Sorority recruitment is right around the corner! I love love love this time of year, and I enjoy helping girls and their mamas navigate this mysterious thing called RUSH. I want to share with you one of my most coveted tips: How to Pack for Sorority Recruitment!
(PRO TIP: Make sure you click here to check out What Is A Sorority Rush Tote…..And Do I Need One? )
We are all at our best when our stress level is low. During sorority recruitment, when you are at your best you are better equipped to maximize your options. So….less stress is best, right? Let’s face it, there will by many things out of your control during recruitment week. Stress and emotions run high. So, from the very beginning, take control over the things that are within your reach to keep stress at bay. Like, for example, packing for rush!
Photo credit: Dormify
Look how cute the girls are in this photo! For PNM’s, selecting outfits while party rounds are in full swing can be stressful. Not to mention, most PNM’s move into their dorms right before rush starts, so they really haven’t had time to organize their dorm room. This is code for “I can’t find anything”. (Btw, PNM stands for Potential New Member. It is the acronym used by the sisters to describe girls participating in sorority recruitment. You can brush up on sorority lingo here!)
Common remarks on the hallways before parties are screams like “Where’s my other Jack sandal!!” or “OMGosh, my strapless bra is GONE and it’s the only bra that works with my pref dress.”
See what I mean? A little planning on the front end takes away unneeded stress. A PNM that is organized & well put together will be at her best before, during and after the party rounds. However a frantic, stressed PNM is easy to pick out in the crowd.
I am about to show you exactly how my daughter packed for sorority recruitment. As a matter of fact, the dresses you will see are the exact ones she took to rush!
When she & I provide rush expertise to PNMs, we strongly encourage them to adopt this system. It makes getting ready for party rounds a snap AND it offers you choices. My daughter rushed at a large, competitive SEC school and was an OOS PNM. Being organized on the front end with our How to Pack for Sorority Recruitment system took away anxiety and stress. She thoroughly enjoyed recruitment week, and on Bid Day wore the letters of her top choice house! Other girls who have used this system come back to us after recruitment and tell us it literally saved them during recruitment week.
Let’s do this!
How to Pack for Sorority Recruitment: The Basics
- Plan to take two dresses for EACH day of party rounds. At Florida, Ole Miss, Texas, and Clemson, the first two days of rounds are casual. On these days, PNM’s are provided rush t-shirts and just need to bring shorts. So, bring two pairs of shorts for each day. Having two options for each round will give you choices in case you wake up bloated and don’t like what you originally packed, break a zipper, etc. Exception: The University of Arkansas provides PNMs tshirts each and every day of party rounds except for Prefs.
- Your recruitment wardrobe should be COMFORTABLE. This is more important than brand name, etc. Rush in the south and in the west is HOT. Really, really hot. And, parties rounds can last ALL DAY.
Example: Philanthropy Day 1 at the University of Texas began at 11:00 a.m. one year. The last party ends at 9:35pm. If you are going to your maximum number of parties, you will be in your philanthropy dress all day long, and into the evening. Make sure you pack options that are comfortable and cool.
Ok, now you have the basics down.
How to Pack for Sorority Recruitment: The System
I am going to start with my daughter’s selections for Philanthropy Day:
She picked two dresses she knew to be comfortable and cool. Both fabrics did well in humidity and were light. And, both were in her closet the spring before she rushed, so no last minute shopping!
- For each dress, pick out undergarments, jewelry and shoes.
My dining table became rush wardrobe central! You can see in the photo below she picked one pair of shoes that worked well for both dresses. Ditto for her bra, panties, and necklace. The same set worked for either option. All secondary items were labeled & placed in baggies.
Here is a close up of our baggie system: 
A quick note about jewelry: If you have original pieces of real jewelry and decide to wear them during rush, make sure you are okay wearing them each and every day during rush week. If you want to alternate between your real pearl necklace and a trendy statement necklace, it is best to leave the real pearls at home. There is a LOT of activity in dorm rooms during recruitment week…girls are in and out of each other’s rooms. To keep your pearls safe, either wear them or leave ’em with your mama. My daughter had a faux set packed as a back up in case her real strand broke from constant wear. When we went to see her for Parent’s Weekend, her real pearls came home with us. You get the picture! She labeled EVERYTHING for each day of recruitment:
Next, seal your Ziploc Baggie and make a small hole in the top. Thread it over the crook of a clothes hanger like this: 
Repeat this step for each baggie (undergarment and jewelry baggie): 
Shoes too! Bag ’em up and label them for the party round: 
We placed my daughter’s pairs of shoes into one shopping bag with handles. Each pair was labeled, so the day of the party she simple reached in and grabbed the designated pair!
