How I got started

After going through enough commencement and graduation ceremonies in a rented gown, hood, and cap & hating the cheesy quality (like wearing a glorified dry cleaner bag), I started to think that I’d like to have my own, in decent quality fabric. After finding it costs circa $1000 for a decent set, I decided to investigate what it would take to make a set of my own (as a diversion as well a cost-saving/quality enhancing exercise).

At first I thought about the gown, and learned a lot from a blogger who constructed her own PhD robe (not cap and hood) in 2008.  Starting with a Butterick pattern 5626 (church/choir robe) and altering it (single pleat in front instead of gathers, adding velvet collar and trim around front opening, and adjusting sleeves to puff around a shorter lining, cartridge pleating instead of gathering) as well as adding chevrons and piping per her alma mater’s design, she ended up with a very impressive reproduction of her school’s official robes, in a lovely fabric that it would be a pleasure to wear to the annual festivities.

I thought about going down the same route, but also considered some alternatives, since I didn’t feel the need to duplicate my PhD school’s official robes precisely, and a little research shows considerable variation in the style of robes worn today (note the much slimmer silhouette of the red and blue gown in the center of this photo). Since I received my doctorate years ago and am unlikely to be in an academic procession entirely of PhDs from my alma mater, I’m not concerned about standing out as a misfit, and since commencement is a day or two of pageantry, why not come up with a dramatic outfit that is within the spirit of the occasion and accords with the symbolism and history of the various elements?  These are:  

Robe
Hood
Cap

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Comments

  1. SewingBeaSeptember 26, 2024 at 1:48 PM

    Thank you so much for posting your instructions. I have been looking for easy to follow PhD cap and gowns to adapt for a teddy bear I'm making for my son. I am using a graduation bear as a basis but obvs the cap and gown aren't right.
    Thanks again ❤️

    ReplyDelete

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