How To Make Sure Your Graduation Cap & Gown Fits

Crossing the stage and accepting your high school or college diploma in a graduation gown has long been a tradition in the academic community. Whether your alma mater requires you to wear an academic gown with a cap and tassel, a graduation cord and stole, or any other kind of academic apparel, it’s important to plan ahead and order your cap and gown early. Only then will you be able to determine the right graduation gown length, width, style, and color.

That being said, there are many different cap and gown designs to choose from nowadays, which can make it difficult to make sure that you are ordering the right one. So, from all of us here at Class Act Graduation, here are some steps to take in order to ensure that your graduation cap and gown fits before you walk!

Know Your Size

Of course, the first step in picking out the right graduation gown size is knowing what size clothing you wear as well as your dimensions in terms of height and weight. When you place your cap and gown order, most online graduation shops will have a size chart for you to reference as you select your size. At Class Act Graduation, all of our graduation gown sizes are clearly labeled, including our plus-size graduation gowns.

As a general rule of thumb, grad gowns should fit somewhat loosely so they hang over your body without restricting movement. Length-wise, your grad gown should fall eight to 10 inches from the ground so they cover everything but your feet and ankles. Because of this, it’s equally important to consider your height as well as your weight when placing a cap and gown order online.

Follow Care Instructions

All too often, high school and college graduates order a cap and gown online that fits perfectly, only to throw it in the washer or dryer and have it shrink down a size. That’s why it’s important to follow the care instructions on the label when your academic robes arrive — this can prevent easy-to-make mistakes such as melting gown material, iron marks, shrinking, or ripping.

At Class Act Graduation, all of our graduation caps and gowns are made ready to wear from the moment you open the package. If wrinkling occurs during shipping, simply take the grad gown out of the package and hang it up several days before the ceremony so the wrinkles can naturally flatten themselves out. If this doesn’t work, try steaming it or hanging it inside your bathroom door when you take a shower.

Don’t Hem It Yourself

Another common mistake graduates make when preparing for graduation is trying to hem their grad gown themselves if they ordered a size too large. This is a risky move to make if you weren’t an apparel and merchandising major in college or regularly sew and hem your own clothes. If your grad gown needs to be hemmed, it’s worth it to find an experienced family member to do it for you or bring it into your local tailor or clothing alteration shop.

Order Your Graduation Cap & Gown Early

All things said and done, the best thing you can do to make sure you order the right graduation gown size and matching cap is to place your cap and gown order early. At Class Act Graduation, we sell graduation apparel all year round so you can plan ahead for the big day. Shop now!