Comments on: Purchasing Academic Regalia

Question: Purchasing Academic Regalia

Steve_at_Linnwood — Fri, 24 Mar 2006 14:10:40 -0800

Looking for good places to purchase Academic Regalia.

I'm looking for a good place to purchase academic regalia for students graduating with a Masters degree.

My girlfriend will be graduating this May with an M.S. in Historic Preservation. The school she attends is an art school, and her program is the only non-art program. Apparently it is an unofficial tradition for the art students (both undergrad and graduate) dress up in crazy/fun/off-the-wall costumes for commencement. My girlfriend and her fellow classmates have decided that they would rather have a more classic formal ceremony and wear the academic regalia. The director of the program approved it and said the program would pay for gowns, hoods, and caps but they would have to figure it out.

Many large schools, like were we both went as undergrads, have contracts with Jostens or some other company, but a Google search turns up websites for what appear to be 'fly by night' companies selling regalia.

I'm looking for master's gowns, master's hoods, and mortarboard. Maybe something better than "souvenir" quality, but not "I'm-an-academic-and-attend-commencement-every-year" quality.

Any ideas?

By: cgs06

cgs06 — Fri, 24 Mar 2006 14:55:26 -0800

The firm I purchased mine from is Herff-Jones; they've got a division called "Collegiate Apparel" that does these things. Mine's of the "I'm an academic" sort, so would probably be pricier than what you're looking for, but they apparently have lower-quality and rental ones, too.

By: greatgefilte

greatgefilte — Fri, 24 Mar 2006 16:19:53 -0800

Imperial Robes. They're Canadian, but ship all over the world and have specifications for most North American universities.

By: Carol Anne

Carol Anne — Sat, 25 Mar 2006 06:53:53 -0800

Check out local thrift stores. There are always some choir robes at my Value Village.

By: GuyZero

GuyZero — Sat, 25 Mar 2006 11:52:27 -0800

Your location isn't in your profile. There's a place on the Queensway in west Toronto - I forget the exact location, but I notice it every time I drive by because they sell clerical gowns (for real priests, not LARPs) and academic gowns.

If you know Toronto, get on the Queensway and it's east of Ikea. If you don't live in Toronto, I dunno. Good luck.