Graduation ceremony dress - can anyone help me to find one?

[Geekylass]

I am graduating at the end of June and I need a long (at least calf-length), plain black dress, preferably with a scoop or v-neck, and with either a long sleeve or sleeveless. The only ones I can find are not really suitable for a daytime event - there are plenty of evening-y, satiny, cleavage-baring ones, but no formal daytime ones! I am planning to wear it with flat shoes (less chance of me tripping over the robes!) and a small black clutch bag, if I can find one. I realise that it will be very difficult to get a long black dress at this time of year, but has anyone seen anything that might do me?

I have ordered the black maxi dress from Boden, but am worried it will be too summery, and the jersey material might be a bit shiny, so am going to keep looking. I have googled, but can only find goth/evening wear!

Can anyone help? Am getting a bit desperate now...

You need something simple with a button to hook the robe onto.

I dont know the boden maxi dress so may be wrong but it does not sound right too flowy.

Geekylass - Your gown, hat and degree are going to be pretty impressive! For what you wear underneath - Well this is really really a less is more moment.

IMHO you need a good quality, well fitted, crisp white shirt and a pair of plain feminine fit black trousers.

Simple make up and get your hair done at a hairdressers for a polished edge!

By the way - waaaaahoooo you are graduating chah chah chaaaaaah - big big big congratulations and enjoy your day!!!!

I agree teafortwo.

also suggest buttons on your top - for mine I went for simple suit skirt or trousers, and a smart dark top - first time a shirt and second a short sleeved cardi thing. Took the suit jacket off whilst wearing gown and silly hat, put it on when going for posh lunch with family

Okay, I see your point - I'll give up looking and settle for the top and skirt combo. Thanks for your advice!

Oh, and thanks tea for two! I'll try to enjoy it

Can I offer advice on a critical accessory?

You need a strong safety pin and a good bra.

The hood part of the gown is usually quite heave and can really drag the font of your bouse/dress up. The best way to do it (as advised by teh hirer of the gowns at my ceremony) is not to hook the hood onto a button - but to pin it to your bra! you still need buttons so you have a gap to poke the hook through,

More than one safety pin would be a good idea - if you have a whole packet you will be the most popular person there!

Agree with what others have said about buttons. I found that the buttons on my shirt were a bit rubbish and kept rucking it up and as DS was only 6 weeks old and it was the hottest day of the year, you can imagine I felt a bit self conscious when my tummy was on show for all to see

Advice from a similar thread last year. A blouse/shirt is the easiest option because of the buttons. Make sure that the shirt is tucked into your skirt/trousers and that the band on said skirt/trousers is firmly in place round your waist as the hood will tend to pull it all up!

Well yes - not many of us had safety pins when we were told as we weren't advised in advance.

SlightymadStirrup, agree completely with the bra thing! And it has to fit really tightly - I remember one of my friends who anchored the pin through her blouse onto her bra and the whole ensemble started slowly moving towards her collarbone!

I've done this a fair bit (had to robe up for students' graduations too) and you definitely need:

Dress or sturdy top with buttons (so it looks like you've just hooked the loop over one)

Closely-fitting bra

Loads of safety pins. Not just for bra, but also for slipping robes, etc.

When I graduated we were told to wear black dresses but onone of us did - I wore a black dress with orange and blue flowers and my friends wore summer dresses too - looked much nicer IMHO (This was Reading uni)

Thank you all very much - that's just the kind of advice I need. I had been a bit concerned about the hood, but assumed it wasn't too heavy as no-one had mentioned it. I guess that's yet another one of those things you have to learn through experience! No need to worry about the bra, they're all sturdy as I am quite top-heavy

I am the oldest student on my course and used to looking after them all so will take loads of strong safety pins (have lots in sewing box) and hand them round. Maybe it will pay off in future if one of them is ever in the position to employ me!

And thanks for pointing me to the other thread, will read it now and see if there's any more tips.

Higgle - I graduated from Reading three times, they never told me to wear something specific! Is this a more recent development, I wonder? (I wore a dark red silk dress for the summer one, went quite nicely with the robes!)

MamaHobgoblin - no, I suspect it was before your time ( I am quite ancient) - in the good old days when there were rules, but it was far more fun to break them!

I wore dresses for mine - in Glasgow the hood is part of the conferring of the degree, so it's like a mini public garrotting. However - the bra tip good, but also you can pin the hood on to your shoulders with small safety pins. Get someone to help!

pmsl @ mini public garroting

Habbibu, I am facing the garrotting at Glasgow! Very worried that I'm going to panic and grab at the hood when they fling it over my head because I'll be trying to remember to bow my head at the same time! As if I wasn't nervous enough...

i graduated twice from glasgow and wore white blouse and black skirt for all the reasons noted below

i don't think we were allowed trousers then but it was the dark ages

Don't wear a black skirt and white top, I look like a bloody waitress in all my photo's and hate it with a passion.

I agree with Sorrento, tbh - I just think it looks a bit odd in the photos - mostly as it's just not how you'd dress, and the sleeves look funny.

Geeky - 2 things - the dais and steps can shuffle apart a bit, so watch as you get to the top! And if you have long hair, be aware that the person doing the hooding can catch your hair, trapping it in front of your face with the hood, resulting in a charming "Cousin It gets a degree" impression.

Didn't happen to me, thankfully, but to my flatmate who had lots of beautiful long wavy black hair.

Habbibu - I watched one of the ceremonies from last year (only two or so did anything embarrassing, so not too bad!) and had already decided to straighten my mess of hair and tie it back so it didn't catch on anything/anyone. And I am definitely wearing flat shoes for my moment in the spotlight! Managed to fall up the stairs a few months ago right in front of one of my lecturers - she was trying soooo hard not to laugh as it was a total pratfall, arms and legs everywhere, sprawled right across the stairs It could only have been bettered if I'd had a cup of coffee to fling at the wall as I fell! AND I was wearing docs at the time, so can't blame it on heels. My OH said all he remembers from his graduation (he was at Glasgow too) is trying not to trip over the robes, so I have been well warned!