Rules regarding appearance
 

Do sororities and fraternities have rules regarding appearance? I am curious as to whether tattoos or piercings are allowed or if it depends on the individual chapter.

This depends on the individual chapter, and even then, I doubt any of them have written rules - it might just be frowned upon.

The one thing there might be an actual rule about is that you can't tattoo your letters or any other sorority insignia on you.

I wouldn't doubt a chapter or two out there have bylaws about tats and piercings, but I don't think a national org as a whole would. That's something that would have to be applied across the board for collegians and alums...and who wants to be in an org where they dictate what their 30 yr old (or heck, 21 for that matter) members can/can't do with their bodies??

So even if there are no written rules against it, do you think there are some chapters that might not want you to join their fraternity or sorority because a tattoo or piercing doesn't fit their image?

Absolutely. If you walk into SEC recruitment (or any competitive/conservative) looking like you fell facefirst into a tacklebox, you're probably not going to get a bid.

One/a few tattoo(s) that can be covered? Probably not a big deal...
Tounge ring/bellybutton ring? Probably not a big deal, especially with a clear spacer in.

I am talking about a single tattoo or piercing.

The gal I marry better have a snake tat on her arm.....

At my campus, all of the Sigma Kappa's got their letters tatooed on their big toes...ouch! One of my sisters had a stupid looking panda head with a big red bow and AOII under it on her ankle. My old roommates (twin sisters) had a piece of wheat and a red rose entwined around AOII on their ankles. The list goes on and on. Head to toe tats are a completely different story though!

PRESH!

My point is...tattoos and sororities (and definitely fraternities) are not mutually exclusive. Tattooing is very common, so I doubt is often an issue. The problem comes when hiding a tattoo is impossible because every skin surface is inked. People don't get jobs for the same reason. It turns mainstream America off...Greeks are definitely mainstream America!

The only rule regarding appearance that I can think of is a friend of a friend told me that her chapter had a rule that all of the actives and new members had to look presentable all the time- including having a professional manicure and pedicure every week.

That'd be okay if the mani/pedi was included in your dues!

She didn't tell me that, but I don't think it was. I generally try to get one every two weeks, so I'd be ok with that, but I wouldn't like someone telling me that I'd be fined if I didn't get one.

The only appearance rule I can think of is when you should and should not wear your badge/pin...i.e. you don't put your badge on a t-shirt or a sweatshirt, or any top when you're wearing jeans.

Tattoos and body piercings are so common now I can't see how you could enforce any rule on those these days. I wouldn't get one (although my mother in law has several tattoos!)...I'm way too conservative for that....but I've come around to accept the idea that girls and women can have a tasteful, discreet tattoo and nobody really cares.

but the dermatologist/plastic surgeons in the office next door to mine are making a fortune doing tattoo removal and reconstructive surgery on piercings gone wrong!