March 27, 2009
Graduation Diplomas For All
Graduation Gown
The graduation gown makes up part of the official graduating dress code and is currently used by tertiary and secondary institutions of learning. The long draping garment is worn above other clothes and may be black or any color that is in accordance to the institution’s official colors. The graduation gown is accompanied with a separate hood that hangs at the back as well as a headpiece known as the graduation cap or mortarboard.
The gown has always been held as a symbol of distinction and in ancient student institutions students were required to be draped in gowns during lessons as a sign of academic excellence. Graduation gowns are basically similar in most countries with only minor differences in appearance.
The graduation gown is usually pleated at the front and also comes with material at the rear that is held together with a yoke. The more conventional designs today use a curved yoke while before a straight yoke was preferred to hold together material. The graduation gown worn by undergraduate students usually has wide sleeves that have a bell shape while the masters students wear gowns with long sleeves, which have a slit near the elbow area where the hand can pass through.