History of the graduation dress and clothing for your graduation

Every formal occasion has its own rules and conventions to follow, and a graduation ceremony is no exception. The graduation traditions that we follow now started from the Middle Ages.

The graduation tradition began in the 12th and 13th centuries, when universities were taking shape. They didn’t have central heating then. Most of the classes were held in a church or in nearby buildings. Historians suggest that the universities were started by the clerics themselves. In those days, any scholar, whether a student or a teacher, wore the garb of a cleric. There were very few exceptions. A medieval scholar would normally belong to at least a few orders, take certain vows, and might have been tonsured, so they wear long hooded robes to cover their bald heads. That was replaced only by the skull cap.

It was not until 1321 that a statue at the University of Coimbra in which all “doctors, graduates and bachelors” wear togas. In the second half of the 14th century, in England, there were statues from a couple of universities restricting “excess dress” and decreeing that the long robe be worn. In the late 15th and 16th centuries, under the reign of Henry VIII, the universities of Oxford and Cambridge began to enact definitive academic dress. The universities even had control over the minor details of clothing.

Graduation gown color was later standardized largely due to the contributions of Gardner Cotrell Leonard of Albany, New York in the late 19th century. Mr. Leonard designed graduation gowns for his class at Williams College in 1887; they were made by Cotrell and Leonard, their family business in Albany. He wrote an article on academic dress in 1893 that invited him to work with the Intercollegiate Commission and led to a standardized system of academic dress. This Commission met at Columbia University in 1895 and adopted the academic dress code. They not only regulated the cut, style, and materials of graduation gowns, but also assigned the colors to each of the various academic disciplines.

This is how the traditions of prom dresses began. But what are YOU supposed to wear to your graduation ceremony besides the graduation gown? The first thing you should do is check with your school or university for specific rules. Many colleges would already have rules and guidelines for the commencement or commencement ceremony.

Remember that your graduation will most likely be between May and June, so plan on light clothing. You can’t get rid of the graduation gown, but you can wear light, airy fabrics like cotton and linen.

Ladies should wear something simple and elegant like a simple dress or a skirt and blouse. If your graduation gown is white or yellow, be sure to wear a light color underneath, not only will it be cooler, but the outline won’t show up in your graduation photos!

Gentlemen may need to wear a tie depending on school customs. Even if your school doesn’t force you to wear it, get one anyway, it just looks nice and formal. You can get a rep tie or scarf and wear with a well-pressed shirt in white, blue, or any other pale color. Either a spread collar or button down is fine. When it comes to pants, wear well-pressed khaki or olive green casual pants; dress pants are not a necessity.

Your prom shoes should be moderately dressy, either flats or heels are fine, but nothing you’d go to the mosh pit for. Graduating gentlemen must wear loafers or dress shoes. At any time, do not wear jeans or shorts, flip flops, sandals, tennis shoes, or bunny slippers; keep them in your bedroom or dorm.

At your graduation ceremony, do not tape a message to the top of the cap or the back of the gowns. Now that you know the history of your gown and what you’re supposed to wear, the only thing left to do is enjoy your graduation because it’s something you’ve earned.

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