A graduation hood, also called an academic hood, is a symbol of ultimate sophistication and richness, as it resembles your specific degree, the field in which you have studied, and much more. Now, are you one of those people who wants to know more about graduation hoods and their traditions, lengths, or colors? If yes, then you have come across the right blog, as we will provide you with a carefully curated guide on the significance behind graduation hoods. This guide includes its relevance, colors and meaning, along with a step-by-step guide on how to wear graduation hood properly with class and dignity.
What is the Significance of Graduation Hood?
It is one of the most essential elements of academic regalia, which is worn during the ceremony. Graduation hood represents your accomplishments of attaining a higher degree. The design for a graduation hood varies as per the academic discipline and your institution as well as academic discipline. Conventionally the hood was designed in such a manner that it used to have a long, flowing piece of cloth that covered the shoulder as well as your back. Traditionally it is made up of velvet, satin, or high-quality fabric that is similar to both of them.
If you observe carefully, the lining of the graduation hood is visible from inside and features colors that represent your dedicated field of study. It is also important to understand that these colors are commonly known as faculty colors and remain the same across various universities. For instance, a hood that is lined with golden yellow refers to your degree in science, while other colors, such as white, are the representation of letters and arts.
That is why it is mandatory to decorate the graduation hood with a rich symbolic color to represent their niche of studies and achievement. Let’s explore the symbolism of each color using a carefully curated table for your better understanding.
| Academic Niche | Color Resemblance |
| Fine Arts | Brown |
| Law | Purple |
| Agriculture | Maize |
| Medicine | Green |
| Music | Pink |
| Nursing | Apricot |
| Philosophy | Dark blue |
| Science | Golden Yellow |
| Pharmacy | Olive Green |
How to Style Graduation Hood Appropriately
Graduation Day is a very memorable occasion, so it is important to style your graduation hood appropriately to ensure that your overall appearance is also memorable. It is one of the best ways to pay tribute to the ceremony and be respectful towards it as well as to look your best stylishly. We have done all the guesswork for you and carefully curated a detailed style guide on how to wear hood properly with a graduation cap.
Step 1: Knowing the Hood’s parts
The very first thing to do is, even before starting, you should understand each and every part of your graduation hood.
Cape: It is a piece of cloth that drapes over your back.
Velvet Trim: This feature is essential for a graduation hood because it represents your area of study and forms a band around the opening of the hood.
Lining: It symbolizes the field of your degree and studies, as typically it is a colorful interior.
Button Loop: Button loops are the small loops that are inside of the hood and their basic function is to secure your gown.
Step 2: Appropriate preparation
Ironing of Hood: The most important thing would be the ironing of your graduation hood to ensure that it stays wrinkle-free and does not ruin your special moment. It is highly suggested that you should go for a steam or low heat setting to make it wrinkle-free and reduce creases. Also, it is important to remember to try to avoid any direct contact with the velvet trim.
Gown: The next would be putting on the graduation gown first and making sure it is zipped up completely.
Step 3: Slipping on the hood
Arrange the Hood: The next thing to do would be holding the hood along with the velvet trim in place over your head. It is very important that the velvet side should be facing outwards along with the trim around your shoulders and neck and that the cape part drapes down with a natural flow.
Securing the hood: It is equally important to attach the loop to the button or if possible, try to hook it on your gown this will give you the much-needed hold to keep the graduation hood in place. Other than that, look for a button loop inside the hood which is normally located near the front opening.
Adjustment of the capes: It is very crucial that one should smooth out the fabric so that it can easily lie flat against your back. Make sure that the lining is visible correctly; the interior part should also be visible partially to display the color prominently.
Step 4: Comfort comes first
Length check: It is important that you should understand that comfort should be your first priority, as it is going to be a long event. Thus, the graduation hood should hang evenly, not stacked at the back. One thing that is a must is the adjustment of fabric so it drapes gracefully.
Velvet Trim: It is important to ensure that the trim lies flat around your shoulders and does not stack up, fold or get twisted.
Lining and cape: The last of getting ready would be checking if the cape is covering your back; if yes, then you are good to go. It is equally important to understand that lines should be clearly visible but not overexposed, as it will ruin the whole aesthetics of the outfit. A bit of color showing is completely fine, and that too at the bottom of the hood.
Step 5: Final look
Mirror check: Stand in front of a mirror to ensure that everything is aligned and check every minor detail to see if the hood is positioned correctly.
Assistance: You can also go to a friend or relative if everything is fine if the option is available to check with them for the back of your hood and then go ahead and make all the necessary improvements.
Comfort: Move around a little and try to perform a few situps so that you get pretty sure about the fit as well as your comfort in the hood and ensure that it does not restrict your movement in any manner.
It is special, as you have put in years of dedication and hard work into it, and we make sure that by following this carefully curated guide you look and feel your best. We ensure that you rock your graduation hood with utmost confidence, as you will look your best in it. The only thing that you need to focus on is celebrating your achievements and graduation in the most aesthetically pleasing manner. You can also look for graduation cap ideas to make the best outfit possible.
Final Verdict
Your graduation hood is symbolic of your academic achievements, and each color represents different niches of study. It is safe to say that every hue pays tribute to your valuable contributions, which are unique to each individual’s knowledge and efforts. We understand that you have put in all the work in this; that is why it is important to understand that as you are celebrating this milestone, you must acknowledge the fact that this special day is incomplete without a thoughtful gift such as graduation flowers.
FAQs
What does a graduation hood mean?
It stands for your degree, field of study, and years of hard work that led to academic success.
Do the colors of hoods mean the same thing everywhere?
Yes, most faculty colors are standardized across institutions to represent specific academic disciplines.
What are the differences in hood lengths?
Length varies by degree: bachelor’s (shortest), master’s (medium), and doctoral (longest).
Which side of the hood is facing out?
The colored lining is partly visible on the inside, while the velvet trim is on the outside.
Do you have to wear a graduation hood?
Hoods are common at master’s and doctoral ceremonies, but it depends on the institution’s tradition.
