The short answer
Graduates should wear a collared shirt, a tie, dark trousers and polished dark shoes under the gown, because the collar, trouser legs and shoes show. Where gowns are worn open, add a suit or blazer. Male guests should dress smart casual to business casual: a blazer or jacket, a collared shirt and chinos or wool trousers, adjusted for the season and venue.
- Under a closed gown only the collar, trouser legs and shoes show, so get those three right.
- A buttoned collared shirt helps a hood sit properly, and a tie finishes the neckline.
- Wear dark leather shoes you have already broken in: you will walk, climb steps and stand.
- Gowns are hot, so dress light underneath at spring and summer ceremonies.
- Guests should aim for smart casual to business casual, with a jacket for the dinner afterward.
- Check your school's rules: some universities set a dress code under the gown.
In this guide
- What should a man wear under a graduation gown?
- Should you wear a suit under your graduation gown?
- What color should you wear under a graduation gown?
- What shoes should you wear to graduation?
- What should a male guest wear to a graduation?
- What to wear to a graduation by season
- Does a graduation have a dress code?
- How to look good in graduation photos
- The tailor's view: dressing for what comes next
- Questions people ask
Graduation is one of the few days when your clothes will be photographed hundreds of times, often under a gown that hides most of them. That makes it simpler than it looks. Graduates need to get the visible parts right and stay comfortable through a long ceremony. Guests need clothes that respect the occasion, survive a hot stadium or a cold hall, and still look right at the celebration dinner afterward. This guide covers both, by setting and by season.
Graduation outfits at a glance
- Graduate, closed gown
- Collared shirt, tie, dark trousers, dark leather shoes
- Graduate, open gown
- Dark suit or blazer, white or light blue shirt, tie
- Guest, daytime ceremony
- Blazer or jacket, collared shirt, chinos or wool trousers, leather shoes
- Guest, formal ceremony or dinner
- Suit; tie optional unless the event is formal
- Shoes
- Dark leather, polished, already broken in
- Colors
- Solid, mid to dark trousers; white or pale shirts
What should a man wear under a graduation gown?
Wear a collared shirt, a tie, dark trousers and dark leather shoes. Under the closed gowns used at most American ceremonies, those are the only parts that show: the shirt collar and tie knot at the neck, a few inches of trouser leg and your shoes. Many British and Commonwealth gowns are worn open at the front, so the whole outfit shows and a suit or blazer is the norm. If you are receiving a master's or doctoral degree, the hood adds one more consideration at the neck.
Closed gown
Common in the United States
- Collar, tie, trouser legs and shoes show
- Jacket optional; skip it in summer heat
- Light, breathable shirt underneath
- Dark trousers look neatest below the hem
Open gown
Common in Britain and the Commonwealth
- The whole outfit shows down the front
- Dark suit or blazer, shirt and tie
- Some universities set the dress code
- Gowns are often hired for the day and returned
Gown with a hood
Master's and doctoral degrees
- Hood drapes over the shoulders and back
- A buttoned collared shirt helps hold it in place
- A tie keeps the neckline neat under the hood
- Practice putting it on before the day
Many hoods have a small loop or cord at the front that hooks onto a shirt button, which stops the hood sliding back during the ceremony. A buttoned shirt gives it something to hold. Choose a shirt that fits well at the collar, because the gown pulls slightly at the neck; our guide to how a dress shirt should fit shows what to check.
Should you wear a suit under your graduation gown?
Wear a suit where gowns are worn open, because the jacket and trousers are on show. Under a closed gown, a suit jacket is optional. In an air-conditioned hall it is comfortable enough; at an outdoor ceremony in June it is hot under a polyester gown. A good plan is to wear the shirt, tie and suit trousers under the gown and keep the jacket for photographs and the meal afterward.
