How to Pick out a Graduation Ceremony Dress

Picking out a dress to wear to your high school or college graduation may seem like a pretty basic task considering caps and gowns are the order of the day, but the caps and gowns will come off after the ceremony. You want to be sure to be dressed appropriately for not only the festivities following commencement, but also for your moment walking down the aisle.

Picking Out a Graduation Dress: The Basics

Despite the coverage of a graduation gown, your clothing choice will be displayed beneath the hem and at the sides. Make sure you will look your best at graduation by analyzing your graduation dress step by step.

The actual dress you wear under your gown is the centerpiece from which all of your other choices will radiate. Some schools have requirements that girls must wear dresses while others will allow slacks. Should your school not have a mandated dress code for graduation, it is always a good idea to go with a classic black dress for your graduation.

Picking Out a Graduation Dress: The Fit

A black dress made of cotton with a bit of spandex added in for stretch will give you a smooth silhouette underneath your gown, and it will match your school colors no matter what they are. When the gown is removed you will still be wearing a masterpiece garment if you pick a style of dress flattering to your body type.

Test out your graduation dress before purchasing it by trying it on at the department store with the shoes you hope to wear with it. When you are standing, it should be no more than 3 inches above your knee. Sit down in the fitting room chair several times and assess how the dress responds. If it rides up at all, it is not a good choice. You will be standing and sitting at least once during your graduation ceremony, and you will not have an opportunity to pull your dress down if it is prone to bunching.

Picking Out a Graduation Dress: The Neckline

Don't overlook the importance of having a nice neckline on your graduation dress. Most graduation gowns come with attachable collars, but on occasion a bit of your garment will show through at the neckline. If you can find a suitable dress with some neck detail, you will look stunning.

Avoid an asymmetrically cut neckline for your graduation dress, as this will look visually off when it passes underneath a geometrically shaped V-neck on a graduation gown.

Having the perfect graduation dress can go a long way toward helping you enjoy this special moment in your life.