When you graduate from a university or college, it’s indeed a huge accomplishment. And, on the commencement day, you must have dreamed of yourself wearing a gown and cap. However, now students are also seen wearing graduation stole on this special day. But why do they wear graduation stole? Well, wearing custom graduation stoles is a way for students to honor their society memberships, show off their achievements, and boast their affiliations, like sororities, acknowledgments, or fraternities of any proud service, like the military. Students love to wear the commemorative sashes over their shoulders and get them customized themselves or through their school. Nowadays, students need to find the right graduation sole and get it customized. You can find reputable online companies to help you build the desired custom stole on your graduation day. However, there are a few things that you need to keep in mind before investing in one.
1) Graduation sashes and soles are the same things
Don’t get confused by the two different terms ‘sashes’ and ‘stoles.’ Both are the same and used as graduation attire. Since both words refer to the same thing, many places are now offering them a similar-looking design. It comes with fabrics to drape on shoulders and not the whole body.
2) Different colors mean different things
A graduation stole can be of any color these days. You can choose any desired color and every store color signifies something. If you are confused about what color to choose, here are a few options:
Beige: Business
White: English, Humanities, Arts, etc.
Orange: Engineering
Green: Pharmacy, Medicine, and Physical Education
Pink: Music
Light Blue: Education
Purple: Law
Gray: Husbandry and Veterinary Science
Brown: Architecture and Fine Arts
Dark Blue: Political Science and Philosophy
Yellow: Mathematics and Science
So, you can choose these colors as per your education field.
3) Priests used to wear graduation stoles
Stoles earlier did not have any academic association. Earlier these were not only used for graduation ceremonies but also work by Anglican and Catholic priests in the 12th century. These were the cloth items only to be worn by people in some official position. With time, English scholars from medieval times also started wearing them as a way to make scholars distinguish from other students.
4) Generally, stores are made using satin that needs special cleaning care
The satin fabric is glossy and smooth like silk fabric. So, you need to wash it carefully and gently. If the stole ends up being dirty before the photo shoot or graduation day, it’s recommended to wash it in a machine in a ‘delicate’ wash cycle. This will keep the fabric look good as new.
5) Distinct cultures have various fabrics for sash or stole
There is no need to simply settle for a satin fabric for a sash or stole. There are many other fabric options for people to represent a certain culture, like:
- Kente graduation sashes
- Filipino graduation sashes
- Native American graduation sashes
- Zarape/Serape graduation sashes
So, if you come from any of these communities of cultural background, you may choose a graduation stole to represent your cultural identity.
6) Stoles come with pockets
All graduation gowns are not integrated with easy-to-access pockets. So, it makes it hard to contact your family after a ceremony, as you cannot keep your phone in a gown. On the other hand, the stoles do come with pockets on the other side. This makes it ideal to secure your phone, as well as wallet conveniently.
7) Graduation Stoles come with various customization options
Not able to find a stole that suits your style? Text and colors are not the only things you may add to your stole. If you want to create a stole on your own, you may even consider decorating it with embroidery. In case you cannot do embroidery, you may look for professional custom embroidery services to get it done. You may consider embroidering logos of your school clubs, family’s name, and text denoting all academic achievements. Besides that, you may add certain designs on your stole’s neck and also embroider custom logos as you like.
8) Cords and stoles have distinct purposes
Most people mistake cords for stoles, as they serve similar purposes. However, cords are very geared towards academic awards and achievements. But the stoles can be designed for anything that you want them to be, like cultural identity, student organizations, and more.
Furthermore, cords may often be stacked over each other. The stoles are not stacked. It’s standard to wear just one stole to ensure no other stole hides under the top stole.
9) It’s optional to wear sashes or stoles, but it’s recommended
Many schools do not even need stoles for wearing at the graduation ceremony. So, many students don’t even wear stoles, however, certain students prefer to wear them for displaying their groups and the achievements they are associated with.
Since it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, it’s recommended to wear graduation stoles on their special day. It is because you will always remember this day and also would like to keep this stole with you for the rest of your life.
10) It’s easier to design and order a graduation sash within a few minutes
Show Your Spirit provides various resources for helping choose the right stole for you. If you are graduating this year or next year, know that you can easily design the desired stole on our website. We help you create the desired accessory as per your preference.
Conclusion
The most important thing to keep in mind when you decide to wear a graduation stole, you can get it customized as per your preference and liking. Meanwhile, you need to design it as per your university or college’s guidelines for commencement day.
Commemorate your milestone by creating a perfect graduation stole with Show Your Spirit.
