What To Wear For Graduation — Outfit Ideas For Grads in 2023 (2024)

FAQs

What to wear to graduation as a graduate? ›

If your school doesn't have a commencement dress code, you can pretty much wear whatever you want! Feel free to express your own personal style under your gown in a pretty and polished way. That means you can wear anything from floral dresses and little black dresses to sleek blazers, pantsuits, jumpsuits, and rompers.

Some of the most popular colors to wear on graduation day are white and black, but you can go for whatever hue you want (unless your school requires a certain color). Whatever you choose will meet the dress code and align with your personal style (we've got some cute purses to match the outfits, too).

For graduands, an academic gown should be worn over formal attire for the duration of the proceedings. Other formal academic dress items include a coloured hood, as well as the graduate hat. A full list of graduation hood colours associated with each degree can be found on the Academic Dress page.

It's a ceremonial event and formal dress is normally customary. Jeans, T-shirts, trainers and other casual clothes are not considered appropriate and some universities might not let you into your graduation ceremony wearing them.

Wear White or Light colored outfits for a classic look

Your graduation sash and robes will typically be much darker or feature intense colors – it helps to have a lighter base to contrast and highlight the school colors that you might also be wearing on top.

Additionally, as part of your graduation day regalia, you'll typically be asked to wear something “nice” underneath your cap and gown that's presentable. This could include a dress, a suit, a skirt and blouse, dress shoes, heels, elegant sandals, etc.

A good rule-of-thumb when deciding what to wear to a child's graduation is to aim for what will look nice while also satisfying comfort and not overshadowing the graduate. A nice dress, slacks, or a suit will meet any unofficial dress codes.

What Not to Wear to a Graduation. Here are some examples of looks that are too casual to wear when attending a graduation ceremony: Jeans.

If the invitation doesn't specifically state the dress code, go with a nice dress or skirt/slacks with a blouse combination. It's a safe bet and you'll always feel more comfortable dressed up than dressed down. Don't wear jeans!

DO stick to a knee-length dress or shorter with a simple cap sleeve. Off the shoulder dresses also work well and even show a bit of your décolletage from beneath your gown. DON'T pick a skirt that's too layered, too long, or cut on a diagonal.

What should mom wear to college graduation? ›

Black and white are always safe choices, but feel free to experiment with other colors as well. If you're feeling bold, try a patterned dress or even something in in a bright color. Our best tip for graduation attire for guests: just make sure that it's not too flashy and that you feel comfortable in it.

You will probably be wearing a graduation robe, so whatever you have on underneath will likely not be seen during the ceremony. Really there is no traditional color unless your school has some kind of tradition or requests a color scheme. If you like black or feel better, then go for it.

Men generally wear dark trousers and a dress shirt and tie under their gowns. Women usually wear a lightweight dress or a blouse and a skirt that is shorter than the gown so it does not hang below the robe.

A college graduation is a major milestone, so you may want to mark this occasion with a piece of real jewelry for your child. Gift ideas for parents like a subtle gold necklace, handsome ID bracelet, fashionable wristwatch, or a set of pearl earrings are all elegant gift ideas that can be worn on job interviews.

Choose a color that makes you feel like your best self, then look for a dress, jumpsuit, or two-piece set in that color family! You can also choose a bold hue based on the color of your graduation gown. For example, if you have a neutral white or black gown, go for a green, pink, or purple look.

As graduation is a formal occasion, an appropriate standard of dress is expected. For men and women, business wear or formal dress is classed as appropriate. National dress of your home country is also acceptable.

There are subtle differences to the regalia worn at graduation. The bachelor's degree recipient wears a plain black gown with a bell sleeve and a red tassel on the cap, or mortar board, and no hood. The master's degree recipient wears a black tassel, a colored hood and a gown that has a visibly odd sleeve.

While, of course, the graduate will be the center of attention that day, there's no reason you can't look your best for the ceremony. Consider the weather and setting. You can be appropriately dressed and comfortable at the same time. It's better to overdress than underdress.

Wear Business to Semi-Formal Attire

College graduation calls for an outfit more formal than jeans but not as dressy as a co*cktail dress you might wear to a wedding. Think business to semi-formal. Wear something similar to what you would wear to a respected workplace, special church service, or an important meeting.