Style & Beauty
rgent help needed!!! What to wear under a gown?
Chandra · 12/07/2005 12:15
A graduation gown, of course
My graduation is tomorrow afternoon and I'm about to hit the shops to try to find something suitable, the question is... is it too bad if I wear trousers, or better said? would I be the only woman wearing trousers? I have not used a skirt in years and would like to avoid it, specially as I don't feel like getting a new pair of shoes specially DS dropped a chair on my toes yesterday and I have a very black and painful big toe that won't welcome high heels )
Marina · 12/07/2005 12:23
chandra, congratulations .
I'd say make sure you wear something you can attach the front of the hood to, securely, without the fabric rucking up. I kept coming untucked at my Masters' graduation and although I was more sylphlike in those days I cut a slightly ridiculous figure.
Normally I would say a really simple shift dress but I think that is out for you.
I can't see a problem with trousers myself - women Muslim graduates at our local university wear the salmar kameez under their gowns and look extremely smart.
Good luck!
Tommy · 12/07/2005 12:24
I think trousers would be fine. On your top half I would suggest a very thin blouse/top thing - those gowns are really hot at the best of times! When I graduated (too long ago to remember ) we were told that a blouse/shirt with a collar was best as it could go over your gown and the blokes' ties went in front of it IYSWIM.
I very dutifully got a blouse with a collar and then left the collar under the gown!
Good luck anyway
Chandra · 12/07/2005 12:52
Awen,notting at all? that's an idea! I'm graduating fromm Hist of Art, have to say that when I completed my BA (in art)thousand years ago, me and my friends wore a piece of a shower curtain from the mortard board that had the word "untitled". Awww... those crazy years!
Thanks for the reasurance about the troussers, I just need to find the top then, somebody recommended for it to have buttons to keep the hood in its place, would a pin do? I don't look very good in shirts, though may be a top with a collar would do fine...
Marina · 12/07/2005 12:55
Take a couple of sturdy safety pins. The teeny gold ones from dry cleaners are not enough IMO.
I graduated with a fellow actor who might as well have been starkers under her gown. She was so incensed at the Hyacinth Bouquet Ladies Tips for elegant graduation letter she received from Registry that she went to considerable trouble to source a dress that followed their guidelines apart from being transparent chiffon
babyonboard · 12/07/2005 16:59
He he..reminds me of my boyfriends graduation last summer, when i went in a bright red halterneck dress with pleated skirt..very marilyn monroeish.. and red and black stripy court heels. everyone else was wearing very muted sensible gear..I stick out like a sore thumb on the pictures and video..he he..
Chandra · 13/07/2005 01:20
Thank you for all your posts, at the end I decided to get a white shirt (though in the back of my mind I consider I should have gotten the black one...) anyways, shirt is ready as well as an alternative top in case tomorrow it's a bit cold (I wish). I will let you know how the thing goes.
Thanks for your help
ChandraMAYorkWithDistinction · 14/07/2005 19:14
Just a little note to say thanks again for your advice, as you have accurately informed me the gown was bloody hot, heavy enough to pull my shirt upwards but definitively it was a good idea to get the bluse with buttons as the safety buttons didn't do the job exactly right, and there were lots of women wearing trousers (I have not wore skirts since my wedding and I didn't want to ruin my record .
The graduation was OK, shoke hands with the former head of the BBC who told me several things I couldn't hear and stupid me, didn't realise who he was until the end of the ceremony . As much as I wanted to show off how much DS (then Bump) has grown up, I'm glad I didn't take DS with us, as the only other child was asked to leave the hall but we shot some lovely pictures with him once outside
And as you can see from my name for this message, I'm having a smug moment but only because I have never deserved such honour before, though may be was given as a token of sympathy to the woman who spent half the course pregnant and the other half in maternity leave
Thanks again.
Doddle · 14/07/2005 19:32
Chandra, just guessing from the new name that you did your MA at York, i did my History of Art BA at York and loved it!! What field did you study? Are Amanda LIllie and Christopher Norton still there? I have many fond memories of fabulous study trips away with them. Congratulations!!
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