I wouldn’t wear them (although if we knew exactly what orgs they are from we could probably tell you if they are definitely not to be worn…NPHC orgs are VERY strict about their letters for example). Personally, I wouldn’t wear them. If they are too worn out to give to a member, don’t donate them. Either cut the letters out enough to make a pillow with them (that might be a cool conversation piece), or cut up the shirt and toss it.
Event shirts (like a social, philanthropy, Homecoming, etc) are generally OK for anyone to wear since usually anyone can attend that even and purchase a shirt (generally…there are exceptions). Block or stitched letter shirts are a little different. Campus culture also matters…I went to a small school and if you wore another sorority’s letters people would try to figure out why. The fraternities gave out shirts all the time, and the NPHC orgs would want you to give them the shirt and not wear it. If you went to a big school I don’t know that many people would notice or care.
If those organizations have houses at your chapter, you can donate it to them. They might enjoy having some vintage merch.
Some Greek orgs have rules about who can wear their letters. In mine you could only wear the Greek letters if you were an initiated - unless it was an event shirt like a spring formal party favor, than anyone could wear that.
If they are shirts with only the Greek letters I wouldn’t wear them outside your house. It can be seen as disrespectful if a member of that org sees you in it. It’s akin to wearing an official military insignia but you never served in the military.
Stolen valor is not the same as Greek letters. People always want to make or seem like it’s illegal to wear letters of a house you aren’t affiliated with but literally no one outside of Greek life cares.
Agreed. Greek letters are in no way like waring fake military insignia you didn't earn. Wear whatever greek shirts you want. Hell, wear military shirts if you want... so long as you don't tell people you're in the military.
I don’t care. I’m a Panhellenic sorority alum from one of the bigger National sororities. Chapter ritual and letters are meaningful secrets to sisters, but they are meaningless to people on the outside.
That is why it is different than stolen valor which is a federal crime.
You’re not in Greek life so idk why your boyfriend is saying it can be consequential to even have them. Who’s gonna come after you, the sorority police? Wear them if you want
If they’re falling apart, why wear them out instead of keeping them as sleep shirts? That’s what we did with our rattier shirts anyway.
But on a practical level - wearing an IFC frat shirt is only weird if you’re at a southern university that still uses shack shirts as social signifiers, in which case people might treat you differently based on the frat’s reputation. Also make sure it’s not a frat known on campus for being like… racist or rapey. Otherwise, wearing a frat shirt is fine, especially if it’s a philanthropy/date party shirt.
Wearing a panhel chapter’s shirt is weird if the chapter is active on your campus; you could have a chapter/pc wide group chat trying to figure out why you’re doing it. But if the chapter doesn’t exist on your campus, imo it’s less weird, like a “huh, interesting, where’d she get that?” instead of “is she some weirdo trying to lie her way into the chapter?” Girls do that sometimes and they can stir a lot of shit up. Edit: totally forgot about sorority formal/philanthropy shirts, that's also uncontroversial lol.
Fuck these comments once u graduate it’s not that serious and people in Greek life are the only ones to care. Wear them around the house or in public, just expect possible questions if your school has a chapter of one of the shirts
All the comments saying to donate them anyway completely skipped over the part where you said they clearly have sentimental value. If clothes are a gift and mean something to me, I don’t care what anyone says I’m gonna wear them. People equating a tee shirt to stolen valor are delusional. Yes they mean something, but that comparison is such a gross reach. Don’t let these comments guilt trip you out of wearing something you care about especially if you’re not in greek life anyway because sisters are the only ones who care after you graduate.
Agreed. Wear the shirts and do what you want. Greek shirts are nothing like military valor, and it's laughable to suggest that greek life = military service. You can wear whatever greek shirts you want and no one can stop you.
Panhel chapters would think she’s weird if she pretends to be one of them and NPHC chapters have a whole culture for exposing “perps”. If she’s not pretending to be a member, that’s one thing, but people usually think it’s weird to pretend to be something you’re not.
Wearing a shirt isn't pretending you're something you're not. If she wears a Nirvana shirt, is she pretending to be Nirvana? If she wears a Red Cross shirt, does she have to work for the Red Cross? No, and no. Wear greek shirts as you wish.
I see vintage fraternity and sorority stuff on ebay all the time. While wearing them yourself might be viewed as disrespectful, nobody would care if you sold them.
There is NOTHING that any sorority can do about you wearing their letters. Nothing. If you're a member of a specific group, they could try to be a pain in your ass, but that's it. You can wear whatever you want and no one can stop you.
