College is one of the only places it is acceptable to wear saran wrap as an outfit.
Lindsay Kruzynski did just that for a Greek exchange with the theme ‘anything but clothes.’
People often shop at Dandelion, Carrie’s and Le Shoppe for exchanges, but there are numerous options in Champaign-Urbana. Kruzynski, a senior in Media and member of Alpha Phi, looks to the costume store Dallas, thrift stores like the Salvation Army, and fabric stores to create the perfect costume.
She loves getting dressed up for exchanges, with ‘pop culture’, the 1920s and ‘brights and tights’ being some of her favorite themes.
“It’s something fun and different to do and you can get creative with how you dress,” she said. “It’s just kind of fun to see what people come up with.”
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Exchanges are fun because they are like Halloween, said Carolyn Miller, senior in LAS and Alpha Phi member.
“I just like getting dressed up because you can wear silly things and not feel like an idiot because everyone else is with you,” said Miller, who tries to work tennis shoes into each exchange outfit because comfort is her biggest priority.
Suzanne McMurray, junior in Media, also loves getting decked out for exchanges. McMurray, a member of Delta Gamma, and her friends usually plan their costumes together to make the getting ready process even more fun.
“Putting crazy costumes on always makes it more fun for everybody too,” McMurray said. “For our last exchange we literally just sat and racked our brains to try and come up with something unique. It’s always more fun when you really get into it and take a different approach to the theme.”
For a recent exchange, McMurray and her friends went to a ballet store. Black Swan had just come out so ten girls dressed as black swans. They used face paint to replicate Natalie Portman’s makeup from the movie. They also bought leotards, tutus and put their hair in ballerina buns.
“The more people that dress together in the same costume always makes it more fun too,” McMurray said. “When else would I ever be able to do that? We all still talk about how that was the most fun exchange we’ve had, and the costumes had about 98 percent to do with that.”
