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Evaluation

Throughout Unit 5, I’ve found it incredibly interesting and difficult at times to understand the full potential of what a subculture is – or rather how to answer and explain how a subculture functions. The difficulty of focusing on an individual subculture was being able to fully comprehend and submerse myself in the perspective of a group I have no affiliation with or will never have an affiliation with. To analyse and continuously think about how my specific subculture functions and gathers not only on a nation-wide but also on an international scale, was incredibly difficult, yet rewarding. To say the least, I have learned a lot within this unit – especially with the idea of how fashion moves, why people follow trends and furthermore, how trends come about.

 Prior to attending these seminars, it never dawned upon me how trends and the shifting of trends functioned. We live in a world where everyone wants to be “different” and “individual”. But with trends and marketing and seeing different political, environmental, and cultural shifts that are shared between one another – how do we become individuals? Or rather, how do we separate ourselves as innovators, from the mass?  

 In addition, I believe this unit has allowed me to redirect myself in how I not only view myself, but also how I approach my textile design. It has led me to think ahead for my future in relation to both career choices and design process. As any other designer hopes to achieve, I want to create something not only I’m pleased with but also for people to love and want. But I never thought – as naïve as it sounds - who or what kind of individuals I want to share my creations with. Because of this, I’ve begun to think more about the type, or rather, subculture of people to share my work with – because of course, not all will accept the work that I create.

 Furthermore, this unit has taught me the importance of the consideration of garnering a “self-aesthetic” I’d like to embody. I want to be as diverse as possible. I want to be able to experience as much as possible to share and spread my knowledge to as many people as much as possible. To be able to understand the differences people have or even share is a necessity that many in our time overlook.  

 In regards to my blog and research, I think there was possibility to push my topic even further. Initially, I wanted to include more perspectives of the experience of sorority members but many were unavailable for comment. I would like to think that I have at the very least scratched the surface of both explaining and analyzing the sorority subculture to the best of my ability for the reader’s understanding. Surprisingly, it was a topic that I did not initially think would contain such a strange, and dark depth of both psychological and sociological understanding.

 Nevertheless, I’m extremely happy I chose Future Trends and Cultural Shifts for this unit. Additionally, I am pleased I could research and understand a topic that has been so foreign to me growing up. Not only has analyzing and understanding subcultures been extremely beneficial in my area of design, but it has also allowed my perspective to widen and become less subjective with how I view certain interpretations.

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Similar to Sororities...

Although the sorority subculture may seem strange to an outsider’s perspective, there are other organisations that share similarities to it. 

If we look at the U.K., we can see how the notoriously infamous group, the Bullingdon Club at Oxford, shares similarities to the subculture of sororities. 

The Run-Down: The Bullingdon Club at Oxford is not an official club registered by Oxford University. Although it is not recognised by Oxford, it is still very much an organisation that is alive and well. Both the tradition and legacy it holds allows it to continue today - even with the amount of chaos caused by its members. The club is known to have had politically powerful members such as Boris Johnson, David Cameron,  and George Osbourne - all whom were selected by previous members. 

The selection process is simple. One does not choose to join, they’re picked to join based on family history/legacy, political, or financial qualities. And typically, members are white British. 

Now seeing that the Bullingdon Club does not accept applicants, the selection process is similar to those of sororities. Typically, white, wealthy, well-connected family members is the key to success when looking to join such groups as these. It is a grotesque way of either finding your own, or finding people one strives to be surrounded by. 

But why do groups like these exist? 

According to Wicklund and Gollwitzer (1982), “people who feel status anxiety may engage in self-symbolization, resulting in the adoption of symbols used to bolster identity. Self-symbolization is an idealized condition that occurs when a person's status is legitimized by others who accept these symbols as valid status markers”. This idea of self-symbolization is easily seen within groups like sororities and the Bullingdon club. Thus, the creation of uniformity shared within such groups is legitimized by both the creator and the supporters. Likewise, Arthur (1997) states that the joining of large scale clubs/cliques like such are “analyzed as a rite of passage in which high levels of role salience produce role embracement and symbolic self-completion”.

From this, I believe that people who join groups as such need the affirmation of a “symbolic self-completion”. It is also the reason why they enjoy sharing similarities in every aspect, such as having a certain uniform or having a mecca (may it be a sorority house, or a mansion). Without affirmation, these subculture of people cannot function at their highest form, or rather they have not become their fullest potential in some sort of twisted sense.

