Dress Code Across the U.S.
 

I tried the search function, but did not quite find what I was looking to read about. I thought it would be interesting to read about dress codes for both sororities and fraternities across the U.S.

*Please state where you are located (i.e. the University/College and state)

*State your sorority/fraternity

*Discuss dress code for any time you are on campus, but outside of a Greek function (normal school attendance and such)

*Discuss dress code for a function outside of your house, inside of your house, chapter meeting etc.

*Anything additional to share is most welcome!

I would love to see the differences across the U.S. and also your feelings.

This is not quite what you asked for, but here are my two cents:

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
Mu Lambda Chapter (A Washington, DC Alumni Chapter)


Chapter Meeting: Professional to business casual, but Alpha paraphernalia has been an acceptable substitute

Certain Functions: Alpha Attire = black suits and gold ties

It's the "feelings" aspect that may jump up and bite this thread in the butt.

I am not quite sure what you mean?^^

Let me say that I don't mean any trouble here and I am just interested in how things are different in different areas and how the rules are different amongst various sororities/fraternities.

While I am at it- I don't understand why people on Greek Chat can't handle certain topics and questions and act as adults. It is simple conversation and I am somewhat shocked at how people handle various things here. (please note SWTXBelle that my statements are not directed at you)

If a mod feels the need to close my thread, then by all means do so.

University of Arkansas

Dress code for campus...not an official one, but usually a polo (VV, RL, SoPro, BB, etc) or an oxford and khaki or private school blue (navy? I guess) shorts (or pants depending on the time of year) and sperrys/wallabees/rainbows/boots. Croakies and whatever your pair of sunglasses are (costas, ray ban, maui jim, etc) If you're greek, this is the general dress because this is how we've always dressed. When I was a little kid I wore the same clothes (albeit smaller) that I do now. It creates a gap between the GDI's and the Greeks because you can easily tell who is Greek and who is not which is why we never wear "jerseys" and don't need party t-shirts.

Football games, pledges wear ties and a suitcoat. Most members wear ties and an oxford with some variation.

For chapter meetings, polo and pants. For ritual chapter, full dress (tie, button up, jacket, etc).

I have my own feelings regarding elsewhere but choose to keep them quiet in an effort to keep the thread on track. I don't care what other people wear, I know what looks good and what doesn't.

No offense taken - what I mean is that often clothing discussions degenerate into north/south debates that quickly take an ugly turn. So, while I too am interested in what different campuses wear, I am afraid that certain GCers will be unable to resist the chance to start another "fratty/non-fratty" discussion. And yes, I think it's silly and unnecessary, so I hope I am wrong.

Generally on campus, our guys will wear whatever it is that they wear. Some will wear polos, others, not.

For meetings, about 90% of the time, it's coat and tie.

For football games, shirt and tie.

Thank you for responding and my hopes are that people will be mature and keep this thread on a positive and informative thought.:)

Wow, football games shirt and tie. Classy!

X2
Florida State

I'm struggling to see what's "interesting" about rehashing all of this in its own thread. Hasn't this topic been thoroughly covered in various discussions in other threads?

olduITY?

nittanyalum, what might not be interesting to you may be interesting to me. We all have opinions.

Thank you KSUViolet06. I did read that, but also was looking for anything else members felt like sharing.

Right. And I gave mine.

I'm so proud of you!

Although, if you really cared you would not post at all and perhaps let the thread sink.

To my knowledge, while we've had threads similar to like this we have not had a thread exactly like this. I think it's a worthy thread to continue on.

*blushing* EW approval??!???!??? Could it be??!??!?!? Oh, happy happy day!!!

How would my not posting at all showed that I really cared?

And by all means, carry on, big guy. I can't wait to read what you wear to church!

Hmmm... it's been a while.

Not the US but -

Lambda Chi Alpha - Toronto
"Formal" meetings: shirt and tie, ideally jacket too.
"Informal" meetings: shirt/sweater with Fraternity insignia or letters.
Campus wear: no 'dress code', wear what you wear.

Thats basically it.

Chapter is usually business casual (pin attire)..sometimes we have a casual chapter and we can wear jeans and whatnot.

For football games..we wear what you SHOULD wear to football games. Jersey, jeans/shorts, face paint. haha..go bucks..

We wear whatever we want around campus..no dress code to speak of.

Woah there on what "you should wear."

We have two totally different opinions. Everyone can wear what they want.

hmm lets see.

Lambda Psi Delta Sorority, Inc.
Epsilon Chapter (University of South Florida)

Chapter meetings: business casual
Formal Report meetings: Formal Business attire
Events: depending on the event, attire ranges from casual to formal, and on occasion, cultural.
Other Peoples events: letters- usually a shirt, tekee or jacket
Everyday life: whatever u want (as long as its tasteful)

READY.


SET.


GO!

Bowties are real popular there, but I wasn't aware Hampden-Sydney even had a football team. Is it NAIA?

http://www2.hsc.edu/athletics/football/

I actually knew they had football, what I didn't know is they had GLOs. Isn't the whole school basically one big fraternity?

I'm wondering the reason for the tradition of men wearing jackets and ties and women wearing dresses to football games in SEC schools (and other Southern schools). I'm not trying to attack it, but the idea seems weird to me because:
A) football games are very hot for the better part of SEC football season (therefore it would be very uncomfortable for the guys),
B) often involve drinking/messy food/activities where you could easily ruin nice clothes,
C) the stands can be dirty since they are exposed to the elements,
D) because people don't wear nice "church-like" clothes to NFL games
E) even most coaches/staff don't dress up, and
F) you're not usually wearing school colors when you dress up.

