subject: Academic Regalia For Ceremonies [print this page] Academic regalia refer to the ceremonial dress worn by members of a tertiary institution during graduation ceremonies. It consists of a gown, a headdress and a hood. In older times, academic regalia were worn on a daily basis. Academic regalia is often rented since it is worn only once or twice in a year. Academic regalia worn by a new graduate are different from that worn by a postgraduate which is known as doctoral regalia or PhD regalia. The difference is seen in the quality of the fabric used. Instead of synthetic fibers like polyester, materials such as wool, cotton, cashmere or silk are used. This is similar to the faculty regalia which are worn by the members of the various faculties. These are members such as professors, deans of faculty and the chancellor of the university. Unlike other academic regalia, faculty regalia is owned and kept by the members of faculty. Faculty regalia and doctoral regalia are of course more expensive, the additional cost is also factored by having to dye in colors that are specific to the institution.
The material used for academic regalia is often influenced by the climate where the learning institution is situated. The other difference is that while an undergraduate will have a cap for his headgear, the doctoral regalia are complemented by a doctoral tam as headdress. These regalia are very similar to court robes and choir robes. Royal colors are usually chosen like scarlet or purple or black which varies from country to country. The custom of not wearing head dress indoors found in some countries even for doctoral regalia. In countries such as France, the postgraduates only hold their doctoral tams in their hands. In other cases, the headdress is removed altogether and they only wear the doctoral gown. Probably due to the cost of the PhD regalia, the doctoral tam is not tossed in celebration as is the case with college graduate caps. Similarly, choir robes consist of only the choir gown and hood, there is no head dress. This is because they are usually worn by religious institutions which do not permit any head gear during religious ceremonies.
Doctoral gowns or choir gowns are traditionally complemented with a hood lined with fur. Recently due to animal rights activists, the use of faux fur has been entrenched. Choir robes are similar to doctoral robes and court robes in style and color but they are almost always embroidered with distinguishable religious symbols. Some faculty regalia are also embroidered with the institutes emblem. Choir robes are never rented and many times they are custom-made for particular churches. There is usually a traditional color for choir gowns worn on regular services and different color gowns for special services. Due to their frequent use throughout the year, choir robes should be of a good quality fabric to prevent chaffing and fading. Choir robes and academic regalia are sometimes standardized by international universities and churches. This may require them to be shipped from their countries of origin in order to maintain consistency.