Remember what happens after the ceremony. Where gowns are hired for the day, you hand them back and spend the rest of the day in what you wore underneath, so choose clothes you are happy to be photographed in without the gown. Graduation is also a natural time to buy a first good suit; a navy or charcoal one will serve for interviews and weddings for years, as our interview suit guide explains.
| Ceremony | Shirt and neckwear | Trousers | Shoes | Jacket |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High school, closed gown | White or light blue collared shirt, tie | Dark chinos or wool trousers | Dark leather shoes | Not needed under the gown |
| University, closed gown | White or light blue collared shirt, tie | Navy, charcoal or gray wool trousers | Dark leather shoes | Optional; bring one for later |
| University, open gown | White or light blue shirt, tie | Matching suit trousers | Black or dark brown oxfords | Dark suit jacket |
| Master's or doctoral, with hood | Collared shirt with front buttons, tie | Dark wool trousers | Dark leather shoes | As for the gown type |
| Oxford, subfusc | Plain white collared shirt with a white or black bow tie, a black tie or a black ribbon | Dark suit | Plain black shoes, black socks | Dark suit jacket |
Where your school publishes its own guidance for graduates, follow it.
What color should you wear under a graduation gown?
Dark trousers in navy, charcoal or mid-gray look neatest below a gown, because they continue its line instead of breaking it. A white or light blue shirt is the safest color at the neck, and it looks clean against black and colored gowns alike. A tie in your school's colors is a good touch. Avoid busy patterns at the neckline: tight checks and narrow stripes can flicker in photographs and video.
What shoes should you wear to graduation?
Wear polished dark leather shoes that you have already broken in. You will walk in a line, climb steps to a stage, cross it in front of a crowd and stand for photographs, sometimes on grass. Black or dark brown oxfords, derbies or loafers all work; leather soles on new shoes can be slippery on stage floors, so scuff them first or choose a rubber sole. Wear dark socks long enough to cover your legs when you sit. Our guide to shoes with a suit covers which styles go with which trousers.
What should a male guest wear to a graduation?
Most graduations have no dress code for guests, which means smart casual to business casual. A blazer or casual jacket, a collared shirt, chinos or wool trousers and leather shoes is right for almost any ceremony. Parents of the graduate appear in most of the family photographs, so it is worth dressing a step smarter: at least a jacket, and a tie if the ceremony is formal or indoors in a grand hall. Our guides to smart casual and business casual explain both codes.
| Outdoor summer ceremony | Indoor ceremony | Formal university hall | Dinner afterward | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suit and tie | ||||
| Blazer, collared shirt, chinos | ||||
| Polo shirt and chinos | ||||
| Dark jeans and a jacket | ||||
| Shorts and a T-shirt |
Think about the practical side too. Ceremonies can run for two hours or more, stadium and arena seating is often tight, and outdoor ceremonies may leave you in full sun. Choose breathable fabrics, a jacket you can take off, and shoes you can walk in from a distant parking lot. If a dinner follows, check whether the restaurant is formal and bring a tie in your pocket if so.
What to wear to a graduation by season
Most American graduations take place in May and June, with smaller ceremonies in December; British universities hold many ceremonies in summer and some in winter. The season changes the fabrics more than the outfit.
| Season | Graduate, under the gown | Guest |
|---|---|---|
| Late spring and summer | Light cotton shirt, light tie, tropical wool or cotton trousers | Unlined cotton, linen or tropical wool jacket, open collar or light tie, chinos, loafers |
| Winter | Cotton shirt, wool or knit tie, wool or flannel trousers; an overcoat for the walk | Flannel or tweed jacket, wool trousers, knit tie, overcoat, leather shoes or boots |
| Indoor arena, any season | As above, with a light shirt: arenas can be hot when full | Layers: a jacket you can remove over a shirt or fine knit |
For heat, our guides to the best suit fabric for hot weather and staying cool in a suit cover open weaves, linings and colors. In winter, a dark knee-length overcoat over a jacket looks right in photographs, and a scarf adds color without changing the outfit.
Does a graduation have a dress code?
