the perfect pref dress?

[meridionaleDG]

At my school, girls wore dresses like that on Meet the Greeks day. At pref - most of us wore more dressed up clothes.

Greek Life didn't send you a rush packet with what to wear and what not? Usually they do. Ours went like this (and I think it is similar at most schools):

Day 1 (Meet The Greeks): Sun Dress
Day 2 (Philanthropy): Casual. Some people wore Capris, I wore shorts and a cute sleeveless shirt
Day 3 (Skit): Semi-Dressed up. I wore a sleevless fitted shirt with a grayish black skirt from the limited
Day 4 (Pref): Little dressier than church clothes. I wore a strapless black dress with different flower prints and the bottom angled down to one side:



Anyways - I was stumped as to what to wear until they sent me a booklet explaining all that stuff. Also remember to pack way more than you actually need. It sucks getting there and realizing you do not have enough clothes for activities outside of parties.

[meridionaleDG]

Originally posted by twinstars
Not sure about the exact timing at play here, but what about the whole white after labor day thing?

That is a pretty dress, but I'm concerned it might be more appropriate for June/July than for early fall. Which is probably why it's marked way down NOW, in early July.

I also would second what everyone else is saying, that a darker, more sophisticated type dress might be more appropriate for pref ceremonies, though it depends on the college. Since your pref ceremonies will be in the daytime (1-4pm you say) you probably don't need to go too dressy.

The white after labor day thing is suposivly not bad anymore according to the modeling industry.

(ahahhaa, I am such a DORK!)

[33girl]

Originally posted by meridionaleDG
The white after labor day thing is suposivly not bad anymore according to the modeling industry.

I can't wait till they go to a Junior League meeting in Savannah and say that. They will be laughed out of the state, let alone the room.

Considering what the modeling industry shows as their icons these days I think that I would take what they say with a grain of salt - whether it has to do with white clothes, skirt lengths or nail polish. Just because Jennifer Lopez and Paris Hilton and the latest crop of interchangeable models (my kingdom for the days of Christy Turlington...sigh) do something doesn't mean that you should...unless you want to appear as classless as they are.

Rush is the time for style...not necessarily high fashion.

[meridionaleDG]

Originally posted by 33girl
I can't wait till they go to a Junior League meeting in Savannah and say that. They will be laughed out of the state, let alone the room.

Just because Jennifer Lopez and Paris Hilton and the latest crop of interchangeable models (my kingdom for the days of Christy Turlington...sigh) do it doesn't mean that you should...unless you want to appear as classless as they are.

Gez : (

[bgsarah]

ahha the white after labor day thing. classic. what was that commercial a while ago where the two girls were walking down the street? a girl passed them wearing white shoes and they were all "who wears white after labor day?" and then kathy ireland walks up and says "while it once was considered a fashion faux pas, most think it's ok now". SO FUNNY.


Anyway. I think I'm retiring the idea for that dress. My boyfriend went with me when I tried it on and was all "Sarah, white is really not your color!"

So, anyway!

[JohnsDGsweethrt]

Its ok meridionaleDG I was pretty much on the border with that one. I guess I know you're not supposed to wear white after labor day but it seems like white pants etc etc are very popular in every season. And fashion rules are allowed to change! Just like the hip-huggers and flare bottoms coming back into style! The thing over here now is the white pants with black pent-stripes. I support you 100% REGARDLESS of your opinion. So here's a

for you!

And the dress you put up was beautiful!

[MTSUGURL]

The dress I plan on wearing for pref if I get that far is a sleevless powder blue shift with eyelet detail at the hem, which is scalopped. I'm trying to find a cute cardigan to go with it because I don't do sleevless at all. I'm a little pale for white, so does anyone have any ideas on colors? I'm not doing open toed shoes at all - I ALWAYS wear hose because I don't feel dressed up without them. I plan on wearing silver hoop earrings, a silver chain necklace, and a silver bracelet, because that's what I wear with everything. Ideas and help most appreciated!

Sarah - too bad! That dress is absolutely adorable.

[bgsarah]

Yeah, jewelry for me is pretty much set. My mom is lending me her pearls (though I'm not sure where she said the earrings were?). If I can't find the earrings, I'll probably just wear my diamond stud earrings and a nice bracelet. definitely will be straightening my hair, as I don't really think curly afro hair is appropriate. haha.

[AOIIBrandi]

Advice for PNMs on white after Labor Day:

Regardless of whether people say it is ok or not I do not recommend doing this at rush. Depending on where you go to school it will be frowned upon. I know of schools where they frown upon white after Labor Day, open toed shoes after Labor Day, and nude colored hose anytime of the year. But on the other hand I know schools where none of these things matter. It is hard to say which schools are which way, as they can vary greatly within regions, so play it safe.

[meridionaleDG]

I think a lot of us haven't factored in the point that she was wanting to use the dress for recruitment - and at many of the schools recruitment is BEFORE labor day.

And just for the record, I wear white socks year round. I also sometimes wear white panties and generally always a white bra - so if that makes me unclassy, then so be it.

