Rules regarding appearance

[OSU Maman]

What would you think about a small diamond stud on the side of the nose?

[cuteASAbug]

It all depends on the nose. I used to think that those were really cute and I wanted one, until I saw a girl with a really piggish nose who had one, and the stud just made her look like a troll.

[AlphaFrog]

Originally Posted by OSU Maman

What would you think about a small diamond stud on the side of the nose?

I would say that a trip to Hot Topic is in order to get yourself a clear spacer. I hate going in that store, but they have the best spacers I've ever found.

Seriously, I have my nose pierced, and it's been pierced for over 4 years, and I think I would have worn a spacer to any even semi-competitve rush. Unless it was a HUGE trend on campus, and even then, I'd question it.

ETA: I don't feel like looking for it now, but there's an entire thread on here about nose piercing/wearing during rush. It was a few hundred posts long from what I remember. It might be 3 or 4 years old, but it's still relevant.

[bejazd]

Originally Posted by honeychile

I would so love to post pictures of some of the women who apply here. You simply would not believe what some women consider as "appropriate attire"! There's one nurse who is simply excellent at her job, but she has the biggest honking tattoo that turns our elderly clients off instantly!!

I have some clients with tattoos that scare me! But I still take their money.

I did have a woman with a doctorate come in for an interview on a Saturday wearing cargo pants and flip flops. OK, we are by the beach but that does not fly. At all. needless to say, she wasn't a greek, and she didn't get the job, despite being a nice person and qualified.

[OSU Maman]

Thanks, AlphaFrog. I didn't see anything noted in the "similar thread" section below so I didn't search for anything old. I checked out the old threads and am surprised at how many people have tattoos and piercings. I guess I just associate Greeks with a more conservative image.

[howtheSunrose]

Originally Posted by 33girl

This definitely sounds like a southern thing. When you have to trudge through tons of snow to get to class, you're not going to be wearing pin attire all day, meeting or not. It's jeans and boots and the heaviest sweater/sweatshirt you own.

Northerners really aren't slobs, we just have weather issues.

Very true. On the other hand, it's hard to feel comfortable and look presentable with a 115 heat index.

[UGAalum94]

Originally Posted by Zillini

I agree with you to some extent. There are some campuses that have taken dress codes/guidelines to an extreme. It does perpetuate some of the negative stereotypes about sorority girls that are out there. Especially when it gets nitpicky.

However when it comes to Recruitment I think it's a good thing to give actives guidelines. Let's face it, this is the time a Chapter is supposed to be presenting itself in the best possible light. On a large competitive Recruitment campus during 1st round PNM's have 15-20 minutes to decide if they like ABC or not. Often those first conversations are identical from Chapter to Chapter. "Hi! What's your name? Where are you from? What's your major? How do like your dorm/room mate? etc" So one of the factors PNM's use to form their opinions is how the actives looked.

We don't go to the extreme of saying only a size 4 is allowed to wear _____, but we do dress check every outfit the actives plan to wear. In the spring we lay out guidelines for the actives so when they shop during the summer they'll keep these things in mind. Mostly it's for uniformity, but there are some wearability and style issues we address.

Some examples, on Philanthropy Day the actives wear shorts. We don't want any Daisy Dukes, so they are to look for mid-thigh length or longer. During most of the parties PNM's sit on chairs while the actives are kneeling on the floor. We don't want anything too low cut because I doubt the PNM's would appreciate a mega-cleavage view. (If the PNM's were guys that would be a whole other story. ) Because the actives are constantly standing and kneeling, anything that's too tight might ride up or even rip.

Then there's my personal pet peeve -- strapless dresses. Yes, yes, I know they're hugely fashionable now and have been for the last several years. But IMHO there is nothing more unattractive than seeing a group of young women, all dressed up and looking lovely, then constantly pulling up their tops. Every year I watch the parade of PNM's enter the house and I swear every one who's wearing strapless is yanking on it.

Oh, I understand completely but my colleague sees it only has a validation of her negative view of sororities, despite the fact that without dress/appearance guidelines for recruitment at an SEC chapter, her daughter's group probably would stand out in a negative way since all aspects of rush are traditionally really well planned out.

(To be honest, I just doubt the size four rule was ever even really stated as a policy. I think maybe in the course of dress check it worked out that way because normal sized people didn't look that great in whatever it was. But even so, in a process in which appearance matters like SEC recruitment, don't take it all personally if the chapter thinks you look better in something else. It's not like they've limited your participation in recruitment; they've just saved you from not looking your best.)

[alum]

My D's school has Winter Recruitment but they were given the dress requirements at the end of the Spring semester as the recruitment outfits for the actives are approved (or not) before T'day break.

Winter is a bit different than summer as the weather is colder and the girls are a bit more "covered." No manis/pedis are built into the dues (my D wishes! ) but the actives are required to wear closed-toe pumps and of course stockings throughout rush.

I agree about the strapless awkwardness. We were at a college function last night and way too many young women were yanking at their dresses....

[AGDLynn]

/hijack...What Not to Wear...

I called my Membership Development Advisor one night and she said "Oh my Gawd..I'm watching WNTW and there is a girl that I went to school with!".

Can't recall the girl's name but she's from Ga and she is an actress in a local theatre/playhouse.

Back to thread...

Most chapters probably have rules about looking your best because you are representing the organization even if you aren't wearing your letters, Badge/pin or whatever.

[Ilaria Ame]

nationally, we have a rule that you can't get the letters or the spelled out name (lambda psi delta) tatood anywhere on your body, but symbols like a diamond or tiger are fine. we don't really frown on multiple tatoos or piercings; it more about the personality behind them. as for appearance, we are expected to look professional and put together any time we are representing LPsiD, and of course there are the rules about not wearing letters when participating in certain activities. but day to day appearance is no big.