What Men Should Wear to a Graduation
Graduating or attending, the answer is the same shape: smart trousers, a collared shirt, and shoes you can stand in for three hours.
- If you are graduating
- Collared shirt — the hood needs something to fasten to. Smart trousers, dark shoes. A tie is optional and mostly invisible under the gown.
- If you are a guest
- Chinos or trousers with a shirt. A jacket if you like; nobody will be the only one without one.
- Shoes
- Anything you can stand in for three hours and walk across a stage in. This is the whole decision.
- Heat
- Under a gown, skip the jacket. You will be in unlined polyester in a full hall.
The collar question
- 1
Most gown hoods fasten to a button or loop at the front of a collared shirt. A t-shirt gives it nothing to hold.
- 2
A plain white or pale blue shirt is the safe default and photographs well under a dark gown.
- 3
A polo shirt works if the ceremony is relaxed, but check whether your hood needs the button.
Trousers and shoes
- 4
Chinos, suit trousers or smart dark trousers. All correct.
- 5
Dark leather shoes or clean plain trainers. You will be on your feet a long time.
- 6
Match the belt to the shoes if you are wearing both. It is the only detail visible below the gown.
Grooming and photographs
- 7
The cap flattens hair. Bring something to fix it before the photographs.
- 8
Shave or tidy the beard. Two hundred photographs.
- 9
Plain colours photograph better than patterns under a gown.
Questions people actually ask
Do I need a tie for graduation?
No. Under a gown it is invisible, and as a guest a shirt without a tie is normal at almost every ceremony now.