Here is what the final ensemble looked like (minus the shoes): 
Next, each pair of party dresses should be packed together and labeled for the designated party round. To make this a snap and to keep the clothing clean, we swear by these Ziploc Space Bag, XL Flat Bag, 2 Count
Make sure you tightly seal the Ziploc at the bottom of the bag to protect your dresses: 
Cut a very small hole in the top of the bag, and thread your coat hangers through the top. You will see the smaller garment & jewelry bags fit easily on top of the dresses.
Below is one last look at How to Pack for Recruitment when everything is assembled. My daughter had two options that were comfortable and cute ready for her dorm room closet. She did not have to worry about finding missing undergarments or jewelry on the first day of Philanthropy rounds.
After Philanthropy Rounds, it’s time for Prefs! Pref parties are the dressiest of rounds. With that said, floor length dresses and sequins/satin are a no-no. My daughter took two classic, solid color dresses. You can see that each hanger features a baggie with different undergarments due to the fabric color of each dress. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to wear navy or white. On Pref day, she ended up in the white dress on the right:
Gentle reminder: Make sure you tightly seal the bag to preserve the hems of your dresses.
Below was her Pref Day packing scenario. The shopping bag held her Ziploc covered shoes for Philanthropy and Pref rounds.
A quick note about our dear friends Lilly, Tory & Jack……
We love designers Lilly Pulitzer, Tory Burch and Jack Rogers. If you own wardrobe elements from these fine folks, wear them sparingly during recruitment. In other words, if you are wearing your Tory flip flops, then stay away from a Tory shirt with noticeable logos. There IS too much of a good thing! We also like Jacks Rogers Sandals for recruitment as they have thicker, sturdier leather soles, and if they get wet they dry out nicely.
Alternate with other pairs, even if your others are from lesser known designers.
And Lilly, oh Lilly! You see, we here at Totally Tailgates LOVE Lilly. We live in Florida, and Lilly’s fabrics and colors suit our lifestyle in the Sunshine State. But…..
You will see a few girls who are in Lilly every. Single. Day.
Seriously!
Bless their hearts……
They will pull on Lilly skorts AND Lilly Pulitzer shorts, during the early rounds & open houses. Then, they pull out their Lilly shift dresses & sundresses for Philanthropy & Prefs. Because of the color patterns, it is super easy to spot a PNM in a Lilly dress.
Wearing one designer repeatedly during recruitment makes it seem like you are trying to hard.
Ouch. I know that statement stung a little bit……
Pick a designer and wear them ONE DAY if the garment is clearly from a certain designer. You might be able to wear a single pair of shoes more than once, but not when matched with other logo garments. You will make your statement to the sisters in the houses, trust me!
HOWEVER, sometimes you can’t judge a book by it’s cover…..
Are Either of the Dresses Below from Lilly? Remember, my daughter already wore a Lilly patterned dress for Philanthropy Round!
My daughter selected to wear the bright, floral Lilly for Philanthropy Round. But, that was the only time she wore a noticeable Lilly dress. Remember her Pref options? Guess what?!?! The dress on the left is….a Lilly Pulitzer! That’s right. A navy, lace classic dress that is void of any recognizable Lilly pattern was, in fact, Lilly.
My daughter took two Lilly’s to sorority recruitment, but one was very subtle in it’s branding. She lives in Lilly throughout the year, and wanted to wear dresses that were authentic to her style. But, no one but her would know it is a Lilly…thus she did not repeat designers during the week. 🙂 Remember this secret little rule to maximize your options!
Our opinions…..
Lilly dresses truly were made for rush. They are cheerful, super cute, and are SO COMFORTABLE to wear in hot, humid climates. If your budget allows for one spectacular dress – go with Lilly. You will wear it for many years, I promise. They never, ever go out of style.
And guess what? If you aren’t blessed to live in a city with two flagship stores and multiple retail availability like we are here in Florida, you can order them online and get great prices!
J.Crew is another option for cute dresses in versatile fabrics. The light green seersucker dress my daughter packed for Philanthropy Round was from a J.Crew outlet. 🙂 There are some super cute dresses that are reasonably priced at J.Crew. We are currently obsessed with J. Crew scallop hemmed shorts and they are only $34!!!!
If you have questions about our How to Pack for Rush system, please leave a note for me in the comments section below! And, name brands are NOT essential. Stay tuned for our article explaining this misnomer soon. The price of your dress is not critical. Girls who are comfortable and confident shine regardless of the price tags……wear what you love and what is already in your closet!
P.S.- Many universities have PDF Look Books available for free for PNMs to download. They describe in pictorial format what to wear during their party rounds. Here is a one stop shop that houses many, many Look Books! (Scroll down to see them all.) If your university is not listed, visit the Panhellenic section of your college’s Greek Affairs website.
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