Fashion dos and dont’s of Greeks
G-Phi, G-Phi-B, Gamma, Gamma Phi Beta! D-E-L-T-A G-A-double M-A, DELTA GAMMA! Theta, Theta, Theta, Theta, it’s great to be, it’s great to be, it’s great to be a, be a THETA!
The shouts of the Greek alphabet have now officially passed, bringing an array of brightly colored jerseys from every corner of campus. Mixers bring attempts at showing off new members to fraternity houses. Dorm rooms are beginning to fill with bouquets of flowers, picture frames with painted Greek letters and a new surplus of sorority t-shirts.
Now that older sorority girls can finally have a life (myself included) and not worry about who rides in our car, who we eat lunch with or text message during that boring economics class, it’s time to review on the dos and don’ts that strode through each of the eight sorority houses last week.
The first day of rush, also knows as day-of-hell, is the most painful for many reasons. Between being rushed from one sorority house to the next (which happen to be the farthest possible distance away from one another), you spend all day talking to people you have never met. You are often asked the same questions (“So, like what’d you do for winter break?” “What dorm do you live in?” and even “What’s your favorite color?”), shoveled from one side of the room to the other meeting more girls than you will ever remember and finally pushed out the door with chanting girls screaming their proud letters in your face. Having fun yet?
In between the torture of “Open House”, your feet, which you have mistakenly pushed into your new Jimmy Choos that your parents bought you especially for this week, have now gone from painfully blistered to downright numb. You are given the instructions of wearing “snappy casual” whom no one really understands. So you opt to wear one of your nine pairs of Seven jeans, a low-cut top and a shrug, which was recommended and worn by one out of every three girls (I did a survey, if you were wondering how I came up with those statistics).
Although these shrugs are undeniably adorable and seemingly perfect, they’re about as convenient as having your watchdog be a teacup Maltese. Considering the fabric covers half of your back, no more than a third of your arms and the top of your shoulders, this new trend is not afraid of the spotlight or a high price tag.
David Yurman, Tiffany’s, Chanel and John Hardy jewelry are bling-blinging down sorority row. The diamond Chanel earrings or massive pearl earrings are adorned on every girl’s lobes. Bracelets with a rainbow of stones are lined up on wrists, totally more than my life will ever be worth.
On day two, you are entertained by arts and crafts projects all benefiting respective sorority’s philanthropies. You are forced to wear an obnoxiously bright mustard-colored shirt with your choice of bottoms. In desperate attempts at looking decent, layering the long-sleeve shirt with a collared shirt was the popular option and sliding on another of your Seven jeans.
Apparently many girls thought they may have the energy to go club-hopping later and, in order to save time so as not to go home and change, showed up to houses with 4-inch stilettos and skirts so short that underwear were not an option. I’m not sure what kind of house these girls were looking for – maybe they thought the rush rounds were held at the fraternity houses.
As day three rolls around, you’re almost starting to get used to the terrible sleeping patterns and bad conversation. Skit day, which is by far the easiest and most enjoyable day, is filled with the unknown. Thinking these skits will be small episodes filled with some dancing and singing, you have no idea what is to truly come. The house has transformed into a decade, travel site or fairytale image. Thousands of dollars have been spent on extreme costumes, lighting and sound, stages and millions of helium balloons.
You are given the instructions to wear a suit or outfit with a similar effect. Since you now realize you are interviewing to be in one of the four sororities you visit today, you must move beyond giving your best first impression and truly deciding if these sorority girls are to be your new best friends for the remainder of your college career.
Finally, the end of the week has arrived, with visions of pedicures and a full night’s rest in the near future. Formal wear is in style tonight, for you are about to “pref” a house that you have come and to know and love. Houses, transforming overnight once again, now resemble wedding receptions with fabric draping down the walls, dimmed lights creating a mood of intimacy and place settings that would blow anyone away.
Although many wore conservative dresses, there were still the dwindling few that did not understand they were entering a sorority house, not going to a fraternity formal. Some dresses revealed more of the young girl than I would have ever wanted to see. Some improvised the formal dress with a skirt and top, which would have been fine had their hips not been sticking out leaving us wondering if she could even find underwear that low.
Finally, a long semester of trying to abide by the 57 rules that Panhellenic has set for us girls to follow, bid day arrives. Celebration is mandatory, as is a hangover from the previous night. Girls are a-running (although that was hardly in play this year) to their new home ready to put on that bright jersey in a mass clump of jeans and a white shirt. Dance parties on the lawn feel surreal as the week is finally done… Cheers to another year of rush done and a busy semester ahead.
