Whoa, what is she wearing?
A bunch of my friends and I are getting our groove on at a frat party, and we look over at the aforementioned female. We give our collars an extra pop as we look the girl up and down. Oh no, she's not only wearing three-inch stilettos and a mini skirt, but she's also wearing a tight off-the-shoulder top and tons of makeup, and her hair is perfectly styled. This girl definitely did not just jump out of an old dorm shower and throw on some jeans and a polo.
Fine. She looks good. I'll give her that.
But she's trying too hard. She looks like she's ready to go clubbing, not like she's about to hang out and dance in some frat basement that reeks of stale beer.
Every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night, these types come out. You see them boisterously cavorting down Rugby or 14th Street, and you walk the other way. No, they're not gremlins -- they're just first-year girls trying to balance in their kitten heels or mile-high stilettos.
In the endless pursuit of beer, jungle juice and Jell-o shooters, these girls will meticulously plan outfits, straighten hair and painstakingly apply makeup. They are a different species -- able to apply eyeliner with tiny brushes, knowledgeable on subjects such as, "How much bronzer should I use in December?" And, "What do I do if my heel breaks in the middle of a party?"
Why do these women act the way they do, and will they ever stop?
Many first-year girls get all dressed up on weekend nights because they feel like if they don't, they won't fit in or they won't be accepted by their peers. Others do it for compliments, because dressing up makes them feel better about themselves or because they think they'll get more guys. Still others feel that if they look their best, they will exude confidence, which, in turn, will attract others.
Later, even by second semester of first year, girls kind of stop trying, or at least, are not as obsessed with how they look on weekend nights. Most older girls scoff at dolled-up first years. Many say that trying too hard is just... lame. Also, many find it funny that some younger girls try so hard just to impress the older guys that many of the older girls have known for years.
Some youngins claim that they want to impress srat girls who they come across at parties in order to get ahead come rush. But most sorority girls claim that they don't really care what potential members wear, and even if they did, they're not bound to remember these nighttime outfits.
As for the boys, most of my guy friends claim that they don't really notice if a girl is wearing a put together outfit or not, but they do notice if a girl's sporting a skin revealing top or micro mini skirt.
Besides, having to dress up isn't fair! Why do boys get to throw on a shirt and jeans or khakis, topped off with rainbows or reefs? It takes them about 20 minutes, including a shower, to get ready for a night out, while it can take girls up to two hours. The most effort I've ever seen a boy make before going out is putting a hat on his wet hair to achieve a "flip" in his hair once it dries.
As a result, most girls trade in the kitten heels, fitted jeans or skirts and tight shirts for low-rise Citizens or Seven jeans, thong sandals and a popped-collar polo or button-down.
Dressing more casually to go out is not only a good idea in terms of what others think, but it is also a good idea because it is more practical. Drunken beer throwers, fratty floors and muddy backdoor shortcuts tend to wreak havoc on a cute outfit.
I've known many girls that specifically go out and buy "frat shoes" after suffering through broken heels, scratched leather and stained suede. The dance floor, with its gyrating couples, can also destroy shirts, as punchy drinks don't readily come out in the wash.
So next time you're standing in front of your closet, agonizing over what to wear, just remember that it's not only your mom that says, "It's not what's on the outside, but on the inside that counts." Besides, if what's outside really is what matters, you wouldn't want to get beer sludge all over it.
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