<p>My son’s fraternity has some really cool clothing. I asked my son to get me a shirt. His response was, “no can do.” Have any of you experienced this? It would seem that along these lines, if someone asked me what fraternity my son was in, the response would have to be, “I can’t tell you.” I am happy my son is part of something so special, and I understand things like pledge pins and such, but is it really that secretive a society that dad cannot wear a frat shirt that doesn’t even have the Greek letters on it? </p>
<p>I never asked my D for clothes from her sorority because I’m not a member of that sorority – I’d just let it go and allow him have his “thing”. I don’t think it means you have to be secretive about what frat he is in, he just doesn’t seem to want you wearing stuff from his frat.</p>
<p>Back in the day my sorority did not even allow new members to wear our Greek letters until after initiation. We were told that non members were not to wear any of our sorority clothing. For that reason I still have a drawer of T shirts that I never wear but won’t give away. </p>
<p>Yup, as I understand from my son, only members can wear the letters. If there were "father of . . . ’ type clothing, that would be okay. </p>
<p>Why not look at Ebay or at other second-hand retailers that sell that type of stuff?</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.ebay.com/itm/delta-tau-delta-fraternity-T-Shirt-NEW-Fund-Raiser-/180468161912”>http://www.ebay.com/itm/delta-tau-delta-fraternity-T-Shirt-NEW-Fund-Raiser-/180468161912</a></p>
<p>Fwiw, it’s a mindboggling question. </p>
<p>D’s sorority had themed shirts for different events - perhaps your son can get you one of those. I have several for Parents Weekend, for example. Those are usually fundraisers. </p>
<p>You can buy your own on <a href=“http://www.greekgear.com”>www.greekgear.com</a></p>
<p>He’s telling you you shouldn’t wear the ‘letters’ if you aren’t a member. As others have said, you can wear things like “Dad of a ABK” or ‘Homecoming ABK/ABM Barn Dance’. There are a lot of rules about it, although most are very informal. We weren’t supposed to wear our ‘letters’ while drinking or doing other inappropriate things (and you might wear your son’s letters while working on a greasy car or cutting the grass!). We couldn’t (and can’t) wear our badges with jeans or other casual dress. We also couldn’t ‘pin’ our boyfriends with our badges - not ladylike!</p>
<p>I’m sure the rule about not having a cigarette dangling from one’s mouth is also still on the books, too.</p>
<p>I’m a grown woman - I wore plenty of sorority stuff in my day, and wore a lavaliere, my pin and my H’s pin, but I’m a little old to be wearing it now. The only possible exception I could think of would be if I ran a 5K they sponsored and I wore a t-shirt given to everybody. Even so, that would be something I’d do only in the context of the actual event, not on an ongoing basis.</p>
<p>Likewise, my S is in the same house (same campus, too) as my H was, but it would be kind of weird for my fiftysomething husband to wear a fraternity t-shirt. </p>
<p>I think this is something you leave to the students who are actually in it. It’s not your organization, it’s theirs. </p>
<p>Agree. Greek letters aren’t worn by non-members other than the sort “Dad of…” or “such and such event…” mentioned above.</p>
<p>Why not wear something with his college/university name on it? It’s probably easier to get, too.</p>
<p>Only members and alumni of the fraternity/sorority should wear clothing with the Greek letters. It may seem silly to you, but it is very important to the members for their traditions and rules to be honoured. </p>
<p>Good for your son! He is setting appropriate limits. Anyone seeing you with the shirt would assume it was you, eons ago, who was in the frat. Get the school logo gear- something much more amenable to fun conversations. Also- something to get more positive reactions from- some are anti greek or do not consider it especially worthy (such as thinking all they do is party as opposed to being academic). Nothing to be proud of, akin to advertising a country club- a social club.</p>
<p>PS- I had to look up lavaliere- just a necklace, duh.</p>
<p>S has a shirt that says “does this shirt make me look frat.” Ha ha. </p>
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<p>This is what I don’t get. If it’s a fraternity shirt, but doesn’t have Greek letters on it, then how is it a fraternity shirt?</p>
<p>Maybe it has the name in “regular” letters (Alpha Delta Epsilon or whatever) as opposed to the Greek symbols. Still, I think it’s for the kids to wear, not us. </p>
<p>I am going to guess that your son is a FIJI. They are not allowed to wear their letters on anything that is not permanent (so you will never see a sweatshirt or tee with their letters). Also, they consider they are strict about who may wear them. Now I have seen FIJI and dad things. I have a nice tote from Mom’s weekend that declares me a fraternity mom and DS gf has shirts that say identifies her as such. </p>
<p>That may be so, but I think that has nothing to do with the OP’s situation. I would think it weird if my husband requested an XYZ t-shirt from my son, even though he was in the exact same house on the exact same campus (and his composite picture is in the house, which caused much merriment during rush when the brothers figured it out, LOL). He’s not 22 years old anymore and it’s a little weird to just walk around wearing Greek-letter stuff when you aren’t that age, IMO. It’s a collegiate “thing.” </p>
<p>I have to be honest, I do have the t-shirts that say “xx college mom” (which I wear around the house or to sleep in, nothing I’d wear out) but I don’t even know that I’d want a t-shirt declaring me a “XYZ fraternity mom.” It’s just a little weird at my age. </p>
<p>I thought from the title of the thread you meant Khaki shorts and a dress shirt with a bow tie. LOL </p>
<p>I have some t-shirts that say XYZ Mom’s weekend, December 11, 2014 on them. But I wouldn’t wear an XYZ t-shirt out and about. I have worn them under my jacket while riding my bike, however. </p>