have such a problem finding clothes that fit... and finding the time to get them altered.
Good luck

I can't sew clothes but I have done window treatments up the wazoo due to our moves and many, many quilts for fun and commission.

Re: Thanks!
 

I suppose I should have been more explicit, but I'm fairly sure I said not at an SEC school or such.

But what you're saying is exactly how I feel. Half the time I buy clothes (designer or not), I change something on them - just last week someone commented on a dress I had on which had been on a designer website, and she was amazed at what I had done with it!

I'd still get some opinions from the Mid-west exclusive school which you plan to attend, but I think a creative mind and the ability to use it so well is a gift, not a detriment!

PS - I once represented my Alumnae Association at another sorority's convention, so I made a special dress in my sorority colors. I got compliments all afternoon - plus, they remembered which sorority I represented! :)

Thank you UKTriDelt...

I wish someone would actually believe the "rumors" about the system down here. It's like no where else.

This is all it takes for you, huh?

Anyway, I agree with Honeychile. No, sorority girls (even in the SEC) don't have entire designer inventory memorized, but you can recognize pieces and see the richness and quality of a garment. So if you can whip up something gorgeous, why NOT? I'd say in general though, probably not.

And I'm agreeing with UKTriDelt... a real Prada or Burberry is not entirely uncommon anywhere, let alone amongst sorority girls.

I don't think it's that uncommon for girls to wear lots of designer labels. A friend of my housemates' (not in a sorority) always wears Gucci, Burberry, etc. One time she came over after a jog wearing an Abercrombie sweatshirt, and I said to her "wow, I think this is the first time that I saw you in something that's not designer."

If I'm not correct in my belief that the vast majority of college women are not decked out in high-end designer garb, then I guess I defer to those of you who say they know people in their early twenties who can afford to dress that way without resorting to knockoffs.

And I see that uktridelta and achtungbaby, who attend(ed) the same school also have differing opinions on the subject.

I have to say my BS detector is going off, though, although that's just my opinion and nothing more :)

I don't think anyone is saying that the vast majority of college women can afford to dress like that, just that some can, and it does happen.

So says the girl from New York

I wish I could afford to dress that way... but I dare say that quite a few girls in my sorority could afford it and they did(I haven't been an undergrad for a few years). Some could afford it and didn't. Some people are just lucky because their parents have the money and allow them to use it.
I would love to have that kind of disposiable income! But I am a lowly graduate student... maybe one day:)

I would say no. Play it safe. Wear clothes you have purchased that are similiar to your style that also work with the style of recruitment.

However, I think it would be a great idea to introduce into the conversation that you know how to make your own clothes and describe the style. If you've made any fashion accessories, you might want to wear one of them at recruitment. That would be appropriate.

Good luck at recruitment and welcome to Greek Chat.

Not to mention that we're in different sororities...

ETA: If you look at other threads that Achtung and I have posted in, you'll notice that this isn't the first time her and I have had different experiences at the same school. Sororities are oh so diverse here, which I suppose proves the point that everyone really can find a place where they fit!

If you want to make your own clothes, go for it. You can always say that your dress was custom made and is an original, assuming that you have a talent for designing and sewing.

I'm not familiar with your campus so I might be all wrong.

Like I said, it's just my little ol' opinion :)

If you are an awesome seamstress... I say go for it.

If you can "sew" like me, I'd say avoid it. Yeah, the stuff I've made for myself turned out wearable and you probably couldn't tell it was made just by a casual glance... but I always had thread and isht sticking out in the wrong places. Sometimes things wouldn't fit right, etc.

I'd go with the handmade jewelry like someone suggested and mention you make some of your own clothes. We do a lot of our own costumes for performances and philanthropies, so someone who can at least sew a straight seam is always useful.

This is just my opinion, and what I have seen on my campus, so take it with that in mind:
I see nothing wrong with wearing something you made, IF it's really really nice. A girl at my school during recruitment week had this amazingly gorgeous skirt, like nothing I had ever seen before. When asked where she got it, she said she had made it. No one thought less of her, in fact, everyone thought more of her because she was so creative and crafty. If a sorority just wants you because you wear designer...well, that certainly wouldn't be the sorority for me!

I like designer stuff as much as the next girl, but if you can make something that will have people gushing over it, do it, wear it, and love it! Not many people have that talent, so consider yourself lucky. As long as it looks good and is appropriate, it sounds fine.

Of course, again, I go to Lyon College. It's small and much less competitive, so take what I say with that in mind.

I would say it depends.

It depends on the fit, quality and style of the garment you make.

It depends on how you present yourself in said garment.

It depends on the competitiveness of the school at which you're going through recruitment.

If you're going to wear something that fits your body well, is sewn well, is appropriate for the day of recruitment and you feel confident in, then by all means, rock your handmade clothes.

If it's something that's ill-fitting, poorly made or you're going to feel self-conscious in the entire time you wear it, leave it in the closet.

At both my undergrad school and the school at which I now advise, handmade clothes wouldn't necessarily be a disadvantage to a PNM, unless they were horribly dowdy and poorly made. Both schools are medium-sized Midwestern schools with a moderately competitive recruitment.

I agree that if you're a heck of a seamstress, go for it. People don't dock points from girls for whether their clothes are designer or not, but rather for their overall appearance (neat, clean, not sloppy)... I think there was a whole other thread about appearances and their influence on rush.

OMG, like, that's so totally true! I mean, thank God there are sororities that are too clueless to realize that a person's worth is only proportional to the number of Manolos in her closet, because otherwise a poor soul like me would never have gotten a bid.

True Story: My mom wanted badly to make me a dress for each round of rush. I was really skeptical about it because my school was so competitive, but my mom convinced me to let her do it because she had done so for her own rush when she was in school. When I only had 7 parties (of a possible 12) for round 2, I quit wearing the handmade clothes and did better in the 2nd, 3rd, and preference rounds. I had a friend from one of the houses who cut me first round who told me that her sisters thought my homemade dress made me look like "a poor girl who couldn't afford dues" (and the dress was really pretty cute).

Don't know if that helps, but I figured I'd mention it.

Oh, Snap.

Whoa, I think you took what I said completely the wrong way. I said nothing about your chapter or my chapter, but just that there ARE plenty of girls out there that come through rush decked out in designer clothes.

I don't own a single pair of Manolos... nor do most of the girls that I know. I was simply giving a *possible* reason for our differing views on the topic.

I agree wih UK TriDelt.

Thank you. I'm not trying to ruffle feathers here, and what I'm saying really shouldn't. Some sorority women and PNM's have a lot of money, no one debates that, and it shouldn't be controversial. Wear what makes you happy.