Written by Caisi Calandra
When you think of darties, the first thing that might come to mind are the cute outfits and pics for the ‘gram. The “occasion” is usually held in someone’s backyard, and it’s usually not warm enough yet, but the girls and the guys brave shorts and T-shirts, coated in cheap beer and glitter depending on what time of the day it is.
If you’ve never been to a darty, and are planning to in the near future, especially with Alumni Weekend coming up, it’s a good idea to test the waters and try one out. You’re only in college for four years, and who cares if you want to day drink and try something new out?
A darty is the quintessential Greek Life event, apart from occasionally-themed parties thrown at night. If you plan on going to one, whether you’re in Greek Life or not, expect people haphazardly standing on roofs, even the girls who came in maxi dresses, and uneven terrain (for all my girls wearing heels and/or wedges).
One of the more important things to remember on the eve of your official darty day is to pace yourself when drinking. If you have plans to go to another party after the darty, this bit of advice becomes even more relevant. For most, darties are a marathon; they don’t require you to take five shots in a row when your uber is three minutes away. Darties require a bit of pacing throughout the day. A foolproof plan to stay just drunk enough throughout the day would consist of bringing your own booze in a cute cup of sorts. Honestly, if you just head over to the Dollar Tree, they have tons of cute cups to use for darties. And mixing your own drink before you leave your dorm is the safest option.
If you’re expecting a hangover around five, which is usually when you start to feel a little hungry, too, try to push through it if you can. By this time, you shouldn’t be blackout drunk, and you probably include a few more fluids in your drinking routine that don’t have alcohol in them, just to stay hydrated.
As for clothes, there’s a ton of things you can pull off. Darties in the States have been different each year because of how fast trends come and go. But a safe bet is denim on the bottom, whether it’s a skirt or jeans, a graphic T-shirt of sorts, and maybe even a denim jacket. Casual denim on denim is making a big comeback, especially if there’s a grunge aspect to either article of clothing.
If you’re not a denim-on-denim type of girl, a “polished boho” look is in now as well. Some of the more common boho looks nowadays veer a little off the OG, iconic boho fashion style, but that’s the point of trends changing! Nowadays, throwing on a strappy, white topped dress with a blue floral bottom, with tan booties, along with a strappy purse and a floppy hat — all would count toward this new trend of boho. It’s little more polished than the original style, but flowy clothes and some accessories reminiscent of the 70s, like embroidered, leather purses, will suit any darty-boho look without a doubt.
And lastly, don’t forget to protect those eyes with some sunglasses. Any style of sunglasses is due to elevate your outfit and bring attention to your hair, earrings, makeup, etc. If you’re fresh out of sunglasses, the thrift stores around Salem usually sell sunglasses for as little as $3. So on top of pacing yourself and staying hydrated during your first darty, give your eyes a little care. They’ll thank you later.
Stick with the group you came with if you’re feeling a little party-shy, but don’t worry — take a few chances. Talk to new people. Best-case scenario, they’re too drunk to remember anything embarrassing you might do. And even better, they’ll probably do something embarrassing as well. At the end of the day, it’s just a party happening during the day. The feel-good mentality will always be there no matter what time it is.
