As a new semester dawns upon us, opportunities galore are taking shape. What are YOUR goals for this new year? I know personally I want to take more risks in life, starting with my fashion choices. Instead of going for the usual jeans and a t shirt, maybe I’ll broaden my wardrobe to include some (dare I say it) dresses and skirts! For formal wear, I’ll continue on the trend of renting, that way I can indulge my inner celeb once or twice every semester. I think I’ll reprise the bandage dress look, because I really felt special.
Beauty and the Geek Date Party with my love Brittany
But one of my favorite parts of the new year is being able to welcome new members to the Greek community. Recruitment is right around the corner, and I’m sure a lot of girls are wondering what to wear for each round. Something I wish I knew is that you can DEFINITELY incorporate RTR into your recruitment schedule, instead of going crazy looking for outfits if you’re too lazy to go shopping, on a budget, don’t know what to wear, or don’t have a lot of dresses in your closet. Believe me, if I had thought that through, I would have considered renting at least for the Preference Round, to spare myself the agony of trying on every dress in my closet from seventh grade to the present. At Hopkins, there are three rounds of Formal Recruitment: Icewater, Theme and Preference.I ended up borrowing this dress from my sister’s closet for Preference, but there are no pictures of me in it since it looks much better on her:
My sister, Adithi, looks ravishing in red for her birthday dinner
The first round , Icewater, is more casual, sorority sisters wear a t shirt with their letters, dark wash jeans, and simple accessories. For Icewater, I generally suggest going the simple but classy route. The easiest way to pick out an outfit- make it one piece- a dress! Something like this “Indi-Going Out Dress” shows a prowess for basic beauty, but is also easily accessorized. Add a blazer or a sweater to account for the weather, and then a simple necklace and a pair of boots or flats- you’re good to go!
The second round, Theme Round, is all about philanthropy. A general rule of thumb is to think business casual. If that’s difficult, you can always try to think along the lines of “nice dinner with the family” or “Christmas at a serious boyfriend’s house.”
The Halston Heritage Carrie dress is perfect for Theme Round. Pair it with a chunky necklace and some flats, boots, or even a nice pump and you have yourself a winning look!
The last round of Recruitment is Preference Round, often called “Pref.” This night is all about getting to know the sororities (or sorority) on a more intimate level. Sometimes you will see a special ceremony, other times you will hear testimonials from sisters about how going Greek has shaped who they are, and most often, you will have a one-on-one conversation with a sister who made a “connection” with you during Recruitment. This is the final chance you have to figure out which group is the best fit FOR YOU, so it never hurts to put your best dress forward! I have two suggestions from Rent the Runway that I think would be fabulous for Pref!
The Tibi Bond Girl dress looks gorgeous with simple earrings, a bare neck, and hair put up in a chignon. Paired with a simple pair of pumps and you're good to go!
In short, Recruitment is a really special time on campus. As sisters, we have the unique privilege of finding our new members, the brand new women we will love and cherish. If you feel like there’s just nothing in your closet for recruitment, don’t fear, Rent the Runway is here! PS if you rent by the end of the week, you can take advantage of some awesome coupon codes for collegian women!
Aishwarya is a Runway Rep at Johns Hopkins University. Though she's pre med, she has a passion for fashion, and loves haute couture so much that she would probably cut off all her hair just for the chance to walk in a show during Paris Fashion Week. Her secret goal is to cage dive with sharks one day, and to be discovered by an amazing modeling agency. She adores Rent the Runway and hopes to spread the love!
Aishwarya R. has 23 post(s) on RTR On Campus
