What do you wear for prefs?

[KSUViolet06]

Originally posted by NutBrnHair
If memory serves me right, it was not an NPC "rule." (If your local Panhellenic Council made a "rule" that no like outfits were permitted, then yes, it was a local rule.)

The 1991 NPC Rush Resolution "discouraged" elaborate costuming and purchase of special rush outfits. It was up to the individual campuses to interpret & enforce this.

My campus has adopted this rule and enforces it very strictly.

[Diamond Delta]

What do you do about a member who hates the "chosen" outfit or can't afford it? Do they not get to participate in pref or is there so much pressure to conform that no one has gone against this rule?

Our panhellenic also adopted the rule and it is also strictly enforeced here. That's why I kind of doin't get the whole dress alike thing.

[Diamond Delta]

Originally posted by Speechpath
We wore all white, usually a knee length dress. We were the only ones on campus to wear white, most did black so we thought it was nice to be different and goes with our pref decor in the house (Pi Phi Heaven). I always loved it in white personally.

I've seen it done in all black as well with a different color scarf for each pledge class which I thought was cute.

That sounds so pretty! I love the scarf idea!

[SigK_Bama]

When I was in undergrad, I remember that we all wore black dresses, Alpha Gam wore buff dresses all in the same pattern, Phi Mu wore hot pink dresses all in the same pattern, and I'm not sure about other chapters. I always thought our dresses looked fine, but I heard that two years ago they changed it to where you couldn't wear anything strapless or with spaghetti straps because it was too "revealing". Whatever. Girls should know what looks good on them, and I only really remember one or two problems with Pref attire and they were quickly taken care of.

[PhoenixAzul]

Mother of God! That sounds like a TON of planning. Lord help me if we ever had to wear strapless dresses...I'd look like a cross dressing line backer (all those years of swimming sure do give you broad shoulders and a lack of hips/bum). I *think* the rules for my chapter are red and black dressy clothing running to the skirt/top line, but pants and shirt are fine. No jeans. Then again, it may be blue/white, but red and black tend to be our more formal wear. I wouldn't know... I didn't go to any pref. parties . Now I'm a rho chi and I *still* won't get to know what happens at my own chapter final party!!! That's nutso. But as PNM's, we were told that the chapter will dictate what sort of atire is appropriate. The rush booklet seemed to hint at nicer dress wear, longer skirts, not clubwear. One girl borrowed my favorite sari skirt...it looked fantastic on her and was appropriate for the chapter party she was going to. I would love it if my chapter members wore sari skirts/dresses for final party...it would be very feminine yet still colorful, and saris are a sign of womanhood .

[AUDeltaGam]

We wear black dresses, around knee lenght, black shoes and a strand of pearls

[honeychile]

Another thing to take into consideration is WHEN your Recruitment period is. If you rush in the winter, none of y'all will have the slightest bit of a tan, and y'all could look pretty washed out in white.

As for someone not liking it, there will ALWAYS be someone who doesn't like what's chosen. We once had a composite done with all of us wearing azure blue sweaters with white shirt underneath, and we looked like a soccer team. In protest, many of us wrote soccer positions in the space that was for officers! (It was ignored, but very cathartic!)

[shadokat]

Prefs = black cocktail dresses for the most part. I remember one year, we all wore black "dressy", and it was too much leeway for some folks, and people ended up wearing black jeans, next to a girl in a black prom gown! If your chapter is on a campus where semi-dressy is ok for pref, I'd do something with your colors. Wine and blue aren't they? They look good together. I like the sash thing someone said.

[bordeaux hearts]

for our prefs we have to wear a nice black outfit and our badge but no other jewlrey. this fall we tried to be a little bit different and had a red ribbon around our wrists. some of the other groups wore black or white but one really stood out by wearing all red dresses to theirs and they looked really nice and impressed all the pnms.

[honeychile]

I just happened to see a photo of an AOTT chapter's pref (actually, the ladies posed just prior to the parties), and they were totally striking, all in red!

I'd be one of the ones to scream bloody murder if I had to wear red, but I have to say, they look lovely!!

[bekibug]

We have to have a sleeved black dress (or sleeveless with a black cardigan) and black closed-toe shoes. Last year, we had to have black hose; this year we went with nude. Most girls keep theirs about knee-length. I have a black silk 2-piece ensemble that's a knee-length skirt with a 3/4-length top. Overall though, it's pretty conservative in dress. After all, the best advice for dressing is if you're unsure, err on the conservative side.

We also do a dress walk during pre-recruitment to make sure everyone's clothes look ok (not too tight/short/etc.), especially for pref. Several sisters have had to go out and find black dresses because the ones they had were too casual (too much white piping on the edges and such).

[Aphigal]

Lots of AOPi and AGD chapters wear red now which is nice.

the only bad point about white in January is that unless most girls are going someplace sunny for break they will look seriously pale in white!

[Phigirl04]

We wear black cocktail dresses.

[WCUgirl]

At my school, the no-tan thing wouldn't have been a problem - they all live in the tanning beds!

[honeychile]

Originally posted by bekibug


We also do a dress walk during pre-recruitment to make sure everyone's clothes look ok (not too tight/short/etc.), especially for pref. Several sisters have had to go out and find black dresses because the ones they had were too casual (too much white piping on the edges and such).

I was surprised to hear that not every chapter does this! I think it's one of the few ways of making sure that no one embarrasses the chapter!

Before we did it, we once had a sister wear a skirt so short, if she had sat down, her navel would have shown! From then on, we had Preview Night!