Find a full line of Graduation Cap and Gown Packages on sale at Graduation UK for both children and adults. We provide caps & gowns to universities and secondary schools as well as preschool and nurseries. We even stock American styles caps and gowns for international school or school which like the US look.

Brief History of the Graduation Cap and Gown

The history of wearing caps and gowns during graduation started during the 12th century. The pioneering users were the European scholars during the foundation of some universities. The cap and gowns as graduation attires have been considered traditions since it is seen to have been used by those European scholars. Over time, the use of caps and gowns have been a familiar attire that graduates of different degree levels choose to wear. The clergy graduates were the first to don this cap and gown attire for graduation according to Columbia University.

The tradition of wearing caps and gowns on graduation day have changed and embraced in the coming years where universities and students can wear any kinds of gown they want. At some point in time, some gowns and caps are restricted to follow certain uniformity while some can liberally wear it according to their preferences in color, designs, sleeve shapes, and cap designs. Moreover, histories have changed when black gowns and black caps are the staple graduation gowns attire.

Graduation Attire

Graduation attire such as graduation gowns and caps are iconic because it carries meaning and purpose. Graduation attire embodies success, victory, beginning, and a memorable ending of something in someone’s life. Thus, there is a soulful ritual behind wearing this attire. There are different styles, designs, colours, fabrics, for caps and gowns. These varied graduation gown designs also have different purposes, meanings, and function that represent certain symbolism in one’s academic success and culmination. More than aesthetics, these graduation gowns variety define the level of academic integration or the degree of achievement that a graduate has attained. You will read below the graduation gown colors, types, and designs and the corresponding graduation events of its appropriation.

Types of Graduation Gowns

There are specific graduation gown types that are suited for wearing in a Bachelors Degree graduation. There are also graduation gowns intended and exclusive for Masters and for Doctorates. Furthermore, there are also schools, colleges, and universities that require their own graduation gown designs like Oxford and Cambridge Universities. The Bachelor of Arts Departments of these schools usually wear gowns with wide open sleeves and hoods that have white fur linings. These are iconic graduation gowns from iconic academic achievements at acclaimed universities. The Masters Degree graduates wear black gowns having Tudor-designed wide sleeves that flows downs throughout the floor resembling a square shape. Some Masters degree graduates are allowed to wear silk hoods that look expensive, to resemble a form of a square cap. These are the olden times graduation gown designs.

Modern graduation cap and gown sets were simplified. The usual designs often resemble a long, black cape. The inspiration behind the new graduation gown designs were derived from the “roba” worn under a “cappa clausa”. These are the traditional clerical dresses usually restricted to formal clothes that should be black or dark colors. Clerical dresses were the ones that are required by formal gatherings in the old and medieval times.

For Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Master of Arts (MA), these clerical style of gowns are usually worn in graduations. These gowns are made of black cloth having a yoke design at the back for its additional embellishment or structure. The Bachelors cap and gown have bell-shaped sleeves while the Masters cap and gown comes in closed-end sleeves and the arms passing through a slit above the elbow. There are two yokes used such as curved yoke as the traditional design and the straight or square yoke design which are commonly used during the modern times.

Beyond the clerical gown is the “lay” type gown. These graduation gown designs have closed sleeves but do not have a yoke on its back. Its other embellishments is a flap collar that gathers fabric underneath making it look less baggy than the clerical gowns. The “lay” type graduation gowns are usually used by officers and graduates of some special degrees of Oxford and Cambridge universities. Commonwealth officers usually wear gowns too. These have the shape of the traditional roba that closes at the front instead of a clerical dress structure.

There are also graduation gowns that have strings or grossgrain ribbons attached behind the lapels of the gowns. In the current times, gowns with these ribbons or strings mark the rankings of graduates. Those graduates with higher ranks have ribbons or strings that hold down the gown together. Not all institutions use this ribbons.

Graduation Cap & Gown Colours and Meanings

In the current times, graduation gowns colours are not of the graduates preferences. The colors mainly represent the level of one’s educational level or achievement such as Degree, Course, Department, qualification, area of study, or educational sector that a graduate belongs to. The colors are differentiated by the hood, stole, or robes. In the United Kingdom, these are the main colours and types of graduation gowns worn in graduation events:

* Bachelor Degree graduates wear gowns in black with short sleeves. The design of the hoods and caps vary on the course or area of study.
* For Masters Degree graduates, gowns in black that have long sleeves are worn. The design of the hoods and caps also pertain to the course or area of study the graduate.
* For Doctorate Degree graduates, a more embellished graduation gowns in red with colored silk (also depending on the area of study of the graduate) are worn. The hoods stole, and cap designs are still varied depending on the course or area of study of the graduate.

Here at Graduation UK, we assist you with the appropriate cap and gown to wear on your graduation day. With your details we have every graduation gown designs, colors, and types that you need which suits the requirements for your graduation day. We provide you the right kind of gowns in wide array of selections required by your institution. Give us the details of your area of study and we have the specific graduation gown, caps, and stoles of any colors, design, style and type.

Whichever designs of the proper graduation gown that your school or institution requires you, we have it at Graduation.co.uk. On this regard, you may visit our online store or contact us as we will address everything that you need for the appropriate graduation gown design requirement. We guarantee to have the colour and design available for your use and make your graduation day outfit the best of quality and comfort.