What to Wear?

I'm in the process of making a FAQ section for our school Recruitment info page. One question I had asked to me was what types of clothing to bring to school that one might need for recruitment as well as sorority activities. A few of us brainstormed the following, but have we left out something major?

- a white dress (for Initiation and other rituals)

- a black dress (for semi formal events)

- a formal dress (for formals and other dressy events)

- a Halloween costume (for the obvious)

- a nice business style outfit like a pantsuit (for teas, and the like)

- what most people bring for campus living - jeans, t-shirts, shorts, etc etc.

Are we missing out on some major item we should tell girls to pack for school if they plan on being involved in recruitment and sororities? Or do any of our ideas seem way off base? I think this list will really helping incoming students that want to join a NPC sorority. I know I wish I had a guide like this when I came to school so I wouldn't have had to go out and buy a formal gown!

I'm sure you really minded buying a new gown! Anyway, you list seems complete in regards to what my sorority requires for clothing, except maybe you should make a note of bringing along a few nice outfits for rush.

[AlphaChiGirl]

That list sounds perfect. I prepared for Rush when I packed for school in the fall, unaware of the fact (I never received anything from Panhellenic about it) that our Rush was not only in the Spring, it was informal. So, I have all these wonderful dresses, which I didn't wear until I became an active.

According to the information packet my local Panhellenic gave me, they really stressed comfort (ie., shoes, clothes appropriate for the heat--I'm from the South, etc.) and to plan for each day well in advance.

I have loads of this Formal Southern rush stuff, if there's anything you need.

[Finer Woman10-A-91]

Hey Sister Greek!
This just shows you how different NPHC orgs are in respect to "preparing". You don't "prepare" because the fact is you may not be invited to membership. Furthermore, we NEVER discuse attire for rituals with people outside of our respective organization.

I have learned soooooo much about Greek life outside of NPHC. Thanks again for sharing.

Originally posted by AlphaChiGirl:
That list sounds perfect. I prepared for Rush when I packed for school in the fall, unaware of the fact (I never received anything from Panhellenic about it) that our Rush was not only in the Spring, it was informal. So, I have all these wonderful dresses, which I didn't wear until I became an active.

According to the information packet my local Panhellenic gave me, they really stressed comfort (ie., shoes, clothes appropriate for the heat--I'm from the South, etc.) and to plan for each day well in advance.

I have loads of this Formal Southern rush stuff, if there's anything you need.

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Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated...Every Finer Woman's Dream!

[AXO Alum]

Originally posted by Saoirse:
- a white dress (for Initiation and other rituals)

I haven't heard the white dress for Initiation or any rituals before! Did someone tell you this is what they wore? I've been a member since 1994, and this is the first for me.

My sorority has everyone in white for initiation. I think it's fairly common. I notice a lot of sorority websites that have a picture section may have pictures of the girls before/after initiation and they're all in white dresses. Maybe it's not as common as I assume...

What types of "nice rush outfits" do you mean? Our recruitment period is fairly casual, aside from the last two rounds. I assume that with the pantsuit and a black dress, along with "regular" clothes a girl might bring will give her enough things to mix and match for recruitment. What other things should we suggest they bring?

[AlphaChiGirl]

Originally posted by AXO Alum:
I haven't heard the white dress for Initiation or any rituals before! Did someone tell you this is what they wore? I've been a member since 1994, and this is the first for me.

AXO Alum, I can tell you that I've never heard of a white dress for Initiation, and I JUST went through it--and for Alpha Chi, no less! I think some Bid Day parties, etc., require white dresses, I've always heard, "have a white dress for your sorority", but this isn't anything I've experienced. Maybe it's just a Southern thing?

Finer Woman, I'd also never discuss attire for ritual with anyone outside my organization, either. I do know that some groups have a dinner prior to Initiation, and the girls are asked to wear white...having nothing to do with the ritual. Although there are some discrepancies between what's considered secret between NPHC and NPC groups, I'm sure there are more common grounds than differences. Also...when your interests come for interest groups, etc., are they encouraged to dress respectably? Isn't this considered a form of planning?

[Finer Woman10-A-91]

Also...when your interests come for interest groups, etc., are they encouraged to dress respectably? Isn't this considered a form of planning?

Absolutely!
The typical rule is do not show up in other organizations colors or the colors of the Sorority you are interested in gaining membership into.

All of the NPHC orgs have a way of dictating the attire...pastels vs neutrals. It depends on the campus.



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Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated...Every Finer Woman's Dream!

[SoCalGirl]

Alpha Chi doesn't wear white?!?

