do any alumni wear letters?
 

I felt like all of the seniors in my chapter passed down EVERYTHING they had with DG on it! Is it weird or inappropriate to wear letters after graduation? I know we're sisters forever, so is there something wrong with representing that? Or is it just not as socially acceptable as when you're in college?

You might not have as many opportunities to wear letters, but it's not inappropriate or weird, IMO. Would I wear them for casual day at work? No. Shopping or to the gym? Yes of course, why not?

We have sisters who gave away everything when they left school...and 20+ years later are buying new sets of letters because they miss not having them. I've never understood the "pass down" concept, unless you went really hog wild buying stuff.

I wear letters at my GLO's events and if I go to Greek functions at my alma mater.

Shortly after college I still wore my letters frequently - gym, hanging out, etc. As those shirts got older and smaller :eek:, they sort of went by the wayside. It would look pretty odd for me to be wearing them now, at 45, but if it was a t-shirt from an event, I suppose that would be a different thing. I think handing down some of your stuff is a great idea, but I don't think I'd hand down ALL of it. What would I have had to make a t-shirt quilt out of?

I wear letters a lot, but they are usually an event shirt, such as for convention, etc. or a polo. I leave the block letters for sorority events or college events.

I wear my letters everyday, via flip flops :D. I do wear my letters. I wear t-shirts. I have polos that I wear to work. Sweatshirts when it is cold.
I don't wear them as much as I did when I was in college, but I'm a proud member of ADPi and I'm going to show it.
Plus, wearing your letters is a great way to meet other sisters but other greeks as well.

I wear mine to sorority events. I also wear my t-shirts and sweatshirts out around town (running errands, etc.). I frequently wear sorority jewelry to work (necklace or bracelet). No one ever looks at me weird, and if they did, I wouldn't care. :)

I have an SAI lavalier that I wear daily. I used to have an Alpha Gam one, but, it got tarnished in the ocean when I forgot to take it off. (Anyone know how to clean it?)

We have jean Fridays where I teach, so occasionally, I'll wear an activity shirt. During the winter, I usually wear a letter sweatshirt under my coat. I frequently wear letters out and about around town, too.

I'd like to use all my activity shirts to eventually make (or get made) a t-shirt quilt.

Those shirts do have a tendency to shrink over time!
I'm very careful about where I wear lettered T shirts. I don't want any future potential new members to think that we're ALL short, fat, gray-haired grandmothers! I usually only wear them around the house.
I do proudly wear my anchor badge, though, to church etc.

This varies by council and conference.

In the NPHC, alumnae/alumni wear symbols/letters anywhere the organization's protocol doesn't prohibit. The key is understanding that symbols/letters include but are not limited to 'nalia tshirts. If it can be done in a grown folks style, NPHCers do it until the dayyyyyyy weeeeeee dieeeeeeeee.

ETA: I am not saying that there are no variations within councils and conferences; or that the NPHC is the only council or conference in which members tend to wear symbols/letters as alumnae/alumni.

^^^You Delta, you!

A lot of my lettered stuff is t-shirts or yoga pants so often I'll wear them lounging around the house.

I do. :) I have a few peices of jewelry with Deltas on them that I wear. Occasionally I'll wear a tee shirt or hoodie. I also have a large tote bag with my letters on them I sometimes use if I'm traveling.

I do wear jewelry with my crest or badge on it regularly. I don't wear clothing with letters. I have moved far away from college, so I am not on campus for any activities. For me, I think going toward other forms of showing your affiliation is more appropriate at this point in my life.

I love traveling with my letter tote. I've met so many sisters that way.

My next door neighbor, who is in her 40s carries her GPhiB tote bag hither and yon, and I think it's cute.

I have a Sigma Kappa sweatshirt that I wear from time to time, although, it's nearly 18 years old and starting to look a little sad.

As for my t-shirts, my last college homecoming shirt died last fall, and has given its afterlife as an excellent dustrag.


I'd love to have some new stuff - maybe not sewn letters, but a homecoming t or something.

I'm a pretty recent alum, but I wear my stuff pretty often. Out to casual dinner, to the movies, to the store, for walks...I have a ton of those shirts, so I may as well wear them. I have the intention of eventually turning them in to a t-shirt quilt, so anything that wouldn't work for that purpose I handed down (sweatpants I didn't like, tank tops, small-graphic tees)

I have a Victoria's Secret Pink hoodie (in lavender) that already had a heart on it, and I had my letters added to it. You can't tell that the letters weren't printed at the same time as the rest of it. It's absolutely my favorite sweatshirt! I do still make an effort to look polished when I wear it - hair neat, makeup done, etc. That's just too deeply ingrained, I guess!

