What's the dress code for graduations these days?

[catelina]

I mean parents.

Do people still dress up?

Graduates will have a dress code set by their university. If it's an in person ceremony rather than virtual I expect it would be formal dress code as per usual as it is a formal event.

Just went to our daughter's graduation. We dressed up, and so did all the other parents that I noticed - disclaimer, I was looking more at our daughter and the graduands than at the other parents!

It depends on the uni.

I wore a smart summer dress for one, and a smart skirt/ jumper for another, dictated by the weather. When you are sitting in the hall and they go up to get their certs, no one is looking at the parents.
And many celebrations are outside in marquees so dress for the weather with no silly high heels to get stuck in the lawn!

I think it's a bit OTT to dress up as if it's a wedding with fascinators etc, and most parents go as smart casual, mums wear smart trousers and tops, with Dads in lounge suits (or some wear smart chinos and shirts.)

Going to DS’s this week. Have a midi dress and jacket. DDs was in the summer so I wore a nice summer dress.
I need to decide on shoes but they won’t be heels..

I wore a linen shift dress for DDs a few years back. It was during a heatwave and it was perfect.

Also DH word a linen blazer and chinos to DDs and is wearing a suit to DS’s. He is still debating whether or not to wear a tie.

I haven't been to one since my own, and in those days it was bordering on wedding level, hats and all.

Hoping for dress and sandals weather (Scotland, early summer). Noted re lawn-safe heels, good tip.

Having been to many graduations as working in a uni… I’d say the lower end of wedding smart is about average but ANYTHING goes from jeans to evening dress via some amazing national dress.

I bought a patterned Jersey dress from Seasalt to wear for DS's in January. It was postponed a week before the event(dye to Covid) It's now in July so that dress will be too warm - unless we have a cold spell in July! I will looking for some sort of summery casual dress to wear - with or without a jacket. Definitely no hat though.

I'm so pleased you've asked this OP, I was wondering the same. It's my sons graduation on Friday. I'm thinking maybe a jumpsuit, jacket and flat shoes

When dd graduated we got told to dress like a guest at a wedding but without the hats etc

Anything smart casual, but flat shoes definitely. As well as the already mentioned grassy areas, there's a surprisingly large amount of time spent standing around, or walking from one end of a campus to the other.

Shoulder bag too - you'll probably be clutching an A4-sized graduation programme and a glass of warm wine for most of the time.

It was summer for dd's. I wore a smart summer dress. If it was cold would have worn a jacket.

Most were the same. More dressy then office wear but not wedding attire. More like a christening.

I hate to say, this but sometimes the scale of attire on display is in inverse proportion to the prestige of the university!

Most wear clothes similar to a wedding or garden party - think Coast or Per Una midi dresses with jacket and some wear hats.

I'm attending 2 this summer, I'm wearing the same dress to both bought in the pepperberry closing down sale, mid calf, wedges (remember you will be on grass!) and jacket

Whatever you think will look nice in the photos with your child! They’ll be looking smart so you might want to look equally smart alongside them.

Yes they seem to dress up here (Oxford). Not as much as for a wedding, but that kind of direction. Not hats. There do tend to be quite a few photos, so you'd want to look nice!

@JinglingHellsBells

I hate to say, this but sometimes the scale of attire on display is in inverse proportion to the prestige of the university!

I used to see families arriving for graduation ceremonies at a university that I guess some of you would consider less prestigious. Many of the young people were the first in their family to go to university or they were mature students. It was a bloody big deal for them and too damn right they dressed up. But if it's your third child to graduate from a Russell Group uni then yes, I imagine you might not see it as such an occasion.

Didn't see any hats but most of the men were in suits and women in dresses/smart trousers etc.

I’ve been to 3 graduations including my own and not seen any grass! Where are all these grassy graduations?

My DDs graduation was last November in a city centre, it was trying to snow. I wore my smart office trousers, a nice blouse and cardigan, with flat black boots. Then I put a padded casual coat over the top to keep warm. DH wore a suit, no tie. DD wore a completely inappropriate summer dress and high boots, no tights. I held her large padded coat for the photos and ceremony.
There was no gathering or party just the ceremony followed by photos outside. Some parents were smarter dressed, tailored coats and high heels. Most were more casual than us.
This was a top Russell group uni.

Next one is middle of the summer, I will wear a dress that is smart office.

Yy to something you'll look good in for the photos .

I’ve been to a lot of graduation ceremonies. The graduands wear absolutely all sorts, including sometimes some freakiky high heels. Not sure I’d have the nerve to walk across the stage. The parents tend to wear quite subdued things, I guess because they don’t want to upstage the graduands with bright colours and patterns etc. So smart but not really wedding-y, more job interview if I had to say.