A doctoral commencement is a once-in-a-lifetime event, and the regalia worn on that day is far more than a garment — it is a public symbol of years of study, a badge of a specific discipline, and, for most graduates, an object they will keep for decades. Ordering custom doctoral regalia is therefore a series of small decisions, and each one deserves scrutiny.
1. Start with your institution’s regalia code. Before discussing fabric or color, confirm what your university actually permits. Many institutions publish specific rules about gown style, hood design, and trim colors, and some require a particular manufacturer or style name.
2. Fabric, weight, and workmanship. The doctoral gown is a heavy, structured garment — it must drape impressively and survive a long ceremony without collapsing into wrinkles. Inspect the fabric’s weight, the seam finishing, and the lining. Reputable houses describe their robes as “retainable,” meaning the garment is built to be preserved as a lifelong memento of achievement, not disposed of after one afternoon. If a supplier cannot explain its fabric specifications or refuses fabric samples, treat that as a warning sign.
3. The hood is where your identity lives. The hood’s lining displays your university’s colors, and its velvet trim declares your discipline — dark blue for philosophy, brown for fine arts, and so on. This is the single most important custom element, which is why suppliers like Rose Therese offer custom hoods built to your school’s exact color specifications. Always ask to see a color swatch and a finished hood sample before ordering; colors that look right on a screen can be entirely wrong in velvet.
4. The tam, the tassel, and the details on top. Doctoral graduates traditionally wear the octagonal velvet tam, and the tassel is typically gold. Check the tam’s structure — it must hold its shape on heads of different sizes — and verify that the tassel color coordinates with your discipline. Small components such as tassels and cords are inexpensive individually, but their quality is highly visible: a cheap, shedding tassel ruins the effect of an expensive gown.
5. Personalization worth the cost. Custom regalia should carry your identity: an embroidered name, a monogram, or a university crest. Confirm what the manufacturer offers before you assume embroidery is included, request a stitch sample, and make sure any lettering will remain crisp after years of storage.
6. Complete the ensemble from one source. A doctoral outfit rarely ends with the gown: honor cords, stoles, a medallion, or a commemorative tassel often complete the look. Ordering every piece from one supplier — as Rose Therese does with its full line of tassels, cords, stoles, medallions, and faculty packages — ensures colors and finishes match exactly. It also simplifies billing, which matters when a department is ordering for several graduates at once.
7. Judge the vendor by its process and its deadlines. The ceremony cannot be rescheduled, so the ordering process is part of the product. A dependable supplier asks for the ceremony date and the distribution date, confirms every order in writing, and ships each gown individually packaged, ready to wear without steaming or repairs.
Verify every detail in advance — the institution’s code, the fabric, the hood colors, the measurements, the ensemble, and the vendor’s process — and the regalia you commission will honor the achievement it represents for decades to come.
Rose Therese Cap & Gown Company has been supplying bachelor’s and PhD graduation gowns, clergy robes, and choir robes to churches and schools for over 30 years. We offer a full line of apparel and accessories in a wide range of colors and styles. For inquiries, please contact: Tel: 508-586-5812 / Tel: 888-266-4696.