Graduation gowns act as a symbol of what you have achieved after years of study in a college or university. Almost every high school, college and university in the US does have the ceremonial clothing.
Graduation gowns act as a symbol of what you have achieved after years of study in a college or university. Almost every high school, college and university in the US does have the ceremonial clothing. The graduation gown has come a long way. What you see today is something that has been passed across generations. Historical records show that as early as 12th century, students were putting on the cap & gown. Originally, the purpose was not ceremonial but practical. The students and their teachers wore hoods and gowns in order to fight off the cold environment associated with buildings at school.
During the first graduation ceremony at Oxford University, the students were made to wear robes. There were also sermons that were recited. The same university is credited with introducing the cap & gown that we have gotten accustomed to today. Oxford still retains its mortar board cap. Many other universities have adopted this style as part of the graduation gown. Others prefer rounded caps. With time, the cap and gown shifted from being an outfit to fight cold weather into the ceremonial garments we know today. It was not until the 1800s that universities started using color codes for their academic regalia.
The hoods worn as part of PhD regalia have had their transformation too. Initially, they were meant to act as protective gear from rain and cold. They later evolved into scarves. As years went by, a number of additions were made. There were also some beatifications added or removed. In modern graduation gowns, the hood is not attached but placed on the shoulders. In fact, they are nothing like what you would see on a sweater or shirt. Todays hood consists of a colored strip placed on the shoulders. From the color, one can tell your degree faculty or course.
The cap gown has a tassel which is decorative set of strings fastened to the cap. Tassels too originated from Oxford and other institutions in Europe. As a symbol of passage to another phase, students turn their tassels to the opposite side upon graduation. This symbolic gesture shows that he/she has now moved to another phase in life. There are other gestures too with the most common being that of tossing your graduation cap in the air. This should be done by all students simultaneously. Since graduation gowns are not items of clothing that you wear on a daily basis, you need not buy them unless you want to.
Institutions do hire the cap gown at a fee. Usually the graduation date is announced a few weeks or months in advance. Students are then directed to acquire their cap and gowns from the resource center. Once you have graduated, you are supposed to return the gown. You can buy a replica gown in case you wish to keep memories of your graduation with you for years to come. Check out online sites that do keep gowns for hire or sale. You will also find sites where you can have a graduation gown sewn from scratch.