Modern Beauty: Dress to impress for yourself during sorority recruitment

Glitter, everywhere.

Expect it at the Marriott Copley Place Hotel President’s Day weekend with the arrival of all 10 Panhellenic Boston University sororities. BU recruitment, the reason for all the sparkle, occurs every spring semester as hundreds of women excitedly seek bids from Greek organizations.

Sorority recruitment is less than two weeks away, which means that scores of BU women will be flooding the boutiques on Newbury Street and name brand stores in the Prudential Center in hopes of finding the perfect outfit.

I understand the pressure to look your best at recruitment, but PNMs — also known as potential new members — shouldn’t dress at the expense of their comfort level or budget. There exist a number of other ways to look and feel beautiful that don’t include strapping on an overused Gucci belt around your waist.

Still confused on what to wear to Recruitment this month? Here’s step one: rock clothes that make you confident.

That doesn’t mean run to Newbury Street and buy out the Brandy Melville store. Stay calm and look at what you’ve got first. Aim for comfy casual for the first two days of Recruitment. I guarantee there are two perfectly fine sweaters and a good-fitting pair of jeans floating around somewhere in your chest of drawers.

The next obstacle is the third day of recruitment, where we break out the business casual. When I went through my PNM experience, I struggled with finding clothing that brought out my confidence on this particular day. I made the mistake of listening to my 55-year-old mother who advised me to rock shoulder pads. I felt like a linebacker the entire time!

For business casual dress, find something professional yet comfortable. If you don’t like wearing skirts, then don’t wear them! If you think a blazer makes your shirt look funky, leave it in your closet. Make sure garments are appropriate and not too casual. Sweaters and slacks or a knee-length dress will do the trick.

Now we’ve arrived at the big kahuna: preference night. Preference night can be tricky because the stress of making a lasting impression holds weight. Also, formal dress can be a difficult task! Just remember what you’re dressing for. You’re not going on a date, and you aren’t attending a funeral. Wear clothing that elevates your inner and outer beauty and showcases your real self.

I believe everyone has the tools available to put together confidence-building outfits for recruitment this semester without the price tag. If you’re worried that nothing looks right, just ask a roommate or a friend to borrow some pieces! That’s the beauty of being a girl in college — if you’ve got seven suitemates, that means you have seven closets to pick through.

Though I’ve spent this entire time discussing how to dress outwardly, it’s important to understand that inner beauty and uniqueness encompass what’s truly valuable about a person. Chapter women don’t care that a blouse is from Saks or that your shoes are vintage.

They care about what you’re passionate about, why you want to join their chapter and what the special qualities are that make you, you.

And the best piece of advice I can give? It’s so cheesy, but I have to say it. Be yourself. Oh, and maybe carry some breath mints in your back pocket.