When I first signed up for recruitment as an International student, I had NO IDEA what I had gotten myself into. I could barely understand what greek life was about and had 2 weeks to prepare for recruitment. I know the process can seem intimidating and overwhelming. You can read all about my experience and the recruitment process here. Anyways, I had no idea what to wear. A year after, I went through recruitment as a sorority member and I have some tips for you as well as what you should wear + some sorority recruitment outfit options to make a good long-lasting impression!
If you donโt know already, I transferred to a school in New York over a year ago and Iโm no longer in a sorority. I do visit once a year though & miss it a lot! Read more about that here, even though no one asked lol.
General Info & Tips
Sorority recruitment is definitely very confusing as there is barely any guidance on what to wear and your Rho Gammas arenโt a lot of help either when deciding what to wear because they want you to be yourself and they want to avoid having everyone showing up wearing the same outfit. And while thatโs a good thing, it makes everyone so much more confused. Anyways, Iโll stop babbling โ keep on reading for some tips :).
During recruitment, there are days scheduled for different things. Thereโs open house, philanthropy round, sisterhood round, pref night and the most exciting: Bid day.ย Please, do keep in mind that every school is different, so there might be some slight differences between schools. But, the concept will stay the same โ every day of recruitment gets a little bit more formal.
Keep it modest
You want to make a good impression. And you want the active members to know that youโre taking recruitment seriously and the right person to represent their sorority. But, if you show up wearing a super tight & short dress, shorts so short you can see everything, or super low cleavage, then just donโt show up? Nothing against this type of clothing, but sorority recruitment is NOT the time or place to be rocking those clothes. Theyโll think youโre probably not taking recruitment seriously and they might wonโt want you as a member.
Think of it as going to a job interview. You want to make a really good impression and you certainly wouldnโt wear a tiny skirt with a low cleavage or your pajamas to go to a job interview.
Look polished
The same way you wouldnโt go to a job interview wearing a tiny dress, avoid stains and wrinkles in your clothes, as these make the outfit look less polish & clean.
Remember that sororities have a big foundation on philanthropy and their beliefs, despite what the media (college movies) show sometimes. And theyโre looking for girls to continue representing those beliefs and values.
Show Off Your Personality
Do you know it takes less than 5 seconds for a person to decide whether they want to talk to you or not based on your appearance? Yup, thatโs harsh and I donโt like that idea BUT it is what it is. With that being said, wear something that showcases your personality and try to stand out from the crowd. During sorority there were about 500 PNMโs (potential new members). Thatโs a lot of people! So try to stand out as much as you can by wearing a fun outfit and during your conversation with sorority members.
Also, donโt stress and donโt pressure yourself to fit in. For example, if youโre visiting a sorority house and you feel like itโs just not your place or you just donโt see yourself among these girls, then itโs just not the sorority for you. Donโt pressure yourself, thereโs more sororities. If you also feel like greek life is not a good fit for you, you can drop at any time. It is encouraged that you go through the entire process just in case you change your mind, but know that if itโs too much, you can drop. Greek life isnโt for everyone, you donโt need to be in a sorority to have fun.
Avoid wearing black
While black is a color you can never go wrong with, it certainly looks better at night time. And letโs be real, itโs f*cking hot, so my advice to you is: donโt wear black unless itโs a preference night.
Opt for comfortable shoes
At least during the first couple days, thereโs a lot if walking involved since youโll be visiting different houses. You donโt want to be hearing huge high heels and then regret it 20 minutes later when youโre standing outside of a house wishing you could take your shoes off.
Wear accessories
A fun way to spice up a simple outfit is adding accessories! You could wear statement necklaces or earrings, they would look super cute, especially during open house and philanthropy round, where your outfits will be pretty simple.
Related: How to style accessories properly
DAY 1 & 2: Open House โ Casual Yet Put Together
At my school (University of Cincinnati), we were provided with two T-shirts to wear for the first 3 days of recruitment. But I know that in some schools youโre told to wear a casual outfit.
We werenโt allowed to personalize the T-shirts we were given: they couldnโt be cut, ripped or painted. What happened to us was that the company that was making the shirts make a mistake and didnโt make any small size shirts. Which I would have been totally fine with if they hadnโt been unisex โ the shirts were huge! Iโm super short and they looked like dresses on me. So, what I did is that I cut my shirts, but not too short, so that I could tuck them in when wearing high waisted bottoms. No one ever found out I cropped themโฆ
I opted for pairing my Navy Blue shirt with white jean shorts and brown sandals โ basic af I knowโฆ It was what everyone was wearing: denim. I wish I had worn something more fun like a fun skirt or palazzo pants. So, below are a couple fun options for casual outfits.
DAY 3: Philanthropy Round โ Less Casual But Still Casual
For this round, you want to wear something casual but not too casual. Kinda like youโre dressing up to go on a date to a restaurant with a guy you really like. You could wear a cute casual dress, a skirt and a blouse or whatever you feel comfortable with.
I had to still wear the shirt i was given, so I paired it with a cream skirt and sandals.
Here are some options for shoes. If you want to wear heels, I recommend wearing the first option, because those heels are super comfortable and theyโre still hells! Also, wearing platforms or wedges are another cute option! And if you donโt feel like wearing high heels, then just wear flats or sandals.
DAY 4: Sisterhood Round โ Business Casual
I have to honest with you guys, I do not remember what I wore this day, itโs been almost 3 yearsโฆ The attire was supposed to be business casual. And what my Rho Gammas specifically told me was that it had to be something that โyou can be taken seriously in, yet spotlights your personalityโ. This phrase basically sums up recruitment week attire. Below are a couple options, you could wear a dress, pants, a cute pencil skirt, a blouse, etc.
DAY 5: Preference Night โ Wear Cocktail Attire
This is the most formal day of recruitment and also the most emotional one. Please DO NOT wear a black dress. I love wearing black and all but everyone will be wearing black and youโll just blend in with the crowd. Instead chose a formal yet colorful or neutral dress, which is more likely to make you stand out.
If you wear a neutral color outfit, accessorize well. Add jewelry, maybe a bag and cute heels. Donโt wear something too crazy because it can a bit distracting. If youโre wearing a colorful outfit like a floral dress, keep the accessories very simple. You can read more about accessorizing here.
*Story time*
This whole sorority recruitment was very last minute for me and I did not have an outfit for preference night. So, me and my mom went to a mall that was like an hour away hours before the event started. I was freaking out and trying to find an outfit as fast as I could. I ended up wearing a white blouse, a floral maxi skirt and black heeled sandals (which I lost 3 months later at a party).
If you read my story time, then you can understand how important it is to plan your outfits! Plan everything out, how long does it take you to get to your meeting spot, how long foes it take you to get there wearing heels, plan your makeup, your accessories, everything!
DAY 5: Bid Day!
I always say bid day can be whether the happiest day or the saddest day of recruitment for a PNM. For bid day, we were asked to wear a simple outfit: jean shorts and a tank top. Because they gave us shirts after we accepted the bid.
If you guys want me to continue writing more posts about sorority life or greek life in general, let me know! If you have any questions, just leave a comment below or DM me on Instagram :).
