Greek life is an essential part of the college experience for many students and formals are always one of the major events to look forward to in the year. It’s a time to see and be seen while having fun with food and drinks. For many sororities, it’s also the biggest budget event of the year so everyone goes all out.
If you’re a new pledge or attending as a guest, you might wonder how you should dress to impress at a sorority formal. There are a few things to consider, but it might not be as complicated as you think.
Dress Codes for Sorority Formal Dresses
Most sororities will have a dress code for their events. That’s the first place to check for any information you need to know about what people will be wearing.
If there’s no written dress code, you can look at pictures from previous formals throughout the years. Check your sorority’s social media pages for last year’s formal to get an idea of what people usually wear. You can also ask the older sisters in the sorority for advice.
Choosing a Sorority Dress
Once you know the dress code or general vibe your chapter follows, you can choose what you’re going to wear. You should consider both color and style when choosing a dress for your sorority formal.
Dress Colors
You can’t go wrong with a formal dress in a classic color like black or red that you can wear for other events in the future; this formal collection offers great options in versatile colors. You can also wear a color that’s associated with your sorority as a visual sign of your love and loyalty for your chapter and your sisters.
Most sororities have two or three colors associated with them so you can choose the color that works best with your skin tone for your dress and add accessories in the other color or colors for your sorority.
If you’re a guest at the event, then you don’t have to worry as much about sticking to the sorority’s color scheme. Instead, just choose a dress color that flatters you and suits the event. Pastel shades are often a good choice for daytime events and darker colors work best for evening parties.
Dress Styles
Looking at photos from past events will help you get a feel for what the most common styles of dress are at your sorority’s formals. Some formals lean more into the cocktail dress look with short dresses in fun styles with a lot of glitter and sequins.
For some sororities, though, they mean a truly formal event where long satin gowns are the norm.
Depending on the culture of your sorority, you may find it more comfortable to try and emulate what your big sisters are wearing and join in a united front with them. Some chapters, however, may encourage more creativity and self-expression at these events.
In such cases, you might even experiment with more modern styles of formal dress. For example, two-piece and jumpsuit formal wear is becoming more popular and can be a fun way to still dress for the occasion, but also express your individuality.
Accessorizing Sorority Formal Dresses
Choosing the perfect dress isn’t the only step in looking your best, you also need to complete your outfit with shoes, jewelry, and a bag. You can do this in a way that also references your sorority.
As mentioned above, you can show your spirit by choosing a dress in one of the sorority’s colors and accessorize in another. For example, Kappa Kappa Gamma is usually symbolized by light and dark blue. You could wear a light blue dress paired with dark blues shoes and a dark blue clutch.
You can reference your sorority’s symbology in your accessories or jewelry as well. A golden arrow often symbolizes Pi Beta Phi, so if that’s your society, a necklace or bracelet with a golden arrow would be the perfect way to complete your outfit.
Sisterhood Never Looked So Good
Your first sorority formal will, no doubt, be one of the most memorable occasions of your college career. Choosing the right outfit will help you to feel confident and look your best so you can look back at photos of the event fondly.
Most importantly, revel in the sisterhood and have a great night.