You know I always thought all the sororities on my campus wore white for initiation and pinning. But I guess if I think about it I've never actually seen any of them gathering to go into initiation; so it's just something I assumed.

I know that the color your wearing usually has significance to your ritual. I've heard of other sororities that all wear black. I wish we did. Anyone who has ever had to wear white dress, white hose, white shoes knows that you definitely don't feel attractive. I feel even closer to my sisters during rituals in small part because I know that they feel the same as I.

Yeah ZetaAce, generally in NPC what color dress you wear during ritual is not a secret. If they put something on over those dresses and everything else they do certainly is though. I hear rumors but I always figure they couldn't possibly be right. Some of the rumors are so wild!

At my school though you'd still need a white semi-formal dress for Presents (pronounced with emphesis on the E). I know not every place does this so I'll explain.
Presents is a semi-formal dance in the fall where the pledge class is presented to the chapter. All the pledges wear white and usually the actives wear black. Some chapters have the actives wear their colors, like blue. It's not like a debutant ball but that's basically the inspiration for it.
Our school tends to have the dances towards the end of semester but the school cross town usually has it the week after bid day. They also hold it with a fraternity so it's kind of like an exchange.

Other things that I would put on a list of clothes that every sorority girl seems to have:
overalls
khakis
black boots
the infamous black pants
business clothes-for formal meetings, but every sorority and chapter has different requirements for this so it would be hard to be specific. At least one suit though.

Since there's always a chance that a girl doesn't joing a chapter I wouldn't put too much emphesis on the white dress or formals. But everything else is stuff that if you don't bring it with you, you're gonna end up wishing you had anyways. Formals (like from your prom) can always be sent from home in time for the dance. And sororities generally don't have a problem with rounding up extra white dresses if you don't have time to get one of your own.

But a black dress every women should own!

So sorry that I went on forever!

[AXO Alum]

Originally posted by SoCalGirl:
Alpha Chi doesn't wear white?!?

SoCalGirl-
I don't know why you have replied with the whole "eek" thing about what we do or do not wear to ritual or any other AX related event. As anyone can see on any campus with an Alpha Chi Omega chapter, the sisters wear pinwear (i.e., business or Sunday dress with their badges) during special events. This includes Founder's Day, local founding chapter day, and other days of recognition and significance to our fraternity. We do not publicly acknowledge initiation day or other private events.

What sorority are you in?

[cash78mere]

Just a little side note on the white dress thing-

I wouldn't tell anyone to bring a white dress. at my school, the sorority new members that have to wear white to functions often borrow them from the older members who have to wear a different color but still own that white dress. you shouldn't buy one because you don't know if it needs to be plain, formal, semi formal, etc until you get there. so that could be a waste

for AXO, like AlphaChiAlum said, we wear formal pinwear to everything. every sorority has different requirements, this is ours. but we used to wear white dresses on pref night. that was changed 2 years ago to black dresses. (thank goodness!) but since many of my best friends are trideltas, they borrowed their initiation outfits from MY older sisters! they sitll had their white pref night dress, so why not let someone else use them! that's why i say don't buy one before you're told, you can always borrow one, even from another chapter!

[ZetaAce]

SoCalGirl- Even though I don't mind being mixed up with such a smart Dynamic Soror, Finerwoman 10-A-91 and I are different people, LOL.

ZetaAce

Originally posted by SoCalGirl:

Yeah ZetaAce, generally in NPC what color dress you wear during ritual is not a secret. If they put something on over those dresses and everything else they do certainly is though. I hear rumors but I always figure they couldn't possibly be right. Some of the rumors are so wild!

[Indy2000]

I haven't heard the white dress for Initiation or any rituals before! Did someone tell you this is what they wore?


I'm an independent so I can't say for sure about initiation, but white was a very popular color for the sisters during prefs. Two of the three houses I preffed at wore long white dresses and pearls.

[SoCalGirl]

Finerwoman 10-A-91 & ZetaAce-Oops, My Bad!
I was really exhausted when I posted. I'm sorry I mixed ya'll up.

AXO Alum- I used the eek because it was the closest to shock. I wasn't trying to dis anyone or anything like that.

There is an AX chapter at my school. Like I wrote, I had made certain assumptions, they were wrong. I was very surprised that I was wrong about it. My jaw dropped when I read that AX doesn't wear white.

Your sorority might not publically acknowledge initiaition and pinning; but my sorority makes a huge deal about it. We'll tell anyone who'll listen. "We have initiation this weekend. We're getting the best new members. They ARE THE BOMB!!! But I hate that we have to wear white. Yuck!" I can't even begin to count how many times I have had this conversation.

Always learning new things on this board!