Today I donned my regalia again! While it's heavy and hot, it's also a reminder that sometimes the real world is a little bit like Harry Potter. Nooo. It's a reminder that when you pour blood, sweat, and tears (probably more tears than blood, let's hope) into a PhD, you get to wear this cool outfit once or twice a year and impress all the whippersnappers. *Did I just say whippersnappers? OMG.*
As you can see from the picture above, regalia is more than a coat. It's a head-to-toe look. It begins with the velvet tams--excellent headwear, actually. For fun, click on this link to see other kinds of tams. Click on this one to see doctoral hats from Finland and Sweden. I really need to get back to my point, right!
Then, you have the robe, which may or may not come in a cool color, and some bedazzling if you are lucky. Got your velvet panels? Check. How about that piping? Yup. Full bell sleeves? Of course. Pocket Slits? Yes!
Wait, do you have all of these things? As it turns out, not all gowns are created equal. To begin, some come in cool colors, like burgundy or purple. Mine is black. Some have colored velvet panels. Some are black. Mine are royal blue. Some gowns have piping, but many don't. The piping costs more, but I felt that I had to have it, so I have gold piping. Most doctoral gowns have puffy sleeves, I mean bell sleeves. Some don't. Mine does. Finally, I ordered mine to have a pocket slit and an actual pocket. Word.
Finally, do not forget that people can see your ankles and feet. Wear attractive shoes, please! I wore leopard print sandals with rhinestones on them. I painted my toes light blue. Rocked that!
Most people do not think of regalia as being a part of "fashion," but this ensemble from the academic wardrobe has all the makings of an outfit, so...maybe Project Runway should design regalia! "New challenge, designers." Go back and read that last sentence in Heidi Klum's voice.
Here's what I have. First, the bags for safekeeping, then the big reveal.
Proof that pockets and slits **hate that word**exist:
Pocket.
Slit.
Now for some of the finer details I have not yet mentioned. First up, the reminder inside the gown that you have a doctorate:
Then the "hood," WHICH ISN'T ACTUALLY A HOOD. YOU CAN'T WEAR IT AS A HOOD. :D
Mine is outlined in blue (the color for PhD) and contains my degree granting institution's colors, orange and white. This thing serves the excellent purpose of choking me, and I don't even get to see the cool colors. What up? ? ?
How about a picture of me after I got hooded?
Nice, right?!
Maybe someone took a picture of me today as I sat on stage or marched into the ceremony. Maybe not. If you have one, send it to me.
