Graduation attire is new for every graduate. Wearing a graduation cap, gown, and tassel for the first time can be overwhelming. There are chances when you need clarification about wearing the entire graduation dress correctly because the graduation dress is different from our usual clothes.
Moreover, the dress code for graduation varies on the education level a student completes at a high school, university, or college. It means the dress you wear on graduation day will define a student’s education level, such as bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees, as well as your grades. So ensure you have received a suitable graduation outfit kit that you will wear on your graduation day.
Let us know how to wear graduation caps, gowns, and tassels on your graduation day.
Table of Contents
What are Graduation Tassels?
A graduation tassel is a bundle of long, straight threads bound with a gold or silver clasp. Students use it on graduation caps during a high school, college, or university commencement ceremony. Tassels come in various colors: golden, maroon, white, etc, and they are an essential part of a graduation cap.
- The size of the tassel should be 9 inches; do not include the loop from which it hangs that is separate.
- You can find your favorite Graduation tassels to buy in different colors online.
- A Graduation tassel also includes a small metallic graduation year charm indicating the year, including options for past years.
- Always brush out your graduation tassel so it will not be tangled.
- Hook the tassel on the top button of the graduation cap.
What Side Does Graduation Tassel Go?
Usually, the graduate tassel starts from the right side of a graduation cap, and you can change the side when you receive your degree, and the ceremonial speaker directs you to alter the side to the left. Changing sides from right to left symbolizes a student’s graduation and a transition into a new phase of life.
What is a Graduation Cap?
A graduation cap is unique among others; it is squared on the top and called a mortarboard. It is worn by students at their graduation ceremonies as a symbol of academic achievements.
How to wear a Graduation Cap?
It may need to be clarified to you how to wear graduation cap if it is challenging to wear it correctly. Below, you can find out how to quickly wear the graduation cap.
Place the cap on your head by positioning the arrow point in the middle of your forehead about 1 inch above your eyebrows. Now, check whether your tassel is hanging on the right side and whether the mortarboard should be level on your head.
What is a Graduation Gown?
A graduation gown is a long robe worn over the formal attire by students on their graduation day. It symbolizes that a student has completed graduation, a master’s degree, or a doctoral degree.
How to Wear a Graduation Gown?
Wearing a graduation gown does not have any rocket science. Anyone can wear a graduation gown if they follow the correct way, such as wearing the graduation hood on the right side, getting the wrinkles out of a graduation gown, etc. Below, we have discussed a complete and accurate way to wear graduation gowns quickly.
- Unpack your graduation gown along with its other components such as graduation cap, tassel, etc.
- Place the gown on a hanger ( you should use a wooden hanger over the wired one) to eliminate any wrinkles on the gown. You can also soften the gown before hanging it. Use a cool iron or steamer. (Do not wash or dry clean your gown)
- Before wearing your graduation gown on graduation day, it will be better to try it out. A gown has a unique locking zipper zip, which makes the gown stay closed.
- Check out that your gown sleeves will fall below your elbow and above the palm of your hand, and the bottom should fall below the knee and above the ankle so your flats and heels do not affect the gown any problem when you walk.
- Move the tassel over the button, look inside the cap, and find the front of the cap. The cap should be flat and leveled to the floor.
Above are the easiest ways that you can follow to wear your gown easily without making any mistakes.
What Is Graduation Hood?
It is worn by students on their graduation day over a graduation gown and around the neck that drapes over the shoulders and down the back. It is considered an additional honor beyond the traditional graduation gown, including your mortarboard and tassels. Further, the design elements on a hood can represent an institution or a student’s field of study in which they have obtained a degree or diploma.
How to Wear a Graduation Hood?
First, you should check your university policies regarding wearing graduation hoods because university officials usually offer them to you on their own.
If you wear your graduation hood, you may be asked to drape it over the shoulders or wait for some time to let university officials place it. You can check all these options by asking the management department within your university or check its instructions online on your university website if available.
- Unwrap your graduation kit to wear your hood.
- Extend it on a flat surface so you have a proper view of it and can easily drape it on your shoulder.
- From the top to the bottom, the velvet lining on the graduation hood indicates how it will be placed on its front side. The outside lining color will be according to your university.
- Then, place the hood around your neck; the tail of the hood should drape down on your back.
- To follow this next step, you need someone to help you out. The person needs to find the string on the velvet part of your hood.
- From that point, lower the fabric inside out so the inside color has a little appearance, and also make sure the velvet and hood are flat across your back. Wrap the string around the button across the hood and not under the hood.
- You can use the string hanging from the v of the hood in the front to wrap around a button inside your gown. It will help you hang the hood.
These are the few steps that you can follow to check how to wear a graduation hood quickly or if you are looking for a visual guide to help you with it. Below is a video to assist you with your graduation hood to wear.
Why Do Graduates Wear Square-Shaped Caps?
The graduation caps are called mortarboards because they look like tools used by bricklayers to hold mortar. These graduation caps are sometimes called Oxford caps or Academic caps. The mortarboard is designed with a flat, square board attached with a skullcap and a graduation tassel in the center.
There is also a theory that the mortarboard resembles a biretta, a hat Roman Catholic clergy wore in the 14th and 15th centuries. These graduation caps are worn with a formal gown or robe by students that represent a student’s achievements within a particular field.
Why Do Graduates Toss Their Graduation Caps In The Air?
It was started by the US Naval Academy in 1912. In colleges and universities, every graduate would have two years to be a midshipman and wear a designated hat for this duration. So, when a student graduates, the midshipman will be an officer in a particular field in which they have completed their studies. Tossing a cap by a student during their graduation day indicates that they will not need their old hats.
Conclusion
Getting a clear picture or a purpose for performing a particular activity must be clear to everyone, whether you are a student or professional, if you are going for your graduation day, where you will be meeting some of your friends and faculties for the last time, clicking pictures with them, and creating great memories that are going to stay your entire life therefore, if you do not know why and how you should adequately prepare for your graduation day. You may spoil your memories and miss getting an essential experience to learn.
You can eliminate such issues on your graduation day by learning everything and buying essential things like graduation tassels, gowns, caps, and other such things.