The Facts about Caps and Gowns
A long time ago, classes were not held in schools, as during that period of time, there were not many buildings available. Instead, classes were being held in churches or monasteries. The dress codes that were being worn during that time in churches and monasteries were the formal attires of what the students wore to attend the classes. The graduation caps and gowns that students of today wear are actually evolved from that time. Both the caps and gowns were evolved from the hoods and the robes that the priests wore in churches and monasteries. Thus, with time, these hoods and robes slowly transformed into the current graduation caps and gown that student’s wear to attend graduation ceremonies to be able to receive their papers.
In the very first education that was available, students wore robes and hoods daily as part of their formal attire to attend classes. These students wore these robes and hoods not only during schools but also special occasions. Thus, this caused some people to complain that these hoods and robes that they wore frequently were too hot and heavy to wear whole day. As a result, there was a period of time that some schools eventually eradicated the whole process of students wearing the graduation caps and gowns at graduation ceremonies. However, with time progressing forward, people's views and thoughts started to change. At the present, many schools require their students to wear graduation caps and gowns to attend the graduation ceremony. After all, these clothing reflects the students' success and achievement.
In the olden times, there were different colors of robes that people wore. These different colors were used to differentiate the different in status level of people. During that period of time, students who had not yet graduated would wear different robes of various colors, while graduates and scholars would wear robes that were black in colors. However in modern times, students also wear different colors of the gowns in graduation ceremonies, so as to distinguish them from the difference in course studies that each of them takes. This is to avoid confusion of who studies which course subjects.
In the sixteenth century, the cap's shape that graduates wear has been determined since then. During that time, it was known as a hat and it was a square hat, which represented the current day's mortarboard. By having that hat to be squared hat, it was believed during that time people who wore such hats look more studious and intelligent.
Overall, the graduation caps and gowns that students wear nowadays are actually evolved from a much earlier time in the past. No matter how far back the time is, both the present and past all emphasize that these graduation gowns and caps that people wear reflect status, honor and pride. However, with time changes, the current gowns and caps that people wear are quite different as they can decorate their caps anyway that they like, such as by putting stickers and pictures onto the caps.