AVID
 

For the past few years, the school that I teach has had college days for AVID. Typically everyone will wear their college T-shirt/sweat shirts or a Greek shirt. It is always fun because everyone gets involved...Not to mention we are not allowed to wear T-shirts any other day ;)

This cracked me up, probably because it mirrors my worst fears about myself. I wore my letter sweatshirts a lot more in the first few years after graduation. As my college years grew more distant, I started to be self conscious about whether people would be whispering, "Who is she trying to kid? There's no way she's a college girl!" Now I bring out letter shirts only to the 1-2 sorority events I go to per year.

That being said, I have a jeweled alumnae charm that I wear on a charm bracelet almost every day. It's a more subtle way for me to feel a connection to OPhiA.

This is a bit of a lane swerve but I have a question about what to do with all of the t-shirts my daughter has brought home. I am going to make a double sided quilt with some, but there will still be lots left over. She may wear a few but I see a lot just taking up room in drawers. I could give them to a thrift store, but the thought of someone not in her house wearing her letters makes me cringe. Do I cut them up and throw them away? Or am I just nuts to worry about something like this?

She could give them to her little or other girls in her chapter.

I would suggest to her that she finds a new home for
them. If I came home and my mother had given my shirts to a thrift store or cut them up I would lose it!

I'v been away from school 6 years and I still can't bear the thought if getting rid of my shirts. Right now they occupy about 4 jumbo spacebags in my guest bedroom closet. Maybe some day I'll be in a pitching mood...

It should. Whatever you do, don't give them to a thrift store.

How about making a second quilt? The chapter could use it as an end of year gift for the sister with the highest GPA or most participation or whatever they want to reward.

I am OBSESSED with that idea!!! I want to do it with my highlighter pink hoodie!

Hijack: i want to buy this (but am not because I don't need it) since it is cute (and it reminds me of VS pink!)

http://somethinggreek.com/shop/shope...+Hoody&id=6332

^^^Oooooooooh, I like that!

This reminds me (in terms of the message) of our Peace, Love, Xi shirt (which I have and I love):

http://www.xiboutique.org/assets/pro..._scratch_2.jpg

I have two sweatshirts from college that I saved. I gave one to my daughter last year when she joined. After she was initiated, I gave her the second one( it has the crest.) She wears them proudly even though they are 25+ years old.
She in turn gave me an ADPi shopping bag/Tote make from recycled plastic that was given to all the NM. I carry it frequently when I need to "tote" stuff around.

Sure, I wear my letters, just not every freakin day like I did in college. I wear them when I shop or travel.

I only graduated in 2010 so I still have a few t-shirts that I wear when I'm running errands, working out or just having a lazy, hanging around kind of day. I'm sure those will eventually become worn out and unwearable. When they do, I'll probably buy a new letter tee, just to make sure I have one on hand should the occasion arise to wear it. (Hmmm...maybe I'll buy one now...heading to a Greek clothing website after this....) I'll wear my lavalier to sorority functions, same with my hoodie.

I don't think there's anything wrong with wearing letters as an alum; I think the thing is you just have to understand that there are going to be people who were not involved with Greek life may think it's odd.

If more people did it, less people would think it odd. It's all circular. :)

As an alumna initiate of a certain age (read: over 40), I haven't bought any apparel with letters and probably won't - it just feels a bit weird to me. I'm thinking more along the lines of a key chain, piece of jewelry or totebag to show my Alpha Phi pride.

I wear them around the house or when we have alumna events where we're supporting our sorority (ie Memory Walk) and when we support the collegiates at their events.

I recently wore a Sigma Kappa shirt to Disneyland and got some strange looks from collegiates of another chapter when they saw me in letters (they were in their letters). I guess seeing a 7 month pregnant woman proudly sporting letters was strange to them. Lol! After that, I figured my letters will stay at home but I still sport my Sigma Kappa flip-flops & lavaliere.

When we are doing philanthropy events I'll wear a shirt with our letters. My car has a license plate frame and a magnet showing the partnership with our philanthropy.

I know a lot of the former Phi Delt's that are big CEO's now that still wear their ring or a Phi Delt tie

I've noticed the same thing. I've seen plenty of older NPHC alumni wear their letters (or more commonly, I see a ton of license plate frames), but if I see NPC letters somewhere, it's almost always on a college woman. It also reminds me how many alumnae I encounter who say "Oh, I was a such-and-such in college". You're always a such-and-such!

Anyway, I have a nice Tiffany's-style heart necklace that has Greek letters on it that I used to wear quite often with a business suit. I thought it was subtle enough. I also have a pink leather business card case that has an engraved clasp, and I love that thing - I think it's pretty and appropriate for a young professional.

I'm not an alumna yet, but I'm not sure that I'll wear letters much after.

1. Because we will away most of our stuff to the non-graduating chapter members before we graduate.
2. I already get mistaken for much younger than I am. I don't want people to ask if I'm ready to graduate at 40 (I have been mistaken for half my age, so this is plausible).
3. I don't know that there will be much opportunity to wear it.

However, I do plan on wearing my badge as often as possible.