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- Article tag: Graduation
Attending a graduation for your beloved family member or friend is always a fun event. It’s rewarding to watch someone you love walk across the stage and celebrate their achievement, whether it’s a graduation from high school, college, or a higher degree program.
However, dressing for a graduation as a guest can be confusing, as you will want to look your best without overshadowing your graduate.
Our article gives you tips on what to wear to a graduation in addition to graduation guest outfit ideas so you can start thinking about the best outfit to wear.
What Do You Wear to a Graduation?
Deciding what to wear to a graduation event can be difficult, as every school is different in its expectations. There can be several things to take into consideration, such as the season, the weather, and the venue.
When it comes to choosing what to wear to a graduation, we suggest thinking about the venue first of all. If your venue is outside, and the season is warm – most graduations take place in the summer months – you will want to wear something light, breezy, or flowy. This will help you remain comfortable throughout the ceremony.
Indoor graduation ceremonies or those held in very upscale venues may call for a more semi-formal look. You may need to pair your graduation guest outfit with a jacket to ensure you remain comfortable in a very air-conditioned space.
Additionally, you will want to double-check with your graduate and your graduation ceremony invitation to see if there are any specific rules or dress codes you need to follow. This may include things like semi-casual, business casual, or semi-formal clothing, or certain styles of clothing, such as those in your graduate’s school colors, that are preferred for guests.
Are There Dress Codes for Graduations?
In general, you won’t be asked to adhere to a specific dress code when attending a graduation ceremony. That being said, you will not want to show up to a graduation ceremony with an outfit that is dirty, ripped, too casual, or simply not very presentable.
In order to show your support and fit in with the rest of the graduation ceremony crowd, it’s important to look polished, put together, and presentable. This is especially important if you plan to take pictures with your graduate – you will want to make sure you look nice and that your outfit is suitable for the important occasion of the graduation ceremony.
Graduation Guest Outfit Ideas
The following outfit ideas can help you start thinking about your graduation guest outfit and what you might like to wear.
A sundress and sandals, possibly with a hat as an accessory, and as long as your hat does not block anyone’s view
A midi dress, with a hemline that falls around the knees, and a pair of heels
A pair of dress pants and collared shirt for men
A jumpsuit for women
A skirt or a pair of dress pants and a nice blouse, paired with a jacket depending on the weather
A tailored suit for women or for a more gender-neutral option; leave off the suit jacket to make the outfit more casual
When thinking about your graduation outfit, make sure you keep in mind any particular clothing requests or dress code requirements that may be present for the graduation ceremony.
Additionally, make sure that your graduation outfit is well-fitted, suited to your figure, and not too risqué or flashy. These things can lead to you fidgeting with your outfit all night or an accidental fashion faux pas.
Where Can I Find My Graduation Outfit?
Shopping for your graduation outfit can feel overwhelming, though having an idea of what to wear helps you direct your shopping focus and the stores you visit. We recommend shopping at your local mall or department stores. These stores are likely to have a range of semi-formal and business casual outfit options that you could potentially wear to a graduation.
You could also shop for your graduation outfit online. Just remember that you will need to make sure that you leave plenty of time for shipping and returns or exchanges, as sometimes clothing online doesn’t fit like we think it will.
How Do I Accessorize My Graduation Outfit?
Accessorizing your graduation outfit isn’t too difficult, as we recommend sticking with classic and semi-formal items. You won’t want to wear anything too flashy, such as very tall high heels or jewelry that makes a statement; these items are likely to detract from the attention of your favorite graduate.
We recommend a fashionable, yet comfortable, pair of shoes, a nice purse or clutch, and simple jewelry that complements your outfit as the best accessories for a graduation outfit. Men can accessorize with a tie or bow tie depending on how formal their outfit needs to be.
How Do I Get More Details About Graduation Guest Dress Codes?
Dressing for a graduation ceremony as a guest can be confusing, but there are a couple of things you can do to better understand the dress code.
If you have lots of questions about the dress code or you need help deciding what to wear, we recommend talking to your graduate. They will be able to give you more details about the ceremony, including any information on dress code requirements, and they can approve your outfit if you are worried about what they might think.
If you have concerns about the venue, you can look it up ahead of time to see if it is more upscale or more casual. Then, you can keep this information in mind as you decide on your graduation guest outfit.
Gathering Your Graduation Guest Style
When you start to think about your graduation guest outfit, it’s important to keep in mind things like the graduation ceremony venue, the weather, and the season. You should make sure that your outfit is put together and polished, and you should communicate with your graduate if you have any concerns about dressing for the ceremony.
With all of these steps, you should be able to find the perfect graduation guest style to support your graduate on their big day.
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