Deluxe Garment Bag

Academic regalia came to fruition when universities started forming in the 12th and 13th centuries. Students and teachers typically wore clerical clothing because the church was highly influential at this time. Many professors were priests, monks or clerics and their students were usually studying to do something similar. Historians believe scholars wore long robes and hoods to keep warm in these unheated buildings. While medieval universities initially inspired the academic dress, the first recognized schools that officiated graduation attire were Oxford and Cambridge. Graduation Caps originated in the 15th century evolving from hats known as birettas used by Catholic clerics, scholars, and professors. The origin of the biretta dates back as far as 1311 in churches. The shape of the mortarboard cap is debatable among historians. Most historians believe it merely signifies the form of a book to give a scholarly appearance or is meant to represent the shape of the quad within the Oxford campus (the first college). Others think the reason the cap is square because it represents the mortarboard of a master workman. By 1321, they forbade “excessive apparel” in universities requiring everyone to wear long gowns during ceremonies to create unity. This original European academic style was pervasive throughout the centuries and even into colonial America. After the Civil War, caps and gowns were reserved strictly for graduation. For a more detailed history and images, click here: https://www.graduationsource.com/blog/graduation-cap-and-gown-history/