Of course, graduation caps have evolved a lot over the years, but what about today’s caps? The two most commonly used cap styles for modern graduations are the following. Mortarboard Caps Portray your academic or doctorate status with our range of Tudor Bonnets and American Tams made from only the highest quality velvet. Another style is the Tudor bonnet graduation cap . A soft, round cap with a tassel attached to a cord surrounding the hat’s circumference. This style of cap was traditionally worn in Tudor times, hence the name, but now is worn by those graduating at a Doctorate level. Ours are made from the highest quality velvet and have a durable and comfortable design. As your PhD Doctoral Gown will be colourful to celebrate your accolade, our bonnets will match your gown colour with a range of coloured honour cords . How to Measure Your Head for a Graduation Cap The correct way to measure your head circumference: The correct way to measure your head size to take the circumference approximately 1 inch above your eyebrows. If you are not sure what size you need (e.g. you land on the boundary), we would recommend going for the larger size, allowing a more comfortable fit.

Additionally, women also used an apron over the skirt and a cloth bonnet on the heads. During the late Tudor period, hats also became an important ingredient of Tudor clothes for the poor. This cap is a completely academic cap and it's usually worn by a person after completing his/her doctorate degree. Usually, a doctorate degree held by a professional or research purposes wears this cap with an academic dress.

Tudor Clothes Style

There were clear differences between Tudor clothes for poor people and the rich people. The most common types of Tudor clothes for poor people were simple-fitting clothes made from wool and worn without any ornamentation. If you are graduating with a BA, BSc or BEng degree you will have a hood in a colour called University red, in lighter and darker shades. If you are graduating with an LLB degree the hood will be in University red with a violet trim. The hood for MBChB, BDS and BVScdegrees is in University red with a whitetrim.

For many graduates, a traditional cap and gown are somewhat of a novel, eccentric outfit you wear for graduation, but the attire is a tradition with a long history. Essentially, it represents the history of graduating from higher education and wearing a cap during the ceremony is a rite of passage. Women’s dress, on the other hand, mainly consisted of a long gown of wool which went down to the ground. Tudor Bonnets are commonly worn by Ph.D. or Other Doctoral degree graduates in the U.K., Australia, or at colleges and institutes observing the traditions from the U.K. They have a hard brim and are usually decorated with a soft cord tassel. Although the equivalent of the U.S. Doctoral Tams, they look vastly different from the doctoral tams usually worn in the U.S. It is mostly worn as part of academic dress by a person who holds a doctorate degree, mainly by those holding a research or professional doctoral degree. It is also often worn by those holding an honourary or full higher doctorate, and, at certain educational establishments, by University Officers, such as the Esquire Bedell, University Marshal, the president of the students’ union, and members of the university council. We’ll cover how to measure your head for a graduation cap below, but we also have elasticated mortarboard caps available for a simpler solution. The only thing to note is that our elasticated hats are 100% polyester with no felt option. Tudor Bonnet

An academic hat from Tudor times

In some educational establishments, or some faculties of some educational establishments, a mortarboard is worn instead. The cap is worn as traditional clothing with gowns and represents suitable headgear especially for livery and burgess guild officers.

A few educational establishments have a custom to wear a mortarboard instead of a Tudor Bonnet. Furthermore, Livery and burgess guild's officers wear this cap as part of their traditional attire (with gowns).This is a lot easier if you have someone to do it for you, but it’s simple enough to do on your own. Standing in front of the mirror, wrap the tape measure around the circumference of your head. About an inch (2.5cm) above your eyebrows. Also, don’t wrap it too tight, as you’ll want a comfortable fit.

In fact, the heavy application of makeup synonymous with Elizabeth I was not a trend throughout the reign of the first Tudors. For example, during Henry VIII’s time in power, it was more likely that noblewomen would go for a far more natural look. It was only when Elizabeth I came into power and also expanded trade to the Middle East and further abroad that face and eye makeup became widely used throughout the court. The Chief Yeoman Warder and his escort are met by a ceremonial guard on the Broad Steps near the White Tower, which then presents arms. British Museum, Compass Database, visitied on 22-Oct-2003. http://www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/compass/Square cloth hat used by Anglican clergy An Anglican priest delivers a homily, dressed in choir habit with Canterbury cap Doctoral degrees: PhD, DDS, EdD, EngD, DEdPsy, DSocSci and MD have ascarlet gown with a dark violet facing, sleeves and hood lining. Please note that doctoral degrees have mortarboard style hats. He allows him to pass after recognising the Chief Warder as the bearer of Queen Elizabeth's keys by saying 'Pass, Queen Elizabeth's keys, and all's well'.