Have you been wondering about what to wear under graduation gown? Graduation is always a momentous occasion in your life and it’s needless to say that you would want to dress sharp for your graduation day. So what to wear under a graduation gown?
For men, formal shirts and dress shirts in neutral colors, and a pair of trousers with oxford shoes will look smart and refined. For women, dresses, jumpsuits, a two-piece shirt and pants set, or a chic blouse with a skirt will look elegant and stylish.
Now, before you head out and start buying these outfits, let us not forget to take into consideration the occasion and the season of your graduation ceremony. In this article, we’ll explore different options that you can wear for your graduation day. This will not just make the day memorable but also fetch you impressive compliments.
Why is it Important to Dress Up for Graduation Day?
Graduation day is a significant event in every student’s life. It is about moving up from one stage to another whether it is from high school or from college. On this day you’ll be celebrating your achievements and making many cherishable memories with your friends.
Now, if you’ve no idea what outfit to choose and it’s got you thinking, “But I have my graduation gown so why do I need to worry about proper clothing?” Well, it’s fair for you to think this way. But just because you’re wearing your graduation robe, doesn’t mean what you wear underneath doesn’t matter.
Remember it’s your big day so you will definitely be spending a lot of time taking photos and let’s not forget an after-party with friends. It’s going to be a long day and at some point, you might want to take off your gown. Your attire along with being comfortable needs to reflect your personality, style, and confidence. Now without any further adieu let us make this easy and fun.
What to Wear Under Graduation Gown for Men?
Men can aim for a simple, clean and sophisticated formal or semi-formal look. It doesn’t have to be over the top. A collared shirt, neatly ironed trousers, and formal shoes will do the trick. You can notch up the look by wearing a tie, a bow tie, or suspenders but that’s totally optional. Let us explore three different looks that’ll never fail.
1: Graduation Dress Style for Men – Go Blue
Blue is one of the safest and classiest colors that works like a charm for any occasion. A blue pinstripe shirt tucked in navy blue trousers and a pair of brown shoes will simply look great. Accessorize with a belt and add on a black tie to complete the look.
2: Graduation Dress Style for Men – Classy in White
A solid white shirt is all you need. You can pick other solid colors too like grey, black, blue, or light pink. Team it with a pair of crisp black pants or khaki pants. Add on a belt and slip into oxford shoes for that charismatic look. It’s that simple! You can take it a step further with suspenders or a sleek black tie and a dress watch.
3: Graduation Dress Style for Men – Checks Mate
Checks are a dapper choice to make for this day too. Grey and white checks or navy blue and white checkered shirts paired with grey pants and dress shoes will look smart and stylish.
What to Wear Under Graduation Gown for Women?
Women have numerous options to choose from and this can get a bit overwhelming. But don’t worry, all you need to do is decide whether you want to wear a dress, a shirt or a blouse with a skirt or pants. Select according to your personal style while also keeping it professional and modest.
1: Graduation Dress Style for Women – Dress it Up
A white off-shoulder dress, a lace shift dress, or a pretty floral print satin wrap dress will look great for this occasion. Other options that would also look fab would be a green midi dress with skinny straps or a flattering half-sleeved sheath dress with pleats in the front that will look gorgeous and elegant. You can wear these dresses with sleek close-toed dress shoes.
2: Graduation Dress Style for Women – Smart Style
If you are in the mood to wear shirts or blouses, then a button-up top with a peplum hem or a chic striped blouse will look beautiful. You can wear them with pleated midi skirts or high-waisted trousers to complete the look.
3: Graduation Dress Style for Women – Glam Game
Rompers, jumpsuits, and two-piece sets look attractive too! Go for a strapless mauve straight leg jumpsuit, a white lace halter romper, or a two-piece bodycon dress to make heads turn.
What to Wear Underneath the Graduation Gown in Spring and Fall?
Weather plays an important role in your dress choice. For summers and hot humid weather, keep it light and airy. Don’t overdress in thick and warm layers as you’ll only end up sweating profusely.
In spring and fall, when the weather is chilly and cold, you can always layer up. You can also choose the colors based on the season. Go for floral prints and fresh pastel colors for spring and shades of the fall foliage like red, yellow, or orange during autumn.
Men can wear a crew neck or V-neck sweater, a vest, or a cardigan over the shirt. Women too can layer up with a light blazer, a pretty sweater, or a chic jacket. Other options are to wear full-sleeved or collared dresses or blouses, sweater dresses, or velvet dresses to stay warm and stylish.
What You Should Not Wear Under the Graduation Gown?
Now that we have a good enough idea about what to wear under the gown let us look at the things to avoid on your graduation day.
- Avoid Informal Clothing and Footwear: Do not wear ripped jeans, sporty outfits, slippers, or flip-flops.
- Avoid Bright Colors: Refrain from wearing bright and loud colors as they will stand out from underneath your graduation gown. Wear neutral shades or dark colors.
- Avoid High Heels: Since you will be spending a lot of time on your feet do not wear anything uncomfortable like high heels or new shoes. You can wear medium-high heels as long as they are comfortable for you. Wedges, kitten heels, ballerina shoes, slingbacks, flat sandals are great options that offer comfort and style.
- Hairdo: Don’t spend too much on hairstyling as you will anyway be wearing the cap. Men can get a neat haircut and women can just brush their hair down.
- Bottoms: For women, do not wear puffy bottoms or long skirts as it will be shown below the graduation robe. Wear fitting trousers or knee-length skirts as this will look much better.
What Shoes to Wear with Graduation Gown?
Every outfit is incomplete without a good pair of shoes. On this day, men can wear dress shoes as they look smart and are perfect for formal events. Oxford shoes, wingtip shoes, and derby shoes are the best options that can never go wrong.
For women, slingback heels, ankle strap sandals, ballerina flats, and pointy-toed sandals will look chic and also accentuate the overall look of the attire.
How to Wear a Gown for Graduation?
We have figured out what to wear underneath the graduation robe, now let us quickly understand how to wear the graduation gown right.
Step 1: Slip into your bachelor gown or master graduation gowns like any other coat or jacket.
Step 2: The academic hood is worn over your shoulders by pulling the V-shaped neck opening slightly towards your chest. If the hood has a loop near the neck, then attach it to the button of your shirt or you can also use a safety pin to hold the hood in place. The backside of the hood will drape down your back.
Step 3: Lastly, the graduation cap. The pointy end of the cap goes at the back of your head, just put it on and you’re ready for the ceremony!
Time to Celebrate!
You did it, congratulations! You are going to become a graduate and you are going to look fab on this day. There are no rules that you have to follow while dressing up, it’s all about your graduation ceremony so you can determine what you feel like wearing.
The suggestions in this article are options for you to make things simpler. Just remember to be confident and comfortable in whatever you wear. Keep it simple, classy, formal, and most importantly have fun, happy graduation day!
