If you have ever been a part of a graduation ceremony, attended somebody else’s, or seen one on television or in the movies, the first thing that stood out was most likely the attire. Graduation robes are special items of clothing that you don’t really see anywhere else. While most student graduation robes are relatively similar, you may have wondered why some students and faculty wear different graduation robes than others.
Why Do Students Largely Wear the Same Style and Color Graduation Robe?
Most often, students in the same school who have attained the same degree will wear matching graduation robes with their peers. Matching shows unity and brings about a sense of camaraderie and a larger sense of accomplishment. It also is used to make it quite easy to distinguish the graduating students from faculty, family, and friends attending the ceremony.
Why Do Some Students Wear Different Graduation Robes Than Others
If your institution is large enough and offers various schools and disciplines, you may notice some students sporting differently styled and colored robes. Different colored and styled robes for students represent different areas of study and levels of degrees obtained.
While styles may differ, normally for university graduation ceremonies, students completing an undergraduate degree will wear a simple robe with short open sleeves and a graduation cap. Students completing their master’s degree most likely wear a slightly different robe, with longer, closed sleeves. The most intricately designed robe for students is usually the doctoral robe, often made of velvet and containing a hood and three stripes along the sleeves. The hood usually denotes the area of study of the doctoral degree. Additionally, doctoral graduation robes are traditionally paired with a tam graduation cap. Rather than the normal four-sided graduation cap, teams have six sides and aren’t quite as rigid as standard graduation caps.
The Various Robes for Faculty
The most variety in robes usually lies with the faculty. In most graduation ceremonies, the faculty wear their robes associated with the highest degree they’ve completed. Faculty will most likely also be wearing tam graduation caps instead of the graduation caps worn by most of the graduating students.
Some faculty who have been given honorary degrees may have the option to wear their honorary degree robes or the robes given to them upon completing their highest degree. The reason that faculty with the same level of degrees as their colleagues may still have different robes is that it is highly unlikely that all faculty were attending the same universities for their degrees.
Tips For Your Graduation Clothing
Students generally have far fewer varieties for their graduation wear. This is why at higraduate, we provide customizable stoles, chords, caps, and more. Established in 1864, we have more history and experience in graduation ceremonies and clothing than some universities. Our online store provides you with the tools to stand out during your graduation, no matter your degree.
