As students step foot again on campus, the future is in the back of many student’s minds. This means having interviews, internships, jobs and then starting their careers. In order to do so, students have to keep in mind that first impressions matter—specifically, how one decides to dress.
To help students both feel and look confident, the sorority Sigma Lambda Gamma organized a “Wardrobe for Success” event where personal stylist Gabriela Salais gave an in-depth presentation on how to curate the perfect capsule wardrobe. Additionally, the chapter president of Sigma Lambda Gamma gave information on their organization.
“Fashion is important to Sigma Lambda Gamma because we stand for the empowerment of women all over and expressing our individuality,” said Sigma Lambda Gamma Chapter President Maya Ortiz.
The presentation began with Salais explaining the main ideas of fashion styling along with what a few staple items might be. When living on campus, students must be mindful of the closet space they have. This is where a small capsule wardrobe of versatile pieces comes into play.
“Classics are essential for building a capsule wardrobe because with classics, you can elevate the style and you can de-escalate your style as well and be more relaxed,” Salais said.
As Salais discussed different clothing options to wear to class, jobs or interviews, members from other Greek life organizations, such as Alpha Phi Alpha and Delta Phi Lambda, modeled the clothing styles Salais discussed.
As the models walked around the room for everyone to see, students in the attendance and the models were were able to ask questions and engage with the speaker.
“It’s really hard to like, know how to dress cause there’s just so much information out there. This is so convenient because it’s right on campus,” said Joely Guo, who was a model for the event.
From shoes, to how to mix and match colors and textures, students were able to gain an abundance of information on how to change their style just by using things they already have in their closet.
“My experience (with the sorority) has been amazing, and all the gammas I’ve ever met are so welcoming, nice and friendly,” said Guo. “That was just so fun.”
While students might have come to the event not knowing exactly how to dress appropriately for professional events, Salais made it her goal to change that. Salais said it is very important to have attire that fits the occasion and helps to set the student up for success from the very first impression.
“It literally speaks to who we are, you know how they say first impressions go a long way, and it’s very true. Let’s be real,” said Salais. “We are human beings, we judge, it’s what we do”.
Salais said one of the biggest misconceptions is that people think styling clothing is a difficult task and her workshops prove that anyone can do it.
“It’s okay to dress as comfortably as you want and you can still make it stylish and incorporate the trends that are happening today,” Ortiz said.
Ortiz used this event to emphasize the importance of style to her organization and to women all over. Sigma Gamma Lambda plans to have more events like this throughout the school year in order to cater to all the seasons of Michigan.
Salais does free appointments all year long to help with anything regarding style. More information on her and the gammas can be found on their Instagram page: @gvsugammas.