With sorority formal recruitment all wrapped up, the greek community is now focused on formal fraternity rush. During formal rush, incoming male freshmen — as well as other male ISU students interested in going greek — connect with different fraternity chapters on campus.

When going through sorority recruitment, women are given guidance on what to wear each day for each event. When going through fraternity rush, however, the guidelines aren’t as clear.

Active fraternity men from Iowa State’s greek community gave some pointers on how to dress for fraternity recruitment.

Connor Klein, recruitment chairman of Phi Delta Theta, suggested men wear an outfit that is semiformal.

“Wear chino-style shorts, a standard oxford shirt and Sperrys for sure,” Klein said.

Jeff Roane and Robbie Stokka of Sigma Phi Epsilon had similar suggestions.

“A polo shirt, khakis and Sperrys is a typical outfit,” Roane said.

Both men suggested wearing an outfit that reflects one’s personal style but still looks put together to show that time was spent planning the ensemble. Stick to classic shirts, but feel free to mix it up with colored shorts in order to stand out in the crowd of men during events.

Both men also agreed that Sperrys are a good choice when deciding what shoes to wear.

Most fraternity men wear Sperrys for both style and comfort. They are a classic shoe that goes with a variety of different outfits. Also, they are great additions to one’s wardrobe because they can be dressed down with a pair of shorts or dressed up with a pair of pants.

Klein also offered examples of brands that he said tend to show up often in ISU fraternity men’s closets.

“Vineyard Vines, Southern Tide, or Ralph Lauren are all great places [to shop],” Klein said.

These brands supply both casual pieces and dressier pieces one can add to his wardrobe.

Stokka shared the “typical fraternity man’s” go-to pieces.

“Pocket tees, Sperrys, Chubbies and a Hawaiian shirt,” Stokka said.

Chubbies is a brand that makes colored shorts for men. These are often shorts that fraternity men like to wear on a day-to-day basis. They range from bright neon colors to American flag prints to more neutral colors.

Wardrobe pieces like Chubbies and Hawaiian shirts can be useful when lounging around, but Roane also shared another item that he believed to be important.

“Every fraternity man needs a nice suit,” Roane said.

During the course of the year, fraternity men wear suits for formal chapters, dinners, formals and other events.

“It is important that you invest in a nice suit when joining a fraternity,” Stokka said. “Buy a few nice dress shirts so you have multiple options.”

If one is looking for something in between Chubbies and a formal suit, Klein offered up another option.

“Khakis are a major piece that every fraternity man needs,” Klein said.

Pieces that can be dressed up and down — like khakis — are great things for college men to purchase, no matter if they plan to join a fraternity or not. Keep these pieces in mind when starting to build up a wardrobe.