Headwear for Excellence: Graduation Regalia Hats

                               

The academic dress would not be complete without graduation regalia hats. They are like mozzarella cheese on pizzas. Without them, it would not be the pizza that everyone used to know. It would only be simple bread with tomato sauce- nothing special. Here is some information about these hats worn during commencement exercises.

The graduation caps vary depending on academic achievement level and on the specification of individual academic institution. Graduation caps come in different forms; it could be a mortarboard or a tam. Mortarboard is the typical style of graduation cap and is the standard for all degree levels. It is a head dress consisting of a horizontal square board which fixed upon a skull-cap. It has a tassel attached to its center  In Australia, it is called a trencher, square, or a corner-cap; however in United States and the United Kingdom, it is generally called a mortarboard or a cap. Since it is square-cut, graduation regalia hats have equal length on each side. It has an allowance of 1.5-2 inches away from the edge of the skull-cap. 

In United States, the cap has a long tassel which is fastened to a button which can be found on the top middle portion. Most colleges and universities in the US adopted a uniform code for the academic cap. The tassel could be adorned with a charm in the shape of the digits of the year. At the high school level, the tassels’ color may be a primary color or a mix of the school’s colors with as many as three colors. Sometimes, a distinctive color such as gold will be used for students receiving Latin honors like cum laude. On the other hand, in the United Kingdom, the tassel is shorter and it is gathered at the button at the center of the board. For Bachelor’s degree, the tassel should be black or any color that is assigned for the subject area. 

Tam is only used for the graduation regalia professor with a doctoral degree and not for bachelors and masters. It is the preferred style cap worn with the gown. The graduation regalia hats could have 4, 6, or 8 corners, but the most preferable is the eight-corner velvet tam. The velvet tam may have a strand tassel or with a fixed gold metallic tassel. In some institutions, they require a specific style on their doctoral outfits; like in Harvard University. Other institutions use a gold tassel for their doctoral degree. They require the graduates to use a four-corner tam with a black strand tassel on its corner. Many of the graduates in doctoral degrees prefer to use the more expensive velvet tam that has two-button gold bullion or gold metallic tassel which is fixed to the cap. There should only be one tassel to be worn at a time.

The graduation regalia hats are like crowns. They are the symbols of excellence and authority over other for one has achieved the skills needed for the desired jobs in different industries. No one could take it from one’s mind and body. It can’t be stolen like money.