Is the wearing of jackets and ties and dresses only a Greek thing at these Southern schools or do most of the football fans wear clothes like that to games?

NOW we need your post, DST... ;) :D

It's lots of Southern shools, not just in the SEC. And men (at least in my experience) don't weat suits -- it's coat and tie.

Which is part of the reason we can never understand why northerners don't dress up...it's often far more uncomfortable for us than it would be in the cold. I think there's a facebook group at Ole Miss that says it best... "the football put their best out on the field, so we try to put the best out in the stands." We may be a bit uncomfortable, but the football players are much more uncomfortable.

Bourbon dosn't make too big of a mess. We take great care in not making a mess.

We stand nearly the whole time so the stands cleanliness isn't too important.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think at Ole Miss it's almost everyone not only Greek. Here, it's almost only Greek and that's important for two reasons. Greeks (and everyone else, I think) see football games as a social occasion. You have to be seen in your best when you're out. Naturally, Greeks tend to dress to impress moreso then other groups and that's where part of it comes from. Besides this, the way Greeks dress now is in part because of this is how we've been raised to dress but also because it seperates us from GDI's in a way that isn't explicit. In my opinion, that's one of the reasons why suits and ties are worn by Greeks mostly. Macallan/bows/sec/phigam can correct, but that's what I've noticed.

This is for the University of Kentucky.

Class: Shorts (may be khaki, navy, red, green, or light blue) worn a few inches above the knee, can be regular twill shorts or some type of outdoor/fishing shorts. Polo shirt, button down or pary shirt. Boat shoes, wallabees, flip flops, or running shoes. Maybe a hat or visor (beat up with bill very bent of course). Sunglasses with croakies. Fleece jacket or rain shell from Marmot, Patagonia, etc. This is all for warmer weather, of course, since spring is here.

Football games: Khakis. White or light blue button down shirt. Tie (either a bow tie or long tie). Sometimes a blazer. Boat shoes or loafers. Sunglasses w/croakies. Sometimes a hat or visor.

Bars/non-themed parties: Shorts as described above, or khakis. Polo or button down (tucked in of course). Boat shoes, wallabees or some kind of driving moc. Maybe a hat (as described above).

Ditto that during my college years!

I don't think anyone who responded yet lives in a place that has winter.

I sure don't feel like starting to even try to describe the Greek (and non affiliated undergrads and grad students) fashion on my campus, but I am praying to the Baby Jesus that people will stop wearing pyjama pants and slippers outside, especially in winter. Ditto on butt letter sweatpants and rainbow tie dyed crocs or uggs with sweats any time of the year. Fashion tragedies abounded this morning and seriously, we've got to do better!

Are there coats & ties that you can just throw in the wash? I'm not being smartass, honestly asking. Even if you didn't get food or beer on it, I'm assuming that in the sun you'd get sweaty (ew). And I hate to think of the dry cleaning bills.

LOL, HuskyAlum, I don't know why but I was thinking you were a guy so I was quite amused to read that I wouldn't find you in a sundress.

Bow ties are harder to spill stuff on. And most guys in my chapter (myself included) have an old blazer specifically for football games and the racetrack where it is likely to have bourbon spilled on it.

I went to UGA's homecoming football game last year and I felt horribly underdressed. J didn't tell me to wear a dress, so I showed up in a red t-shirt and jeans. At GMU, we wore lettered shirts in GMU's colors with jeans and sneakers to show our support for our school and for our respective GLOs. I mean, they're sporting events, so it seemed odd to me to dress up for them... I wouldn't wear a dress to any other spectator sport, what makes college sporting events any different?

It all comes down to campus climate. Where I went, letters were big, Greeks dressed up for meetings and certain events but basically just wore party shirts and letters to show pride in our orgs or whatever we felt like wearing that day. But then again, GMU is still considered by many to be a "non-traditional" and "commuter" campus....

Why do I feel like this has all already been discussed...? :rolleyes:

I haven't heard anything from our Texas schools (Especially the old Southwest Conference schools). I have a feeling it is much more casual than it use to be when we wore our very best dresses ( "Fall Cottons" as they were called) and we were decked out. I think all that has changed but would like to hear from someone in the know. I think SMU still dresses up but am not for sure of the others.

But if it's old & crappy, is that really "dressing up"?

I don't know man, I'm still trying to get past that red shorts comment.

I am not a student, but go to a bunch of UT games, and the fraternity guys wear jeans, boots, and burnt orange Longhorn shirts (either buttondown or polo). I would post a picture of a tail gate, but don't know how. It is a sea of orange.

Many girls wear orange sundresses - these cheesy, jersey things are popular now, or a cute top with a short skirt and cowboy boots. For the most part it is casual, but all UT related.

The OLD SW Conference is now a member of The Big XII:)

Dress is casual today more so than ever before in classes.

Tailgating is very casual, if you go to special functions, coats, slacks, shirts and ties.


Dress like a slob, you will feel like one!:(

Tom Earp, Don't rub it in!! I so miss the SWC

My experience at a game in Austin: UT men in Khaki Shorts/Polos, women were in shorts or UT pajama pants and orange tank tops. Not as formal as SEC.

Let's face it, if we were to dress up for football, we would freeze our asses off. Except for the first few games, it's either rainy, windy or cold and who wants more skin exposed to that.

Now, in saying that....I'm done and hopefully this thread is too. I agree with NittanyAlum. Why are we rehashing this again!

I have two pairs of red shorts, a pair of red pants, and a pair of seersucker red pants (only can wear 'em to one game because there's only one before labor day usually).