When I was a new member in my chapter, we were taught right away when to wear our letters and when not to. I know it can be tempting to wear letters when you look a little scrubby, but when you really think about it, is that really when you should be wearing them?
Yes, they are typically comfortable sweatshirts, which is why the line gets blurred between when you should wear them and when you shouldn't. I'm here to present a few dos and don'ts of letter wearing on a college campus.
1. DO... wear your letters with the purpose of dressing up a little. The whole point of wearing your letters is to represent your chapter, so try a little harder to look presentable. What my chapter calls the letter-wearing dress code is "snappy casual," which is basically the middle ground between casual and business casual. Wear jeans, cute flats and do your makeup, for example.
2. DON'T... wear your letters with anything that isn't considered snappy casual. This includes baggy sweatpants, wrinkled clothing, stained clothing, short shorts, etc. You can pull off leggings with letters but wear them modestly.
3. DO... wear your letters when you are planning on participating in class. If you are prepared to give an awesome presentation, wear your letters. You want to be know as that smart sorority woman who is dedicated to class and your grades. Giving a killer presentation in your letters is the perfect way to gain that reputation.
4. DON'T... wear your letters while hungover. We all know that we aren't supposed to wear our letters while drinking, so don't wear it when you are hungover either. It's more obvious then you think when you are hungover, so just don't wear your letters when you went out partying the night before.
5. DO... wear your letters when you are volunteering. All of the chapters on this campus are focused on philanthropy, and wearing your letters while at Feed My Starving Children, for example, makes you and your chapter look good.
6. DON'T... wear your letters and be disrespectful. This includes, but is not limited to, being on your phone during class, talking to a friend while your professor is giving a lecture, falling asleep in class, gossiping about other people or other chapters and being late to class. You shouldn't do those things anyways, but especially don't do them when you are wearing your letters.
7. DO... wear your letters proudly. I love my chapter - a sentiment that I hope everyone in the Greek community shares with me. When you love your chapter, you should be able to proudly wear your letters on your chest. So I would say that this tip is easily the most important in terms of how you should wear your letters. If you love your chapter, you should want others to see you first, as a member of that chapter, and second, in the best light possible.
These rules can be skewed a bit to fit better in your life, but for the most part they are a basic guideline to wearing your letters right. Also keep in mind that you are always wearing your letters, no matter if they are being displayed somewhere on your body or not. Try to follow these rules whether you are wearing your letters or not, but especially when you are physically wearing them.