Arthur, L.B., 1997. Role salience, role embracement, and the symbolic self‐completion of sorority pledges. Sociological Inquiry, 67(3), pp.364-379.

Wicklund, R.A. and Gollwitzer, P.M., 2013. Symbolic self completion. Routledge. Vancouver

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From the Eye of the Beholder (part 2)

Luckily, I got to continue my interview with Alice over the phone. The recording file was too big to upload onto my blog directly, so I have provided a link to the recording. 

In this interview we continue to touch on how sorority culture was like according to Alice, especially in the sense of how she dealt with her cultural difference (Alice is Chinese American - generally sororities are populated by white females). 

https://soundcloud.com/mary-lo-4/sorority-with-alice

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From the Eye of the Beholder (part 1)

I recently interviewed my godsister who is a former graduate from Texas Tech University. Initially, she studied at the University of Arizona but decided to transfer to Texas Tech for personal reasons. We didn’t have time to speak to each other this time, so I sent her a few questions that were unanswered through all the research I attempted to hunt for.

Initially, I didn’t think that transferring schools would also affect her transferring of sororities (Kappa Alpha Theta). I thought that once one was already accepted in a sisterhood, all sisters - regardless of their university - loved each other instantaneously because they shared a sworn into bond. But, I was wrong. In regards to transferring her sorority chapter, Alice realised that there was a huge difference between the two schools and sorority life/culture although she remained in the same sorority. 

What ideals do sororities share - do different sororities have a motto or specific rule to follow? 

Each sorority has it's own mission statement. For the sorority I was in, Kappa Alpha Theta's motto is Leading Women. The first screenshot is a reference. Each sorority embodies a certain motto, and a certain philanthropy. Theta's is CASA, providing a big brother big sister program to children in the court system. 

What was a staple within your sorority life? Did you always dress the same for different events? Did you have to eat the same things? Furthermore, did all girls in a sorority participate in the same activities or do the same things because it felt comfortable to be in a pack/sisterhood?

I was appointed in the Kappa Alpha Theta- Beta Delta chapter (University of Arizona). The staple was chic workout clothes, during class. Then at night, it's almost dressing for Vegas - regardless if your going to a tailgate (pre-game before the football game) house party, frat party, or bar. It was a simple look: hot, bandage tight dresses and cut outs were the trend at the time. The more skin the better - we could get away with it because it's the desert. 

Alice with her sisters at UofA tailgate 

Alice with her new sisters at a Texas Tech tailgate

Yes, all the girls stayed together. Typically whenever you go out it's with your sorority sisters, and getting ready together was a must. Coordinating outfits, borrowing, and changing outfits at least 2x was mandatory. Changing outfits typically occurred when a girl would see another wearing something sexier - that's when insecurities come out. I like to call it the pressure of dressing for other girls. We didn't do it so much for the guys. Every girl was in a short dress and heels to get recognition from other girls.

As for eating, yes it was a social thing, if someone would be bored it would be typical to get 5-6 girls to make an outing. 

As for doing the same things, yes and no. I believe there are “pockets” here and there. I found myself playing tennis when no other sorority sister in a sorority of 200, played competitively enough to join club tennis. And if they did, they typically wouldn't pursue their passion because it was the “in” thing to do.

What appealed to you most about sorority life? Why did you want to join one? 

The appeal was everyone is doing it. I was young and naive, but since we live in Dallas it's the southern thing to do. Also it was a sense of competition among your high school classmates because every university typically does recruitment around the same time. On top of that, it's really like high school cliques but on a much larger scale.

“Bid Day”: When new recruits finally get their acceptance into the sorority

Alice with her new sisters at UofA, 2012

My sorority was known for being uniquely beautiful, well rounded, fun, but loyal. Gamma Phi Beta, is another sorority that could be considered one of the top, for being the hottest girls on campus. They were known as barbies, gorgeous, wild, and promiscuous. It's really how you want yourself to be seen by being affiliated with the sorority your in. The appealing part to me was to find more friends, and be apart of a large organizations that was so widely known on a large campus. It was to have a sense of belonging.

Alice on the left with her new “big”

What are the differences between Texas (TX) and Arizona (AZ) sororities?

