A Guide to Graduation Wear for Gentlemen.

 As Graduation  ceremonies approach for many, a gentleman ought to plan what he will wear on this momentous day in his life. The initial guide for mine personally is, ambiguously, “simple, uncluttered clothing” as there is not an official dress code. This is still, however, a formal occasion and here simple and uncluttered does not refer to jeans and a t shirt. In many graduations, gentlemen seem content wearing a pair of smart trousers, a shirt and a tie. This is indeed a simple, fuss-free look and practical considering how warm the day (if it is indeed summer time) ought to be. On the other hand, the graduation gown will reveal the shirt sleeves so here are a few alternatives which require a little more effort and a little more resilience. These are a two piece suit or a three piece suit. The positives are obviously that you will look better dressed than your shirt wearing counterpart because a jacket covers wear the shirt might have billowed or crinkled after sitting and standing and presents a more refined look. The three piece does this and more as the waistcoat will cover most of the shirt’s body. There is of course a compromise by wearing a three piece suits minus the jacket, creating a smarter look than just a shirt, but probably more comfortable than a full suit. If you are worried, take the jacket or waistcoat with you; see how it feels with the graduation gown on. Remove the jacket if need be or keep it on if it feels good.

The only way to ensure that any of the looks is smart is making sure everything fits well and looks good.

From the bottom up:

The Shoes: Make sure these are comfortable but as polished as you can get them. They do not need to be hard leather, but they do need to look as smart as you can get them.

The Trousers: Assuming you’re buying from a fashionable retailer, the trousers are likely to be slim fit and have a short rise (distance between the waistband and the crotch) so make sure they do not fit too tightly unless you want to people to think you have women’s leggings on. Try the size that would normally take and the next waist size up and see which is more comfortable. On most modern trousers, the waistband is just above the hips and, depending on if you’re wearing just a shirt or a suit, you should wear a belt with the former and braces with the latter. This will make each style look as clean as possible because a belt breaks up the line of a suit by separating it and wearing just braces over a shirt looks like you’re in an indie band or you have forgotten your jacket. The trousers should have should just touch the top of the shoes for the cleanest trouser line. Belts should match the shoes in colour and material. In terms of colour, lighter colours will compliment the weather but darker colours work better if you are not wearing the suit as the bold contrast of dark trousers and light shirt will appear smart.

Shirt: Most shirts only offer the collar size as a guide so if you have an average or slim build look for a tailored fit or slim fit shirt. You should be able to fit a finger or two comfortably in between the collar when it is buttoned and the shirt’s body should not billow nor should it gape when you sit down. Wearing a jacket will cover these two problems. Whether you go for single cuff or double cuff is up to you. White is always a good colour to go for, as is sky blue. The tie should compliment the colours of both the shirt and trousers. 

   

The Waistcoat: The waistcoat should cover the top of the trouser waistband and just peak out of a closed jacket. It should fit the body well without being tight or loose. Any tailor will say how hard it is to get this garment right but measure your chest and try on until you get the right size. Make sure it matches the trousers, and the jacket if your wearing one, and remember to leave the bottom button undone.  

The jacket: This will make or break the outfit. It has to fit if you want to look smarter than any of the above. The jacket should fit on the chest smoothly so it doesn’t pull at the waist, nor give too much room. There should be a little bit of shirt cuff visible seen, quarter of inch or so. It should lie flat on the body and the shoulders should not protrude from the natural shoulder as this will make the head look smaller, if they are too narrow the head will look bigger.  

It is your day, so make sure you feel comfortable and happy in whatever you wear.