Sorority Recruitment Outfit Guide

In just 12 days my sorority will be welcoming out 2017 pledge class! Everyone is so excited because we have been preparing all semester for rush week.  I'm extra excited because my 21st birthday is on bid day this year! Understandably, PNM's (Potential New Members aka the girls going through rush) tend to be nervous about a multitude of things, but outfits definitely rank high up there on things they're nervous about.  Each school should give a description of what they recommend girls wear each day, but it's still hard to figure out what you want to wear from that.

I'd strongly recommend wearing something that you feel confident and comfortable in.  You know that feeling when you're wearing a brand new outfit and you just feel great? Feeling that way during the week is a huge plus.  If you're not thinking about how uncomfortable your shoes are or that your jeans are digging into your sides, you can't make great conversation or leave a lasting impression.  If you're looking for tips for how to get through the week, here's a blog post I did on that.

Something a lot of people wouldn't think about, but can be a great ice-breaker and help you look great, is to focus on your accessories.  When I rushed I wore a bauble bar pearl tassel necklace and got complimented on it in nearly every house.  It was also a great way to start talking about my love for bauble bar, shopping, accessories, etc which is something I can talk about for ages and was a little bit different than the boring conversations about your major, what you did over winter break, or where you're from.

The schedule I'm referencing and attire guidelines are what my school, Southern Methodist University, gives so they may be different from your school, so you definitely want to check on what your Panhellenic program recommends.

Day 1: Open House "Wear your favorite SMU shirt. Wear jeans, khakis, or other casual pants and tennis shoes" On this day I wore an SMU t-shirt with jeans and riding boots.  I think I may have also worn a leather jacket over my t-shirt since it was cold and they allowed me to keep it on.  On this day, girls in sororities wear their jerseys and jeans.  The jeans I've linked below are my favorite jeans ever.  The material is really stretchy and comfortable because they're almost like jeggings.  I'm going to be wearing these during rush this year so that I'm not uncomfortable during the long days.

Day 2: Philanthropy PNMs are provided a panhellenic t-shirt and are recommended to wear jeans, khakis or tennis shoes again.  This day has a very similar dress code to the first day.  I think I wore the t-shirt, jeans, riding boots and a scarf just hung over my neck loosely.  Actives wear the same t-shirt in a different color and jeans.

Day 3: Sisterhood "Jeans, blouses, khakis, flats are all appropriate" I wore a skirt during this round last year with my over the knee boots.  Actives wear a blouse and a skirt or jeans.

Day 4: Preference Cocktail attire.  At my school they say to wear something you'd wear to church or to brunch with your family.  I ended up wearing this outfit last year, which was very comfortable and easy to move around in.  I'd recommend wearing a loose fitting shift dress with a high neckline, or at least something that isn't too provocative.  Actives all wear dresses on this day with heels.