Difference between TX and AZ: AZ is known for being a wild school - parties, pool parties, and I found out that almost any and every day was appropriate to go out or drink. Lots of drugs, mostly weed due to the de-criminalization. And I'm sure that was because of the amount of Californians that go to AZ. The vibe is more laid back - not as proper as TX. If you had a one night stand, women would applaud you and not hate on you like TX. TX seems to have a southern women mentality, where some things aren't meant to be said or is looked down upon if said (i.e: one night stands). The culture is completely different in almost every aspect. AZ was filled with dreamers, free-spirited people, some hippies, aspiring music producers, entrepreneurs, sports management majors - just to name a few. Meanwhile TX held a more conservative demeanor.  Sorority girls in TX would date guys based on their majors. If you were in engineering or finance you definitely had a girlfriend. And guys knew that too. Women in TX were working on their “Mrs.” (wifey) degrees and getting married young. Compared to AZ, that was unimaginable. 

Fashion wise - who did y’all constantly wear, or if not a specific designer, what kind of prints/specific items did almost every girl in your sorority own?  

I'm not too good with brands but I'll try!

Texas

-Tory Burch

-Kendra Scott (jewelry) 

Kendra Scott Earrings 

And of course the ugly ass Texas boutiques like: Apricot Lane, Francesca’s, just this most basic idea of “boho chic”. 

Who decided what was cute to wear in a sorority? Who made the trends within your sororities?

Basically, who ever looked good in it, there were no words to be exchanged.

In relation to fashion within a sorority, how do you think the style will continue to develop in the future? 

If anything, there will always be this idea of a cookie cutter image. This is the style of the sorority girl. It’s this constant balance of looking fun and cute, maybe conservative with a hint of “sexy”. In addition for a development of “style”, it will always be how sisters will represent their sorority and it’s values/representation for other people to understand what you and your sisters are made of. 

Images provided by Alice.

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In relation to how sororities work, this video is a great analysation of how serious girls take sorority and especially the recruitment process. 

It is a pure representation of how sororities act as an exclusive subculture within the United States. 

Victoria Valentine (2015) Recruitment 2016. Available at: https://vimeo.com/147767325 (Accessed: 10 Nov 2016).

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Other than Lilly

Other than Lilly Pulitzer, sororities have other trends and brands that they tend to follow. A constant theme within what they enjoy is bright vibrant colours to express the peppiness of the excitement of sisterhood. 

In addition, another constant trend that I personally have noticed within the sorority subculture is the act of monogramming anything and everything. At first, I saw it as completely unnecessary. Was it really that hard to remember your initials and your belongings to the point where one would have the need to monogram everything? 

But after researching and reading on sorority subculture and the culture of it in general, it makes sense why monogramming would be an enjoyable act to these girls in the sisterhood. I believe that monogramming is necessary for these girls as an “escape” - an act of individuality within the bounds of complete conformity. Although girls join sororities to enjoy the idea of togetherness and completeness of a sisterhood, somewhere within, a sense of individuality must be yearned for.  Thus, the act of monogramming could be thought as an “acceptable” way of being different but still within bounds of similarities in a sorority.

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Symbolism of Clothing

A continuation and analyzation of the outburst of rage from the Lilly Pulitzer collaboration.

So, why exactly was it a huge deal that Lilly collaborated with Target? From the present day collaborations we see such as all the H&M designer collabs, there has never been a huge burst of anger and discontent for the designer to “subjugate” their quality/aesthetic/price range to the general public. 

If we look at sorority culture, it’s all about being chosen and going through the process of being able to have the honour of participating in a sisterhood. Likewise, the dress code and the style of dressing follows the same ideals of one having to be accepted into something in order to be able to wear it.  

If we look back into the history of sororities, a ritual that was common was for sisters to give up their sorority sweater to their new initiate in order to welcome them into the sisterhood. Nowadays, “littles” (new initiates) are given hampers filled with goodies either created by or bought for by their “bigs” as a sign of welcome.  

Chi-O hamper made by a Big to send to their Little when accepted into Chi-O

Thus, this act of “giving” and bringing in the new recruits is the official welcoming for new recruits. Cunningham and Voso Lab (1991, pp.55), signifies this act through the idea that, “a change in status affords a change in privileges”. If we look at the historical ritual of giving up one’s sweater to a new recruit, it proves that “the wearing of specific items of clothing is related to the privileges and responsibilities one is granted by virtue of membership in the organization” (Cunningham and Voso Lab). 

