AIBU to think parents don’t need to be ultra smart/ formal for graduation ceremonies?

[MimiGC]

Our son is graduating from UWE next week. He’s wearing a suit and tie, as are his friends. I think smart casual is fine for parents, but DH thinks formal wear for parents is required and is planning on wearing a suit and tie himself. Grateful for Mumsnetters experiences- who has been to a graduation ceremony recently and what were parents wearing?

I've seen a lot in town recently and mothers are in smart summer dresses due to the weather and heels...dads in suits...parents from other countries looking very formal. I would dress up!

I have been to 5 of my own children’s graduations and my DH wore a suit and tie for all of them, as did most of the men there.
Some of the women wouldn’t have looked out of place at a smart wedding.
It’s one special day and I would say to dress up for it.

It’s a celebration surely? We got dressed up

The last graduation was only last year, a Masters, and again all suits and smart dresses.

A suit or smart dress is a nice way to show respect and really acknowledge what someone has achieved.

I would absolutely dress up. It’s a show of pride and respect.

There's a lot of standing around and queuing, so heels may not be a wise choice.

Lecturer here. I see a lot of graduations!

Most parents are dad in a suit (some with a tie, some without), mum in a smart dress/outfit of some kind. "Smart" here covers a variety of things from daytime summer wedding, to office, to smart-casual tea-dress. Obviously, some eg Asian, African families are wearing their cultural equivalent of a smart outfit.

No one really wears jeans, but you probably wouldn't be turned away if you do.

Formal wear for parents too

My husband wore a suit with a T-shirt underneath. I would say barely any dads wore a full suit and tie, but they were all smart.

Absolutely you should dress smart, it's a formal occassion and a celebration of years of hard work by not only your child but all the other people graduating on the same day.

Have some respect for them and go properly dressed.

Formal.

ExDH wore a suit and tie, and his current wife and I both wore dresses.

Went to my Ds graduation last summer, it was a wonderful celebration and we wore suits and dresses. A lifetime memory is graduation.

I was at a graduation ceremony a couple of weeks ago and would have felt very out of place if I had gone smart casual. It's definitely a formal occasion.

What's smart casual for you op? What do you plan on wearing?

Formal . It’s a celebration of their success - you’ll have photos for years to come on the wall !

Definitely smart/formal - you are celebrating. That doesn't have to mean a suit and tie but anything that signifies that its a celebration. I had a friend at uni with Nigerian parents who wore wonderful traditional formal outfits.

My dad wore a suit to both mine and my brothers graduations. I don’t remember him being out of place there. I think most dads were in suits tbh.

It's not "required", as in they'll let you in wearing jeans, but is customary for most people to dress up. Dressing smartly doesn't mean you can't also be comfortable. You don't have to go full glam, but I'd avoid jeans and trainers, even smart ones.

I’ve been to one today. All the male graduates wore suits and ties. Some of the dads wore blazers rather than suits. Most women wore dresses and notably heels. Everyone was smartly dressed.

Men in suits and ties definitely. It’s a formal occasion. I would love shopping for a new dress for my DC graduation. What a proud day and an excellent reason to get dressed up.

DS's graduation was two weeks ago and I would say suit and tie. I noted on another thread the thing that I really noticed was the women were smartly dressed with sandals/shoes and not trainers.

I attended one last week, commencing at 10.00am but people were very formally dressed and i'd guess quite a few of the ladies had their hair and make up done professionally.

I wore black jeans and DMs to my son's graduation from Cambridge. Noone turned a hair.

Smarter than the supermarket but not super- formal.