Why Does Commencement Regalia Look Like That?
Chatham University graduates stand together at the 2025 commencement ceremony.
A sea of caps and gowns floods Pittsburgh every spring as graduating students walk across stages and collect their diplomas.
But why is commencement marked with such unique clothing? It’s a history going back hundreds of years.
The History
If the long robes, swinging tassels, and stoles seem a bit medieval, that’s because they are. Modern academic dress has roots in the European universities of the Middle Ages.
Hundreds of years later, it was adopted by the early colleges of the colonial United States. Some of those universities required their students to always appear in their robes throughout their time at school.
The garb initially began as a way for scholars to stay warm in unheated rooms, and they were likely influenced by clothing worn by scholars in the Christian church. They eventually developed distinct colors and looks to denote where students went to school, what they studied, and what level of degree they earned.
Representing Diversity
Colors on graduation garb have significance too. At Chatham University, all the black robes sport the University’s seal, but some students may also be seen wearing lavender stoles, which are part of the Multicultural and Lavender Graduation Celebration for students of color and LGBTQ graduates.
Lavender, a color historically associated with gay people, has become a symbol of LGBTQ resistance and empowerment, turning it into something positive and meaningful.
Students of color and international students at Chatham are also represented at the Lavender and Multicultural Graduation Celebration, where some students may be seen wearing stoles with a Kente pattern, which comes from the colorful Ghanaian textile used to commemorate special occasions.
These ceremonies show historically marginalized students that they are welcome on campus and that the University wants to celebrate their academic achievements.
Graduates of Chatham’s nursing programs wear apricot-colored hoods at commencement.
Tassels and Hoods
Graduates may also have gold tassels on their black mortarboard caps to show that they obtained a doctorate, or they may wear gold cords to represent their participation in the Honors Program.
Those receiving a Bachelor’s degree will have a hood of Chatham purple, while students graduating from doctor’s or master’s programs will have hoods corresponding with their academic discipline. Those programs and colors are:
Arts, Letters, and Humanities — white
Athletic Training — sage
Business — olive drab
Communication — crimson
Counseling Psychology — gold
Education — light blue
Exercise Science — gold
Fine Arts — brown
Food Studies — gold
Healthcare Informatics — royal blue
Interior Architecture — brown
Nursing — apricot
Physical Therapy — teal
Physician Assistant Studies — gold
Professional Writing — white
Occupational Therapy — slate blue
Science — golden yellow
Social Science — citron
Sustainability — kelly green
Through its rich history and its ubiquity at graduation ceremonies, regalia has become one of the most iconic parts of any commencement. Chatham students can purchase their regalia here.
Get the latest on Chatham University’s commencement ceremony at chatham.edu.