I had no idea how big a deal Mum's dress is at a graduation

[Passportto]

I have sons who will (hopefully!) be graduating over the next couple of years and I would have got it badly wrong, thinking it was their day and my duty was to turn up in much the same way as I did for their end of year assemblies in primary school

Two, senior, sensible, professional, not particularly image conscious women at work have sons graduating this year and the talk has been all dresses/bags/shoes for weeks. Their chosen outfits (I have been subjected to constant photos of the various possibilities) look like mother of the bride outfits to me. Is this normal?

“DS graduating in a couple of weeks, posh Scottish Uni, and I intend to wear a linen dress and cardi or jacket depending on the weather.”

If you see a pair of flowery linen trousers, give me a wave.........

Wearing a plainish frock and small healed shoe. Am shit at standing or even worse, trying to walk in heels. Am wearing a dress because I look awful in trousers. Hopefully, it won’t chuck it down.

DD graduates nest week- very excited as after a difficult year she got a First! Her department do seem to treat it ask “family event” inviting families to a drinks reception prior to her early evening graduation.
The photo package which is offered by the gown providers includes both individual and family group portrait.
DH and DS are wearing suits, DD who is graduating is in a black dress and I’ve treated myself to a new dress from Phase Eight- no jacket and definitely no hat.
Looking at photos from last years’s graduation we will look like everyone else!

my D graduated last year from a Russell Group Uni.
She wore white, flowery a fitted dress from Karen Millen under her gown. I wore wide legged cream trousers, also KM with a bright yellow chanelesque jacket from Zara. I wanted something that I could wear again.
OH wore a smart jacket and trousers.
Lots of different looks, but no hats.
Not sure about this year. Masters degree from Cambridge, so I have no idea what the dress code is there.

I think people mention RG because many of the RG universities (not wanting to out myself by mentioning which) have strict rules about the dress of the graduands. If the students are wearing white bow tie, white shirt, black knee length skirt/trousers/day kilt (tartan), then the overall look is much more subdued and parents seem to be smart but not sparkly, to match IYSWIM.

I live in another university city now and the girls wear short and sparkly party dresses with party heels etc. All looks very strange after sub fusc. Parents seem sparklier to match.

So if in doubt about what to wear, ask your DC what they are wearing. If they have to be in white collars, dark, sober clothes, then aim for discreet wedding guest day clothes (nothing sparkly, shiny etc), if your DC are going in sparkly dresses then you can probably go a bit more MOB if you fancy. Overall I wouldn't worry too much. Head for smart but discreet and they're not going to be too embarrassed.

Some departments like to make it quite a family event with a drinks reception at the department and some sort of evening event like a dance.

If this happens and you meet your DC's tutors, etc, for god's sake, don't start asking about their academic prowess. It's not a primary school parents' evening.

So, what are you all going to wear in this heatwave??

I am looking at my wardrobe in despair...

Heatwave - smart cotton dress. Sleeveless or short sleeves. Linen creases and might not look so good after a while. Avoid anything clingy. Take a wrap if you don’t do cardis.

On another thread, I did say I thought it depended on the university. At some smarter universities, the parents don’t really dress up. Lots of fairly ordinary, but attractive, dresses. Work suits not in evidence. That looks like the parent hasn’t put much effort in. Certainly no hats! DD went to LCF and that wasn’t overly smart. But some parents were quite fashion forward! More than the students - and Grayson Perry wore a dress!

Can’t remember what my mum wore! Can remember her giving me a big hug, and chatting with friends and friends parents and having a lovely time at our meal after. I think maybe work colleagues were just after an excuse to dress up? It won’t matter as long as it’s clean and not too tatty!

Just clicked on here to look for something for dd2's graduation. I wore a dress to dd1's (law, smart RG) 3 years ago and looked fine. Dress I already had for her MSc.

If I was skinny or not short I'd wear wide leg trousers or a very wide leg jumpsuit. Currently have a Bombshell wrap dress in my basket (red) but worried I might be too hot.

Definitely not MOB as far as I could see - except if you want to look a bit overdressed. I graduated many years ago - why would I need my picture taking?

I work in HE. My staple wardrobe for graduation week is a jersey dress, blazer and flat loafers or brogues for winter ceremonies, and a tea dress with flat but smart sandals for summer ones.

My parents didn't even come to my graduation... Possibly because they would have been embarrassed turning up when I wasn't.

When I graduated (different country) I went to the admin office to get my certificate and then went home. No ceremony of any kind and nobody had to get dressed in anything, no drinks either and no celebration - more a get out and get on with it feel

I only have a picture of me on my graduation day because dh's parents came and wanted official pics, and chose one of the two of us as well as dh on his own and with his parents. My parents didn't come. I think my mum might have come to my masters graduate ceremony, I don't think dh went to his.

At the university I used to work for graduation (called something else) meant lots of smartly dressed people milling around, but less noticeably smart than when the JWs had their annual conference.