For guests, almost never. For graduates, some schools publish guidance, usually asking for dark clothing and dark shoes under the gown, and some universities set a formal code. Oxford is the best-known example: graduates wear subfusc under the gown, which means a dark suit, a plain white collared shirt, plain black shoes and black socks that cover the ankle, with a white or black bow tie, a black tie or a black ribbon. Military academies and some religious institutions have their own rules. Check your school's commencement or graduation pages a month before, so you have time to buy or alter anything you need.
How to look good in graduation photos
- Fit at the neck: a collar that closes without pulling and a tie knot centered under it. A four-in-hand knot is neat and easy; see how to tie a four-in-hand.
- Solid colors: plain shirts and trousers photograph better than small checks and stripes.
- No logos: they draw the eye away from the gown and your face.
- Press everything: creases show in close-ups, especially on a white shirt collar.
- Trouser length: a slight break or none, so trousers do not pool on your shoes below the gown.
- Gown and hood: ask a friend to check that the hood lies flat and the gown hangs evenly before the procession.
The tailor's view: dressing for what comes next
Graduation is a good moment to buy the suit you will need for interviews, a first job and the weddings that follow. Choose navy or charcoal in a year-round wool, two buttons and notch lapels: it suits a graduation as a guest or under an open gown, and it works for years afterward. Have the trousers hemmed and the sleeves set to show a little shirt cuff before the day. Our guides to how many suits you need and bespoke on a budget help you plan the next steps.
The night before
- Gown, cap and hood collected, unpacked and hung up to let creases drop.
- Shirt ironed, with a spare if the day is hot.
- Tie chosen and knotted once to check the length.
- Shoes polished and soles checked for grip.
- Dark socks long enough to cover your legs when seated.
- A jacket ready for the photographs and dinner afterward.
- Weather checked: sunglasses and water for outdoors, an umbrella or overcoat if rain or cold is likely.
Whether you are crossing the stage or cheering from the stands, the rules are the same: get the visible details right, dress for the weather, and choose clothes that will look as good at dinner as they did at the ceremony.
Questions people ask
What should a guy wear under his graduation gown?
A guy should wear a collared shirt, a tie, dark trousers and dark leather shoes under his graduation gown. Under a closed gown these are the only parts that show. Where gowns are worn open, add a dark suit or blazer, because the whole outfit is visible.
Should you wear a suit under a graduation gown?
Wear a suit under a graduation gown if the gown is worn open, as at many British universities. Under a closed gown a suit jacket is optional and can be hot at outdoor summer ceremonies. Many graduates wear the shirt, tie and suit trousers under the gown and put the jacket on afterward for photographs.
What should a man wear to his child's graduation?
A father should dress a step smarter than most guests at his child's graduation, because he will be in many family photographs. A blazer or suit, a collared shirt, wool trousers or chinos and leather shoes is right, with a tie for formal or indoor ceremonies. Choose breathable fabrics for outdoor events in summer.
Can you wear jeans to a graduation?
Guests can wear dark, clean jeans with a jacket and leather shoes to a casual or outdoor graduation, though chinos or wool trousers look better in photographs. Avoid jeans at formal university ceremonies and under an open gown. Graduates should wear dark trousers, since a few inches show below the gown.
What shoes should men wear to graduation?
Men should wear polished dark leather shoes to graduation, such as black or dark brown oxfords, derbies or loafers. Break them in first, because graduates walk in a procession, climb steps and cross a stage. New leather soles can be slippery, so scuff them or choose a rubber sole.
Do you wear a tie to graduation?
Graduates should wear a tie under the gown, because the neckline shows in every photograph and a tie keeps a hood neat. Guests can skip the tie at casual or outdoor ceremonies, but should wear one at formal ceremonies and formal dinners afterward. A tie in the school's colors is a good touch.
What color should you wear under a graduation gown?
Under a graduation gown, wear dark trousers in navy, charcoal or gray and a white or light blue shirt. Dark trousers continue the line of the gown, and pale shirts look clean against black or colored gowns. Avoid small checks and narrow stripes, which can flicker in photographs.
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