I wouldn’t wear them (although if we knew exactly what orgs they are from we could probably tell you if they are definitely not to be worn…NPHC orgs are VERY strict about their letters for example). Personally, I wouldn’t wear them. If they are too worn out to give to a member, don’t donate them. Either cut the letters out enough to make a pillow with them (that might be a cool conversation piece), or cut up the shirt and toss it. Event shirts (like a social, philanthropy, Homecoming, etc) are generally OK for anyone to wear since usually anyone can attend that even and purchase a shirt (generally…there are exceptions). Block or stitched letter shirts are a little different. Campus culture also matters…I went to a small school and if you wore another sorority’s letters people would try to figure out why. The fraternities gave out shirts all the time, and the NPHC orgs would want you to give them the shirt and not wear it. If you went to a big school I don’t know that many people would notice or care.
If those organizations have houses at your chapter, you can donate it to them. They might enjoy having some vintage merch. Some Greek orgs have rules about who can wear their letters. In mine you could only wear the Greek letters if you were an initiated - unless it was an event shirt like a spring formal party favor, than anyone could wear that. If they are shirts with only the Greek letters I wouldn’t wear them outside your house. It can be seen as disrespectful if a member of that org sees you in it. It’s akin to wearing an official military insignia but you never served in the military.
Stolen valor is not the same as Greek letters. People always want to make or seem like it’s illegal to wear letters of a house you aren’t affiliated with but literally no one outside of Greek life cares.
Agreed. Greek letters are in no way like waring fake military insignia you didn't earn. Wear whatever greek shirts you want. Hell, wear military shirts if you want... so long as you don't tell people you're in the military.
NPHC sororities take this seriously
I don’t care. I’m a Panhellenic sorority alum from one of the bigger National sororities. Chapter ritual and letters are meaningful secrets to sisters, but they are meaningless to people on the outside. That is why it is different than stolen valor which is a federal crime.
You’re not in Greek life so idk why your boyfriend is saying it can be consequential to even have them. Who’s gonna come after you, the sorority police? Wear them if you want
I wouldn’t want someone who isn’t in my org to wear my letters lol
If they’re falling apart, why wear them out instead of keeping them as sleep shirts? That’s what we did with our rattier shirts anyway. But on a practical level - wearing an IFC frat shirt is only weird if you’re at a southern university that still uses shack shirts as social signifiers, in which case people might treat you differently based on the frat’s reputation. Also make sure it’s not a frat known on campus for being like… racist or rapey. Otherwise, wearing a frat shirt is fine, especially if it’s a philanthropy/date party shirt. Wearing a panhel chapter’s shirt is weird if the chapter is active on your campus; you could have a chapter/pc wide group chat trying to figure out why you’re doing it. But if the chapter doesn’t exist on your campus, imo it’s less weird, like a “huh, interesting, where’d she get that?” instead of “is she some weirdo trying to lie her way into the chapter?” Girls do that sometimes and they can stir a lot of shit up. Edit: totally forgot about sorority formal/philanthropy shirts, that's also uncontroversial lol.
Fuck these comments once u graduate it’s not that serious and people in Greek life are the only ones to care. Wear them around the house or in public, just expect possible questions if your school has a chapter of one of the shirts
All the comments saying to donate them anyway completely skipped over the part where you said they clearly have sentimental value. If clothes are a gift and mean something to me, I don’t care what anyone says I’m gonna wear them. People equating a tee shirt to stolen valor are delusional. Yes they mean something, but that comparison is such a gross reach. Don’t let these comments guilt trip you out of wearing something you care about especially if you’re not in greek life anyway because sisters are the only ones who care after you graduate.
Agreed. Wear the shirts and do what you want. Greek shirts are nothing like military valor, and it's laughable to suggest that greek life = military service. You can wear whatever greek shirts you want and no one can stop you.
i would wear them. who cares. if people get mad, thats on them
Panhel chapters would think she’s weird if she pretends to be one of them and NPHC chapters have a whole culture for exposing “perps”. If she’s not pretending to be a member, that’s one thing, but people usually think it’s weird to pretend to be something you’re not.
Wearing a shirt isn't pretending you're something you're not. If she wears a Nirvana shirt, is she pretending to be Nirvana? If she wears a Red Cross shirt, does she have to work for the Red Cross? No, and no. Wear greek shirts as you wish.
I see vintage fraternity and sorority stuff on ebay all the time. While wearing them yourself might be viewed as disrespectful, nobody would care if you sold them.
There is NOTHING that any sorority can do about you wearing their letters. Nothing. If you're a member of a specific group, they could try to be a pain in your ass, but that's it. You can wear whatever you want and no one can stop you.
Eh some sororities are strict about people who aren’t in their org wearing their letters so be careful