Initiation Clothing

[PhoenixAzul]

Again, us locals do things a bit different.

As a pledge, we were just told to dress "as befits the occasion", which we all kind of interpreted as dress clothes. I wore a pair of (ugly and probably ill fitting) trousers and a button down shirt. Looking back on it I wish I would have dressed up.

As an active, it was dressing in our colors. I always had a dress/shirt combo but found a perfect dress in the last few months of my senior year that I wore to my alumni initiation.

[aephi alum]

When I was initiated into my local, our initiation was a surprise. We were called to a meeting where we were told that our initiation would be taking place that night. We were to wear "all white (or as close as possible)", and told to go to our dorms and change and meet at X location at Y time. Nothing was said about makeup and jewelry, but it went without saying that we had to wear our pledge rings.

When I was initiated into AEPhi, we were told to wear white. A dress, a skirt and blouse, or pants and a blouse were all acceptable. Shoes had to be white. Makeup and jewelry were acceptable as long as it wasn't over the top.

[33girl]

We were told all white but pants were OK, until my senior year I think. I don't think any of us would have even thought of wearing open toed shoes, or going w/out pantyhose if we were in a skirt, since most of the time the weather we were wearing the whites in was rainy or snowy and we had to walk to where initiation was being held (i.e. in a classroom). Makeup and jewelry were fine, I can't remember anyone ever saying anything about someone wearing too much makeup. Then again we would't have been the chapter on campus w/ that problem. LOL

[honeychile]

Learn something new every day! We are provided with our ritual apparel by our chapter. Everything is taken care of "in house".

[jenidallas]

We were told "all white" and attire that would be "badge appropriate" (which we had already covered in our pledge training) and that the "all white included shoes and underwear" and to bring a pair of white socks. No jewelry or makeup.

These days I have a "ritual" section in my closet that has a white dress, white skirt, two white tops (one short sleeved, one long sleeved), and a white cardigan. That stuff is only for ritual stuff. I actually do not own white shoes other than a pair of sandals so I'm usually quick to slip my shoes off and wear socks. ;-)

[33girl]

Originally Posted by honeychile

Learn something new every day! We are provided with our ritual apparel by our chapter. Everything is taken care of "in house".

I wish all groups would do this. It would be a heck of a lot easier.

[honeychile]

Originally Posted by 33girl

I wish all groups would do this. It would be a heck of a lot easier.

Probably - but you have to arrive more than 2 hours before!

[KillarneyRose]

Originally Posted by honeychile

Learn something new every day! We are provided with our ritual apparel by our chapter. Everything is taken care of "in house".

Our initiation team's pink and green catsuits are provided but everyone else is on their own.

[AlwaysSAI]

For SAI, we were told all white. No specifications of dress/skirt/pants--it didn't matter as long as it was all white. We were told to only wear our pledge pins and no other jewelry (unless you were engaged, then you could wear the engagement ring). We were also told that shoes didn't matter, but that we had to wear all white socks (including the lack of the pink line across the toes). I just borrowed the dress my sister wore for her AGD initiation.

For Phi Sig, we were told to wear all black from head to toe. Simple enough.

For AGD, there wasn't much discussion about the dress I needed to wear because I knew I was wearing my sister's dress again. Because of my difficulties with walking, the chapter allowed me to wear white flats instead of the required heels, but the shoes did have to be all white. Again, no jewelry.

[AnchorAlumna]

We were provided slippers. I've never seen that at any other chapter. I sometimes wonder what happened to those ugly things when our chapter closed.

[Always AlphaGam]

Originally Posted by AlwaysSAI

For AGD, there wasn't much discussion about the dress I needed to wear because I knew I was wearing my sister's dress again. Because of my difficulties with walking, the chapter allowed me to wear white flats instead of the required heels, but the shoes did have to be all white. Again, no jewelry.

This is the first I've ever heard of heels being a requirement.

[CougADPi]

Originally Posted by honeychile

Learn something new every day! We are provided with our ritual apparel by our chapter. Everything is taken care of "in house".

Yep! So much easier.

[33girl]

I can't get my head around the thought of women in beautiful white dresses...and then socks. I would think bare feet would be nicer (if a tad unhygenic) if you don't want to wear shoes for whatever reason.

Re the distracting jewelry, there was a member of XYZ at my campus whose VERY huge hoop earrings were her signature (we referred to her as The XYZ With The Earrings). I hope she didn't wear them for initiation or the poor pledges would have probably thought they had to jump through them before they took the oath or something.

[honeychile]

Reading 33's post, I can't help but think that most of us can remember more than one funny Initiation story!

[CutiePie2000]

Originally Posted by 33girl

I can't get my head around the thought of women in beautiful white dresses...and then socks.

What? The creepy Mormon cult-look doesn't appeal to you?