Respect for your Badge

[CASIGKAP]

So I noticed something the other day. A young woman from a different GLO and I were talking about our badges & how they compare to the really fancy ones w/the jewels. Anyway, we started talking about when we wear them & I was astounded to hear her claim. She tells me that the ladies of her sorority can pretty much wear their badges whenever & wherever they want. They can be worn with jeans, cutoffs, and even club wear.
In my GLO, badges are worn ONLY with the appropriate attire which is business attire for meetings, initiation, and the like. We never wear them with jeans or tennis shoes or casual clothes that way. Perhaps she is mistaken b/c this is an NPC group but I want to know what are your groups standards for wearing the badge.

[33girl]

I think she's mistaken or she's referring to a lavalier or the pledge pin.

All GLO's should adopt more detailed restrictions on exactly what you can wear badges with, IMO. The old "something you'd wear to a religious service" no longer works, since a lot of people wear VERY casual clothes to religious services these days.

[MysticCat]

Our General Regulations state that the badge "is not intended for overt display, but rather is to be worn 'nearest the heart,'" that it "is worn on dress shirts, vests, or pullover sweaters," and "should not be worn on coat lapels, collars, ties, the watch pockets of vests, coat sweaters, or T-shirts."

There are at least two previous threads on this:

Badge Rules?

and

Question for Fraternity Members.

[PlymouthDZ]

Originally posted by CASIGKAP

In my GLO, badges are worn ONLY with the appropriate attire which is business attire for meetings, initiation, and the like. We never wear them with jeans or tennis shoes or casual clothes that way. Perhaps she is mistaken b/c this is an NPC group but I want to know what are your groups standards for wearing the badge.

Same with DZ.

[aephi alum]

Our rule is: Above the heart, always on a dress or blouse, but never on an outer garment. This goes for new member pins as well as badges. So you can't wear your pin on a t-shirt or sweatshirt.

I don't think it's specified anywhere what sort of pants/skirt/etc. you should be wearing, but it's implied that it would be in keeping with your top. You'd look pretty silly in a nice silk blouse and sweatpants so the implicit rule is no jeans, cutoffs, sweats, etc. A nice pair of pants or skirt would be best.

I don't believe we consider a suit jacket or blazer as an "outer garment". I've worn my badge on the lapel of a blazer and no one's said anything to me. If you pinned it to your blouse, no one would see it under your jacket - and unlike some other GLOs, we don't have a separate recognition pin that we could wear instead.

[adpiucf]

The member of that chapter must be misinformed about what is appropriate pin attire. Working with various ADPi chapters over the past few years, I am amazed at what different chapters of the same sorority will construe as "dressed to pin."

[Little E]

Our 'badge attire' is businesswear, though that kinda extends to business casual also. No jeans, tennis shoes, etc. No hoochie wear.

Always closest to your heart. I was told that if you are not going to take your (suit) jacket off, you can wear it on your jacket, but not on the lapel. If you might take the jacket off, you should wear it on the layer under the jacket. Otherwise when you removed your jacket, you'd be taking your badge off.

Same goes for both the pledge pin and the badge. Ribbons you can wear with anything except the obvious no-no's or working out, at work etc.

[AUDeltaGam]

Originally posted by CASIGKAP
In my GLO, badges are worn ONLY with the appropriate attire which is business attire for meetings, initiation, and the like. We never wear them with jeans or tennis shoes or casual clothes that way. Perhaps she is mistaken b/c this is an NPC group but I want to know what are your groups standards for wearing the badge.

That's how Delta Gamma is as well.

[Measi]

I don't recall having anything that was specified, but the only time I saw anyone (including myself) wear our cofa badges (since no one had the pearled pins for TBs) was during formal rituals, so I think it was an understood thing that they were for dressy events. I don't recall ever seeing any badges worn with casual clothes as an undergrad. Pledge pins, yes (obviously, since they were to be worn at all times).

We did, however, have more casual pins that anyone could wear anytime that were letter bars and such-- I usually saw those worn on on band uniforms during performances (which were very appropriate for TBS), and occasionally with polo shirts. I don't ever remember anyone wearing them on t-shirts and the like.

[honeychile]

I've seen the rules for wearing our pin change numerous times, with the two constants being always over your heart, and nothing being worn above the pin.

One International Officer once showed us the precise location: put your right thumb on the center of collarbone, and put your pinkie straight down - the pin goes between your middle & ring finger. We all did it, and my pin was smack on the center of you-know-where! I told her that I would feel more comfortable with it higher, and she agreed that "it would be more appropriate, dear."!

For a little while, wearing our pin on the lapel of a buttoned blazer was okay, but I don't think so now. My favorite photo of a ChiO friend shows her wearing her pin with jeans (and a beer in her hand!), but she really does look cute in it. I've also noticed that older alumnae seem to get away with more creative ways of wearing the pin than collegiates!

Needless to say, the rule is now "church or business attire" while wearing the diamond, as most sororities.

[KSUViolet06]

Originally posted by CASIGKAP

In my GLO, badges are worn ONLY with the appropriate attire which is business attire for meetings, initiation, and the like. We never wear them with jeans or tennis shoes or casual clothes that way. Perhaps she is mistaken b/c this is an NPC group but I want to know what are your groups standards for wearing the badge.

Same goes for Tri Sigma as well.

[Kevin]

There are no national rules I'm aware of governing the wearing of badges. However, my chapter is VERY specific (I wrote the rules) as to what attire is appropriate. However, I did not specify where the badge should be worn.

That only applies to actives though technically.

[AUDeltaGam]

Originally posted by CASIGKAP
I've actually girls within my own house wear a dress & heels & assume that it's appropriate. Well, sundresses & tube dresses are not appropriate. They had to leave to change for meeting. Also, sleeveless is o.k. as long as it's appropriate BUT spaghetti straps are a no-no.

Capri's and crop pants are also considered inappropriate b/c that's not something you would wear to job interview. We basically started telling ladies that if it's not something you would wear to a job interview, then it's not something you can wear your badge with. One girl actually thought that if she dressed her crop pants with high heels it would be fine. I don't think so.

Dressy sundresses are fine with us. We can wear our badge as long as we look nice- it doesn't have to be a business-suit type outfit. But we have said NO denim with our badge, and no t-shirt/shorts with the badge. Basically most nice outfits are badge appropriate for us.

And when I'm saying "us", I'm talking about my chapter.

[SapphireSphinx9]

these are the rules for the iota gamma chapter of phi sigma sigma:

to be worn with only business attire - classy skirt with nylons or dress pants with dress socks, closed toed shoes, and a blose or top that has more than capped sleeves.

placement of badge - over the heart (we do the same thing that honeychile does) and "upper-most/lower-most" which means that you wear your badge as close to your heart, even if it means that a jacket is covering it. you never put your badge on your jacket! also, no other pin goes above our badge... we even place our chapter guard lower, looks kinda funny, but it's the respectful way to wear it.

i know that other phi sig chapters don't have the same rules we do; we're a little firm with our dress code.

oh and our new member pins can be worn with any outfit, as long as it's over your heart... and you're not doing un-phi sig like things.

[hannahgirl]

Originally posted by AUDeltaGam
Dressy sundresses are fine with us. We can wear our badge as long as we look nice- it doesn't have to be a business-suit type outfit. But we have said NO denim with our badge, and no t-shirt/shorts with the badge. Basically most nice outfits are badge appropriate for us.

And when I'm saying "us", I'm talking about my chapter.

That is the same for our chapter! I've never heard that we can't wear them with sundresses. But I have to agree with the fact that they have to look NICE.