A collection of perhaps little-known, fairly interesting tidbits about the history of commencement regalia
Back in the day
The origins of academic dress date back to the 12th and 13th centuries in Europe, when universities were taking form. The ordinary dress of the scholar, whether student or teacher, was the dress of a cleric, who wore long robes for warmth in unheated buildings. As education became available to the laity, the gown became a strictly academic garment. Later, the addition of colors and material became symbols of the wearer’s position and wealth.
This tradition continued for hundreds of years without much standardization so that even today, European institutions’ academic regalia remain diverse. American schools, meanwhile, adopted a code of academic dress in the late 1800s. That code has been revised at least three times by an American Council Education committee on costumes and ceremonies.
Headgear 101
Before the modern mortarboard, there was the rounded skull cap. And before the hood became an academic vestment, there was the cowl — worn by monks in the Middle Ages as protection against the rain. Today’s practice of wearing the hood hanging down the back may have stemmed from a medieval custom in which monks used the hood as a bag draped over their shoulders to serve as a ‘contribution bowl’ for clients and well wishers while in attendance of the king’s court.
Color coding
Colors associated with the various disciplines include:
Arts, Letters, Humanities — white
Economics — copper
Education — light blue
Engineering — orange
Journalism — crimson
Law — purple
Library science — lemon
Medicine — green
Philosophy — dark blue
Right or left?
There is no general rule for the position of the tassel on a mortarboard. Many institutions, however, have adopted the practice of requiring candidates for degrees to wear the tassels on the right front side before degrees are conferred and to shift them to the left at the moment when degrees are awarded to them. Some consider this custom a substitute for individual hooding.
Regalia etiquette
-Use low heat and extreme care when ironing the gown.
-A garment steamer or steam from a hot shower may help smooth out wrinkles.
-Do not pin jewelry to the gown.
-Wear the mortarboard with the point between the eyes and level it so that it is parallel to the ground.
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