What Graduation Dress Colors Should You Choose?

Graduation is one of those big events in a person’s life. It reflects all your hard work over the years and marks the end of one chapter of your life. Your friends and family will want to take pictures, and you will want to look good in those photos as you share them for years to come.

Some of our favorite graduation dresses come from Sherri Hill’s collection, and they come in a wide variety of colors and styles. You may wonder what color graduation dress you should wear for your ceremony. There are some traditional options depending on several factors, but a lot of them depend on your style.

School Colors

Some schools have a strict dress code for graduation, which may even include a list of acceptable colors for the event. Thankfully, most schools aren’t that strict since you’ll likely wear a gown over everything for the ceremony.

If you want to show school pride, you could always wear a dress that reflects your school colors underneath the graduation gown. Most schools have two colors designated as their official colors. Look for something in one or both of these colors.

If you’re graduating high school, moving on to college, or moving on to another university for a post-graduate program, you could also show your excitement for the future. Wear the school colors for the new university you’ll be moving on to to signal the transition from one institution to another.

Club or Sorority Colors

Similar to school colors, many clubs and on-campus societies also have colors associated with them. If you’re a member of an honor society or sorority, you may want to show your loyalty by wearing their colors for graduation.

Some organizations and sororities will wear specific colors as a group for graduation. Be sure to check with yours to see if you will coordinate your dress as a group.

Seasonal Colors

Some graduates prefer to match their attire to the season. Most graduations occur in the spring or early summer, so white dresses are common. Soft, pastel colors that match the spring theme are also popular.

Some graduations happen in late autumn or early winter, so you may want to choose a richer or darker color dress. Black is a classic option that you can wear for many occasions, but a deep green or burnt orange can also be appropriate for a late autumn graduation.

Picking a Graduation Dress for Rewearability

A nice dress isn’t usually cheap, but having a few formal dresses in your wardrobe is important. As you transition from student to young professional, you’ll need dresses for work events, weddings, and other more dressed-up occasions.

If your school colors don’t suit you, it might not be a good idea to invest in a dress of that color just for graduation. Instead, you may want to consider a few other factors.

Your Most Flattering Colors

There are all kinds of resources for determining your color season based on your skin tone, hair color, and eye color. Some people even pay professionals to evaluate them. For most people though, you already know what colors look best on you.

You can try on any dress options in a well-lit room with neutral makeup to see how they interact with your skin tone. You can also bring a friend along who you trust to help you pick out one that looks best on you.

Be Comfortable

When we talk about a dress being comfortable, it’s not just about how it physically feels. You should choose a dress that makes you feel confident.

If you want to be able to wear a dress often, it should be one that you’ll be happy to turn to over and over again. Pushing your boundaries is good, but going too far may result in getting a dress you won’t wear without a graduation gown over it.

Look Fabulous at Your Graduation

All these considerations aside, the most important factor is picking a dress you love that fits your tastes. It’s your big day, so choose something that makes you feel good. It should project the image you want to present to the world. After all, you’re setting the tone for the next chapter in your life.