Interesting Facts About Academic Regalia

By Author: Preston Morgal
Total Articles: 4
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Graduations are colorful ceremonies where the graduates and school officials shine in academic regalia. Almost every institution marks graduation ceremonies in style by having the students wear gowns.

Graduations are colorful ceremonies where the graduates and school officials shine in academic regalia. Almost every institution marks graduation ceremonies in style by having the students wear gowns. Indeed, graduations are very significant days when everyone wants to look their best. A lot of importance is attached to graduation regalia and this has been the norm for decades. Contrary to common belief, academic robes are not a new invention. They date many years back and over the years the symbolism remains the same - they are symbols of power and honor. They set the students apart as achievers in a certain academic fields, for instance medical students may wear a particular color of a doctorate gown to distinguish them from students in other faculties.

Perhaps if you have wondered about the origin of academic robes, you will be interested in some fascinating facts about these regalia. Academic gowns can be dated ...
... back to the 12th century. During this time, they were mainly used in churches as choir robes, later; they were adopted by different clergies depending on their rank in church. A reverend or pastor would wear a particular clergy robe to distinguish him from the other members of church. Since most churches run learning institutions, these robes found their way to schools. In those early days graduation regalia consisted of long robes.

Contemporary graduation apparel comes in many styles; however gowns are still loose fitting.

The ancient color for academic apparel was black. Today, many institutions still use this color for their academic regalia. However, since there are many faculties in a school, there has been a need to have different colors of gowns. This is why you may find that PhD regalia may be different from say a doctorate gown. Lifestyle modifications have also largely contributed to the changes now seen in academic apparel. In some institutions, students are allowed to add accessories such as best and piping on the robes to make them new age and stylish. However, most institutions are not flexible when it comes to changing graduation gowns, because they want students to be uniform.

Gowns have undergone various advancements, today they are mainly referred to as gowns and not robes. The change in fashion has caught up with them, and today various schools add interesting designs to make their academic apparel unique. Again, the colors and symbols depend on the state or country. There are those that have stuck with black, while others use colors such as yellow and orange. The stoles and the hoods have also undergone modification. The tassels nowadays mainly represent one of the theme colors of the school. The cap and gown may either be matching or contrasting depending again on the school.

You can have robes customized, especially if you are looking for choir robes which do not have to be a certain color or design. If your school allows it, you can also make certain adjustments. It is wise to deal with a reputable and experienced dealer when it comes to academic regalia.
Resource: http://www.graduationmall.com/