The historical white dresses on sorority bid day are being traded in for shorts and a t-shirt.

For the past 50 years girls have rushed the lawns of their new homes, glowing in their elegant white dresses, but 2017’s bid day attire will be much more casual for the potential new members.

Monday night the Panhellenic Council finalized the proposal to eradicate the white dresses for bid day. Potential new members will now be provided a simple Panhellenic t-shirt and asked to wear Nike shorts or jean shorts, completely taking the formality from bid day and leaning more toward an everyday atmosphere.

Aside from the University of Georgia, Kentucky is the last school in the SEC to still wear the white dresses on bid day.

While some may agree with this change and redirected focus for nonchalance, others believe the white dresses are part of what made sorority recruitment at UK so exciting. Many counted down the days until they could finally rush to the house in their white dresses.

They feel that it is a special occasion and makes rushing even more fun and extraordinary.

Pinterest quotes like “Bows, pearls and sorority girls,” have young women looking forward to a sophisticated experience, but bows and pearls aren’t quite as acceptable with shorts and a t-shirt.

After these changes, girls will be given yet another identical t-shirt, emphasizing uniformity. Greek-life is supposed to be a place for students to be their own person and find friends and a Greek home who they can relate to, but recruitment restrictions are leaving less and less opportunity for this to happen.

With or without the white dresses, the show must go on. So, in August, if you see a screaming mob of girls in Nike shorts and t-shirts, don’t be alarmed. It’s not a 5K finish line they’re running to­ — just their sorority house.

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