Although Lilly Pulitzer isn’t the technically the ‘sweater’ in this case, it still shows how owning or wearing a Lilly signifies your status within an elite group. It’s an idea of symbolism. A portrayal showing that you “fought” for your right to be in a particular group who share similar ideals and wear certain things that distinguish you from the general public. You and your sisters have the exclusive rights for a certain style of dress and no one else does.  

Cunningham, P. and Voso Lab, S. (1991) Dress and Popular Culture. Ohio: Bowling Green State University.

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The Craze for Lily

Growing up in Texas and specifically being raised in a private school education, there are constant trends and styles that girls tend to follow. Not only did going to a private school mean more preppier, “put-together” outfits, but it also meant that wearing or having certain brands elevated you to a higher “social privilege” (a.k.a the popular group). 

I never really understood the whole concept of wearing certain brands constantly or only buying specific style clothing until I reached high school. When I was a freshman (9th grade), there was a specific designer that all the girls craved for. And soon enough, I realised that the main reason these girls wanted this particular brand and style is because they saw their older sisters, cousins, and friends all wearing them in university - all matching and looking as ecstatic as they could be attending university. 

I remember hearing girls squealing at how amazing these university girls looked and how much fun university could be through joining a sorority. Specifically, how fun it would be to be best friends with all your ‘sisters’ and finding a bond that was unbreakable for the rest of their lives. 

Yes, I’m talking about sororities, but most importantly this designer rebranded themselves, and kicked up a craze for sorority life and style. A craze that turned into a craving for girls of a younger generation feeding off of their older counterparts having the time of their lives in college.  

Lilly Pulitzer. 

To be fair, I used to have one of her wallets (shown below). I thought it was cute, ‘reasonably priced’ - a fun printed piece to have to show that I was as ‘trendy’ as the other girls in my school.

Lilly Pulitzer, Tiki Palm Phone Case - $48

Lily Pulitzer was and still is all the craze for high school girls but especially sorority girls. Her expressive prints are colourful and vibrant, but subjected to “conservative” styles - styles appropriate for girls who want to look professional, but with a ‘fun’ twist. 

Originally the brand was not for a younger generation of girls. Instead, it was marketed to women who worked and earned a living that wanted to treat themselves to a “holiday” dress or outfit. Lilly then, was known for her beach/holiday resort attire relative to the vibrant prints. 

As time passed, Lilly began to become the staple country club look - a look and scene which is to this day, still predominately white. From adopting the country club lifestyle, the price margin of the products began to rise and business became booming. Owning a Lilly (cotton dresses typically range form $100-$300) portrayed to others that one has not only the style and grace, but more importantly, the money to wear a Lilly.  Essentially, Lilly Pulitzer became a token item of wealth for the upper class ladies of both the East Coast and Southern “Bible Belt” areas. 

In spring 2015, Lilly Pulitzer collaborated with Target in order to provide “reasonable” priced pieces to be sold to the general public. Personally, I didn’t expect much. I never understood why people would spend up to $300 for a COTTON shift dress with colour splashed all over the place. Don’t get me wrong, I love colour - but not just neon and pastel hues. 

There were queues I had never seen before outside of Target. Similarly ridiculous queues to those who waited for Alexander Wang x H&M. Online was worse. The website couldn’t even function properly as millions of girls were on waiting and ready attempting to access the site refreshing every minute (I know this from personal experience through watching friends). 

To give a brief idea of fashion in the South: when Philip Lim collaborated with Target, I was there at the ready expecting to fight people if need be. When I went, absolutely no one was there and eventually in a couple weeks time, items were on sale. Similarly this happened when Kenzo x H&M dropped in Dallas last year (I called my mum to ask her to buy me items as I knew there was no chance of it in London). 

Anyway, going back to the Lilly craze. When news of Lilly collaborating with Target came out, there was not only hype but anger towards the situation.

People who were looking to finally get their hands on a Lilly rejoiced, but those who could afford Lilly found it disgusting. 

