Cap and Gown: What Else to Wear?

December 17, 2015 8:36 PM

I'm getting my third undergraduate degree this Saturday, making my family attend the early evening commencement, and have no earthly idea what to wear.

When I got my first degree, ten years ago, I wore a cobbled-together pinstripe suit. When I got the next one, I wore a black rose-print cocktail dress.

This time, I'm not sure what to wear. And I have basically Friday and Saturday mornings to find something. I have a lot of sweater dresses in my wardrobe, and a couple little black dresses, but nothing feels right. I have plain black pumps to wear, so I can build up from that. Gold is one of the school colors; that could work?

I could've probably found something on eShakti if I'd tried ahead of time, but this final round of finals sort of made it all get away from me.

I'm in the Midwestern U.S. I wear a women's dress size 12/14. My budget would be ~$100.

posted by RainyJay to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (10 answers total)

Do you have a largeish Sears in your vicinity? If the fit suits you, I can recommend the Lands End ponte sheath dresses for versatility, comfort and flexibility-- in a dark neutral, they can shade more formal for under regalia, but with a cute cardi, shrug or scarf, also work for going out to celebrate afterward. Should be available in-store in a reasonably wide variety of sizes, but maybe call first to check.
posted by Bardolph at 8:50 PM on December 17, 2015 [6 favorites]

I wore a silk blouse and skirt when I got my MFA.
posted by brujita at 10:21 PM on December 17, 2015 [2 favorites]

LBD with a sweater? Just dress nicely. The only thing they'll be paying attention to is the cap and gown!
posted by cecic at 11:05 PM on December 17, 2015 [3 favorites]

Congratulations! Yeah, all these are good - think "dinner at a decentish restaurant with your partner's parents".

And I guess maybe not "shiny/frilly/fancy party dress", "wedding guest", "fashionista", "Saturday night at the club", or "would wear to work on a regular Wednesday". (Sorry if that's offensive - it sounds like the question is about figuring out what's appropriate for this occasion. Also, the stores are stocking a lot of NYE dresses it might be easy to get distracted by in a panic.) If you're going with a dress or skirt, maybe keep the length closer to the knees.

Myself, I'd probably wear a belted wrap or shirt dress in this sort of style (but not with killer shoes like that model is wearing, something more wearable - your pumps would be fine), or a sheath.
posted by cotton dress sock at 1:14 AM on December 18, 2015 [2 favorites]

bad link. like this but not with that price tag. or shoes.
posted by cotton dress sock at 2:50 AM on December 18, 2015

Best answer: SOMETHING WITH POCKETS
posted by phunniemee at 3:55 AM on December 18, 2015 [10 favorites]

When I don't have time to shop, I usually add a fancy necklace to something I already have, like a Lands' End ponte sheath dress. I have a few of them and I too recommend- comfortable, classic, machine washable, and they have pockets. But if you go shopping and don't see any dresses you love, maybe get a new cardigan, necklace, and/or shoes. Congratulations!
posted by kat518 at 5:59 AM on December 18, 2015

Nobody really notices your clothes under that gown (go naked....not really, too cold for that). Since it's a winter graduation, I'd probably just wear a nice sweater and pants. A sweater dress also sounds fine. I don't think "the school colors" particularly matters, that's up to you.

Seriously, I am seeing all these girls in tiny skimpy dresses staggering around posing for graduation pictures right now and they look frigid.
posted by jenfullmoon at 6:17 AM on December 18, 2015 [1 favorite]

Dress for what you will be doing after you do graduation. If you're all going to dinner somewhere nice, then wear what you would wear for that. I'm assuming you're taking off the regalia as soon as pictures are done and not wearing it around, so wear something under it that's comfortable for the graduation venue and appropriate for your next activity so you don't have to stop and change.

Nobody can see anything besides your shoes and ankles, so definitely business or dress shoes. I think ankle or tea-length skirts work better with the gown than do skirts you can't see come out from under it, but it's down to your personal preference and I don't think a skirt short enough to disappear is a problem-- that's my preference. Puffy skirts that puff out the gown also look awkward.

I know of at least one woman who cosplayed as Wonder Woman under her cap and gown, so it's really up to you.
posted by blnkfrnk at 9:14 AM on December 18, 2015

Best answer: Wait, is this under a gown, or are you not wearing a gown? If you're wearing a gown, it kinda doesn't matter. I would suggest either a dress/skirt that is shorter than your gown + pantyhose or black tights, or dress pants with a nice blouse. But really no one will be paying attention unless you're one of those people who decides to wear crazy tie die pants under your gown or something similarly attention-grabbing. If you are planning a nice dinner out afterward, then just wear whatever you would wear to dinner.
posted by rainbowbrite at 9:43 AM on December 18, 2015