Everything You Need to Consider Before Picking Your Graduation Outfit

High school graduation is right around the corner.

(High School Musical 3: Senior Year via Walt Disney Pictures)

Beyond spending time with friends and family, celebrating your accomplishments and rejoicing in the end of an era, there's one more crucial graduation necessity: your outfit!

Obviously you want to end your high school career in style, so keep reading for everything you need to consider before picking your graduation outfit.

The Weather

First and foremost, you have to consider the weather on graduation day. Not only will you be wearing your chosen graduation outfit, you'll also be bundled up in your robe and weighed down with stoles, medals, sashes and any other additional accessories specific to your high school. It might not seem like that much at the time, but a few hours in all that garb can get pretty toasty.

Obviously it's difficult to know the exact weather of your graduation, but try to consider the typical seasonal weather in your area and plan accordingly. You can also pay attention to the setting of your actual ceremony. If it's indoors in an air-conditioned room, you might not have much to worry about. If your high school opts for an outdoor ceremony, however, you might want to consider a lightweight and breezy outfit that will keep you comfortable throughout the day.

(Glee via FOX)

 

The Length of Your Robe

Obviously wearing a robe throughout the majority of your graduation day puts certain limitations on your outfit choice. While a floor length option might seem classier, it definitely creates a strange appearance with the robe layered over the top.

But if you're really searching for something that falls below your knee, you can purchase a midi that lands right above the bottom of your robe. If you don't care for longer options, you should be totally safe with a shorter dress. Whatever you choose, make sure you try on your robe beforehand and determine just how long you can go without adding an awkward layer to your graduation look.

 

The Color of Your Robe

Admittedly, the color of your robe isn't quite as important when choosing a graduation outfit. However, if you want to unzip your robe at the end of the ceremony and snap a few pics, it's better not to have two colors that majorly clash competing for attention in photos you'll have to look at for the rest of your life.

If you can incorporate the color of your robe at all, it will definitely add an improved aesthetic to your pictures. If your school chooses annoyingly garish colors for your robe (like the unflattering bright green we had to deal with), try to opt for basic colors like whites, nudes, or blacks for your dress. Not only will they tone down your robe, they'll keep from overpowering your pics with mismatched colors.

(Gossip Girl via The CW)

 

The Longevity of the Style

As mentioned above, graduation day is a memory that you'll carry with you for your whole life. Following current trends and fashions is totally acceptable, but you also want to consider how you might like whatever style you choose a few years from now. If you think your choice might just be a temporary fad, it might be safer to go with a more classic option. After all, no one wants to look back on their graduation pictures the same way we all look back at our photos from middle school—with tons of regret.

 

Your Comfort

Obviously the most important outfit consideration on your graduation day is your comfort. You have to spend a lot of time in whatever outfit you choose, so pick something that feels just as great as it looks. We can't tell you what works best for your needs, but consider how you would feel spending hours in each outfit as you try it on. In fact, the feel of the outfit might help you make a decision, especially if you're torn between two or three great options. You don't want to sour your graduation day by feeling uneasy, so make sure comfort is always your first priority.

 

Now that you have your outfit under control, click HERE for nine easy hairstyles that will look cute underneath your grad cap.