—   Lilly pulitzer for target?! Holy hell What’s next?! the apocalypse??! affordable clothing for the masses!? Disgusting  – Pamela Beesly @trillprincess47

—    8:51 PM - 6 Jan 2015

For a brand that is not internationally known or renowned for, I was surprised that people were not only reselling items for 5x the price, but also the anger of it all. 

This anger stems from an elitist point of view. An idea that buying a collaborative item is the equivalent of buying something secondhand, or even fake to an extent. 

But where does the idea of being privileged enough to wear certain brands stem from? 

Beesly, P. (2015) [Twitter] 6 January. Available at: http://nymag.com/thecut/2015/04/what-the-lilly-pulitzer-outrage-gets-wrong.html (Accessed: 31 Oct 2016). 

Birnbach, L. (2015) What the Lilly Pulitzer Outrage Gets Wrong. Available at: http://nymag.com/thecut/2015/04/what-the-lilly-pulitzer-outrage-gets-wrong.html (Accessed: 29 Oct 2016).

Friedman, M. (2015) [Twitter] 6 January. Available at: https://twitter.com/marisalynnnn/status/552662769938751488 (Accessed: 31 Oct 2016).

Mosendz, P. (2015) The Cult of Lilly Pulitzer . Available at: http://europe.newsweek.com/cult-lilly-pulitzer-326808?rm=eu (Accessed: 30 Oct 2016).

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The Value of Being Similar

If you’re not American, or have never experienced university life in America - understanding the concept of a sorority or fraternity can be hard to wrap one’s head around. 

From an outside perspective, it may seem incredibly vain to find friends whom one can call ‘sisters’ or ‘brothers’ and have an instantaneous bond once accepted. 

As ridiculous as it may seem, not everyone understands the stress behind the politics and responsibilities the organisation holds against members. There is both a cost and return for being similar. There is a value, or arguably so, a ‘worth’ to being similar. 

In my personal experience, I’ve known many girls to have “rushed” (applied) for certain sororities at specific schools for reasons being their families (mothers, aunts, grandmothers) were once part of the ‘sisterhood’, financial, or even pressures from the schools they would apply to. Many families, typically from middle to upper middle class caucasian backgrounds see the gateways of sororities as not only fun but also valuable connections for the future. Interestingly enough, these connections are useful to those looking for a future in politics, business, and even general pristine internships or work placements for one’s C.V. Having connections in the job market that we have nowadays can be essential to one’s future. 

But even so, there are individuals who feel pressure to join the sorority subculture in order to not feel like social outcasts within their university’s community. Because universities in America are typically restricted to one large campus, schools that are heavily influenced with Greek life will most likely have almost all students within some sort of chapter. 

The reason why subcultures like such exist is because although everyone’s identities may be individual, the way they identify to certain culture - may it be popular or political - groups them together. Typically, humans form relationships through identifying shared similarities such as taste or ideological perspective. 

The key elements to subcultures are simple: 

1) What ideals does the group share? 

2) Who are their leaders? Who do they follow in order to adapt trends that apply to the group’s aesthetic? 

3) Where does the subculture like to meet? In addition, how do they identify with one another through sharing a “mecca”? 

4) How do individuals within subcultures create dialogue with one another? (In relation to #2) 

Throughout this blog, I hope to further understand how sororities specifically work as a subculture and as a result begin to understand not only the followings for sorority culture but also the appeal of being similar. 

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Exploring a Southern Subculture: “Sorority Sisters”

The existence of “greek life” (also known as sororities for females, fraternities for males), was first introduced to university life in America during the 1770s. These establishments were initially created for the gathering of like-minded people who often debated and discussed social values whilst sharing similar moral beliefs. They were noted as the first ever ‘social’ clubs where one could speak and debate freely amongst others regarding current events.

Although once used as grounds for social debate and furthering knowledge, modern sororities and fraternities have now long strayed from their native purposes. Today, sororities and fraternities are predominately exclusive ‘clubs’- a community of people who swear into a brother or sisterhood decided by shared similarities such as financial status and physical features.

Despite the fact that not all sororities and fraternities share these ideals, certain elite establishments are known to receive candidates who fulfill both financial and physical requirements. 

I decided to follow such an interesting American subculture, because the power and benefits one has access to once entering such elite groups not only comes at a price of individuality, but also an idea of distinction and separation from others. 

History of Greek Life (2015) Available at: https://greeks.appstate.edu/history-of-greek-life (15 October 2016).