The hustle and bustle that comes before a masters graduation day can get very taxing for a student. Aside from making sure you get all the garments required to have complete academic regalia, you also need to think about your budget, especially for the graduation after party. There are also other matters such as having someone at hand to take good pictures of you and other concerns such as what to wear and what you need to do to get to the ceremony on time. However, you should know that there is nothing more important than your graduation attire to be well-prepared. In this article, we will talk about each item and how essential they are in making up the whole of your outfit.
The graduation robe
Also known as the toga or the graduation gown, the robe is the central item in academic regalia. By simply donning it on, you change from just another person in a nice suit or dress into a graduating masters student. This means that the robe you’ll be wearing is one unlike any other graduation gown you’ve worn before. Masters robes are often larger because they are made with more fabric, and they also have a style of their own, such as wider bell sleeves and more precise pleating. The material used is also more luxurious, such as velvet or raw silk. The history of the graduation robe springs back all the way to Roman times, and by wearing it with pride, you pay respect to tradition and how education and history go together.
The academic hood
You will see lots of images of hoods if you visit any website specializing in academic regalia, such as GradShop. Do masters graduates wear hoods for practical reasons or does it just serve a decorative purpose? Hoods are normally worn to protect the head from rain and snow, but academic hoods are kept off the head. This may not necessarily make them as important as graduation robes, but there really is nothing like a hood to turn an ordinary black robe into something extraordinary. Masters hoods are also made to look more prominent than hoods made for bachelors and associate degrees, and this way you will feel more special with the higher level you achieved in education.
The graduation cap
A well-fitting robe and a pristine academic hood may already turn you into a picture-perfect graduate, but to top the ensemble off, you need a graduation cap. There are two types of this: the mortarboard, which is the more common style. It features that distinctive square board on top and a tassel hanging from one side. The second type is the Tudor bonnet, used in only a few universities and often reserved for professors and other doctorates. Most schools carry the tradition of transferring the tassel from one side to another once the commencement exercises are over. Students also like to throw the caps up in the air in celebration. To get the perfect graduation cap, visit GradShop.com for ideas on what you need for your special day.
Remember that wearing the complete academic dress and having each item in it fit you perfectly is important to make your graduation day, so do what you can to make sure you get the best.