I don't think class has to do with a color - I think it has to to with how you present yourself. I have worn a white shirt or something after labor day because where I am from (central Mississippi) it might as well remain summer until october. So, calling people who wear white after labor day "unclassy" is a personal attack.

I'm so glad we can show PNM in the *rush* forum exactly how catty some of us sorority girls can be. Just wondering, but where is the classiness in that?

Anyways - I think that dress is at a good price and is very cute. You should still get it and just save it until next summer. Think of it as doing your Christmas shopping for the next year because of all the after Christmas sales.

[33girl]

meridionaleDG - I'm sorry, I didn't mean that to come off as bitchy or as directed towards you personally. I just chuckle at some of the things the fashion/beauty industry tries to push off on us (like microminis, the priest look, etc) and some of the people who are supposedly style "icons" these days. The fashion stakeout in this month's Allure is a great example - it's of Maggie Gyllenhall, and while she has a pretty face, the clothes look like she came out of a ragbag. If that's their idea of fashion, I will stick with the old rules, thanks. My point was that just because it flies for J-Lo (who has a ton of paid people to tell her everything she does is wonderful) doesn't mean it will make someone look good at rush or that everyday people do it. In other words, it's a rip on what the fashion industry said, not you.

As far as the white - the original poster said her rush was in September so I think that's why a lot of people thought white would not be good. If your rush is in early August, fine - but if it's after school starts, I always think of that as "autumn" even if the calendar still says summer. I loved the dress, I just didn't think it was good for the situation at hand. What use is it for PNMs to ask us questions if we aren't going to give honest answers?

oh, and white sox/shirts/undies are not the same as dresses or shoes...that was NOT AT ALL what I meant.

[aopinthesky]

The dress is lovely and would be appropriate for some segment of rush if you had a party that you could wear it to (although you have said the only one would be pref). I agree with 33girl though, it is not appropriate after Labor Day and maybe not before Labor Day for a pref party. Even at small schools (at least in the South) you would want something a little more dressy.
If none of the members noticed or cared that you wore white after Labor Day, you can bet an alum would point it out. I am certain that, in some schools, it would not matter at all, however, it would at the ones I know about.

[sugar and spice]

Actually, I don't think that the "No white after Labor Day" rule is just being thrown out by the fashion industry -- it's one that is slowly being left behind. Outside of the more conservative pockets of the country, and in those under age 25-30, I you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who would bat an eyelash at the girl who wears white after Labor Day. Same with the girl who doesn't wear nylons, the girl who wears velvet in March, the girl who wears a black dress to a wedding or a green one to a funeral. In fifty years, I'll be willing to bet that in most sections of the country these rules will be seen as archaic. In many places they're already on their way out the door.

I'm not one to knock traditions that are important to other people, but these "rules" make me very uncomfortable. It seems like their only purpose is to make other people who might not know the rules feel excluded. Every time I hear somebody say something like "A lady never wears a dress without pantyhose" I'm just sitting here rolling my eyes because I was raised that a lady doesn't judge people on what they wear.

There really are BIG regional differences and personal differences, and just because you were brought up to believe that only women without class wear white after Labor Day doesn't mean that it's true. When I see women in black pantyhose, I think of Grandmas. When I see girls my age in them, I think they look frumpy. But I also know that this is completely my personal view and that many other people see it differently.

Nevertheless, I do agree that during rush it's best to err on the conservative side. That may not be the way it should be, but it's the way it is.

Sorry, but the posts on "dressing for rush" ettiquette have gotten me a little riled up lately.

[33girl]

I feel like I'm getting completely misinterpreted...I NEVER said that women who wear white after Labor Day had no class, nor would I. I was stating that considering what (and more to the point, who) the fashion industry holds as role models nowadays, I would not take any of their opinions as gospel. There was an article in Glamour where one of the major fashion designers pretty much said nude pantyhose were the tackiest thing on earth and got ripped a new one by the readers. In other words...fashion has very little to do with real life. Maybe women in the magazines look wonderful with no hose on, but they also are 25 lbs thinner than the average woman, have a team of stylists working on them, and are airbrushed!

As aopinthesky said:

If none of the members noticed or cared that you wore white after Labor Day, you can bet an alum would point it out. I am certain that, in some schools, it would not matter at all, however, it would at the ones I know about.

I don't think anyone on here wants to say "you are wonderful and it doesn't matter what you wear and I am sure you will get the sorority you want" because it's just not true. My boyfriend NEVER dresses up, but you can bet that he puts on a tie and jacket for job interviews. Rush is somewhat like a job interview. No one in this thread said "you have to buy this and that" - they just said that in their opinions, the dress was a little summery looking, and that something else might be more appropriate.

[FuzzieAlum]

I have worn a white shirt or something after labor day because where I am from (central Mississippi) it might as well remain summer until october.

The "rule" never applied to shirts - just pants and dresses and shoes (and not tennis shoes either).

I think this rule is mostly observed in the breach, except in parts of the South. I don't think it's worth any of us getting too excited about; follow it or not as you like. However, if you are a rushee in an area where people DO worry about it, and it is a competitive rush, it's probably a good idea to follow it for rush. I mean, rush is probably not the place for making a personal statement about what you think about society's rules for dress. Why give the chapters an excuse to cut you?