My Rush Outfits

Aside from joining an awesome sisterhood, my favorite part of rush/sorority recruitment was the OUTFITS, of course. Each morning I loved getting to plan my outfit in order to best represent who I am, as well as see other girl's looks for the day and how they choose to show their style through the different rounds. I thought I'd share my outfits with you, along with a little bit about each round of recruitment, mostly to be a guide if you're rushing in the spring or next year or just to share a little bit about my rush experience!

ROUND 1: GO GREEK

Go Greek round, the first round of recruitment, is just getting to see the surface level of each sorority. Between two days, I visited all thirteen sorority houses and talked to one or a few of their members. This was the most casual round attire-wise and I was given a t-shirt for each day! It was also the hottest weather and had the most standing/walking, so wearing a tennis skirt and sneakers was definitely a good move.

Day One

For day one I went with my trusty New Balances, a tennis skort from Marshall's (GREAT for the heat because it's moisture wicking), simple pearl studs, and my Madeline and Co. backpack!

Day Two

On day two I wore basically the same thing (another Marshall's tennis skirt), but added some fun mini hoop earrings.

ROUND TWO: PHILANTHROPY ROUND

During Philanthropy Round, the dress is slightly nicer but you still wear recruitment t-shirts. Some girls wore fancy skirts and heels while others wore just flowy shorts and sandals! During this round, you really see a mix of both but what's most important is wearing what you feel comfortable and yourself in.

Day One

VERY excited for another day of recruitment

I dressed up the tee a bit adding a horn necklace and wearing paper bag shorts (sold out in navy-- shop the green here or a striped here). Since I knew I would be going back to fewer houses and therefore walking less, I was able to wear my leather slides!

Day Two

Sorry for the wacky photo quality!

I dressed up my look for the last day of Philanthropy round by wearing a paper bag skirt (on sale), platforms (similar styles on sale here, here, + here), and my classic Kendra Scott earrings.

ROUND THREE: SISTERHOOD/LEADING WOMEN

Sisterhood Round is the last round leading up to Preference Round, so things are definitely more serious and formal. On these days, girls wear sundresses and rompers with sandals or heels. This is when you can really start showing your style and get out of the t-shirts!

Day One

This was the day I was visiting the least amount of houses, so I knew I could handle my somewhat-heavy Lisi Lerch earrings and block heels. My dress was great to wear too, not only for the pockets but it was something a little bit different from the rest (without being too out there) to differentiate me from the group!

Day Two

Another day, another morning getting HYPED for recruitment!

For the second day, I wore my favorite piece from the Fame and Partners summer collection! Day two was another hot one, so the light fabric was a godsend. Plus, it was a great conversation starter to segway into talking about my internship with Fame. I wore the platforms again (they are so comfy), my Cuffed By Nano choker, and my hoops. 

PREFERENCE ROUND

Preference round lasts only one day and is the most formal round. The attire is similar to what you would wear to homecoming and was the most fun to dress up for!

I wore my Fame & Partners Amelia dress which I had previously worn to my graduation party and Father-daughter dance. I love it because I have styled it lots of different ways with sandals and platforms, but I gave it a formal touch with block heels for pref.

BID DAY

On Bid Day, each sorority chooses a "bid day theme" and models their shirts and bid day party after it. At USC, we find out which sorority we got a bid from by unwrapping a t-shirt with their letters on it!

If you didn't see it on Instagram, I rushed Alpha Delta Pi! I was so grateful to have gotten a bid from my top pick, as well as join the same sisterhood as my mom and aunt! Our theme was "Adpi Jam," so it was everything Space Jam: alien themed costumes, basketball hoops, and fun photo backdrops. Bid day was so fun (and such a relief to be done with recruitment). 

Can't wait to share more about my time in Adpi and I hope this post was helpful!

Stay sunny,

Meg

Gal Meets Glam

Julia of Gal Meets Glam is the queen of dresses. That’s why when she came out with her own dress line, I knew I'd love them. They’re all very elegant and a bit more "grown-up" than I’m used to wearing, however, I'll take the opportunity to mix up my style any day! Not only do I admire the dresses' design, I’m super impressed with Julia’s capability to keep up with her blog while being the CEO of her own company. Major boss moment.

I ordered my favorite of the collection, the Esme dress. The breezy, summery feel is perfect and it could take you from a picnic to a wedding depending on how you accessorize. Plus, the tea length is so classic. Below, you'll see a more casual look with leather slides and a more formal look with suede heels -- the dress is truly versatile!

Shop my favorites of the GMG collection below-- they're perfect for things like sorority events, summer parties, weddings, or a fancy brunch! My top three favorites besides the Esme are the Isabella, the Rio Stripe, and the Daisy. 

Let me know in the comments -- do you have a favorite GMG dress?

Stay Sunny,

Meg

Photos by Rachel Issler

More Than Just a Pretty Dress

Last week, I was shopping the clearance section at Marshall's. I stumbled upon a $6 pair of loafers in my size. I tried them on, they fit, and I began to carry them towards the checkout line because, well, they were six dollars. I looked down at the shoes and stopped dead in my tracks because I realized didn't even like them that much. If I had bought them, I probably would have worn them once, held onto them for a while, and then gotten rid of them. You see, this is idea of the disposable fashion is all too common in today's world: a world of fast-fashion, low quality material, and unethical labor. Brands are focused on creating more and more, and we are focused on buying more and more-- especially with prices so low. A $3 t-shirt? I'll take 5! It doesn't matter if I ever wear them, they're $3. But here's the catch: in order to have such a rapid, massive, and cheap production of clothing, something has to give. If you aren't suffering the consequences of fast fashion, someone else is. Often times, that "someone" is a laborer who is unsafe and underpaid. Or, perhaps, it is a shared burden of all of us suffering the effects of the world's 2nd most polluting industry.

I challenge you to be more intentional with what you buy. This doesn't mean that you need to research the origins and ethics of every single thing you add to your cart-- I assume none of us have time or resources for this. Before you buy something that is not a necessity, ask yourself a series of questions such as "Will I wear/use this often?" "Does this bring me joy?" "Do I already have something like it?" Practicing this review of products will lead you to "impulse buy" less often-- saving you money, saving the environment resources, and defying our hedonistic culture.

When you can, shop ethically. Research brands that produce clothing in an environmentally-friendly manner that fit your price point. My favorite sustainable company (although I may be biased), is Fame and Partners-- where I will be interning this summer. What makes F&P so unique is that they are "the modern woman's personal atelier," meaning every garment is made to order and made to fit the customer's body. Their dresses are also customizable in many ways, from color to neckline, giving women creativity and freedom with what they buy. Aside from the benefits for the customer, the benefits to the environment are numerous: no mass-production, no waste, and no need for storage in an air-conditioned warehouse. AND, as if they weren't already awesome enough, $5 of each sale goes to 1 of 3 charities (you get to choose) which will empower women in a variety of ways. Fame and Partners really is about more than a pretty dress, which has caused me to fall head over heels for this company in such a short amount of time.

Today I am sharing with you a dress that I recently received from them, which I was able to choose the fabric, have a personalized fit, and raise the neckline. Shop F&P dresses here.

Photos by Rachel Issler

stay sunny

meg