A graduation cap or academic cap will either be a Mortarboard or Tudor bonnet. You’ll usually be required to wear a Mortarboard when receiving a bachelor's, master's or doctoral degree. A Tudor bonnet is worn by graduates and faculty members who have a doctorate. These are now traditionally worn during academic ceremonies but would have been worn fashionably and with purpose by academics and religious clergy.
The Mortarboard cap is a very flat, thin cap usually of a textured felt cloth, that's made up of a skull cap and horizontal, square board and tassel. These graduation caps are widely recognised as a symbol of academic achievement. Their origin takes inspiration from 14th-century Catholic birettas worn by religious clergies. What was once a stiff, square cap with peaks now sits flat. Most mortar board caps nowadays are fitted with an elastic around the band of the skull cap to improve the fit, however we still recommend bringing a few curvy hair grips to your fitting, pre-ceremony. These can also help to keep your cap secure and in place.
The Tudor bonnet graduation cap is a soft round, crowned cap with a ridged brim. It’s often made of velvet materials with a tassel from the crowned centre. As the name suggests, the Tudor Bonnet was fashionably worn during the time of Henry VIII; it was originally worn as a simple knitted cap in the 1300s. By the 16th Century, the bonnet was made of black wool and velvet.
The round cap and tassel of the Tudor bonnet are traditional headwear worn by those graduating with or holding a doctoral degree. They’re worn by faculty members and by those graduating during academic and graduation ceremonies.
You’ll need a flexible tape measure (not the metal kind) and an extra pair of hands, if possible. Otherwise, you can always measure solo with the aid of a mirror, but having someone measure for you will be a lot easier. Wrap the tape measure gently around your head without any pressure, placing it about an inch above your eyebrows so you get the widest head measurement. The tape should feel secure and comfortable. Alternatively, you could use a piece of string, wrapping it around your head and measuring the length of the string with a ruler.
Elasticated Mortar Boards, or adjustable Tudor Bonnets are easier to size, but for those that are fixed sizes, use the below size chart, or your gown hire’s chart to compare your measurements to the chart provided. If you find yourself in between sizes, we’d recommend choosing the larger size. Better to be too big than too small - you can always secure your cap with bobby pins/ hair grips on the day.
The key to a well-fitted mortarboard cap is a secure fit. You don’t want the cap feeling too tight or too loose, as you’ll risk it slipping off either way. Ensure a snug fit without any discomfort. If you’re using hair grips, slide these along the inside edge of the skull cap, behind your ear, and into your hair. Remember to consider your hair style before the big day as the skull cap covers a large portion of your head meaning hair up styles can make wearing the cap near impossible.
You should find a tag or loose elastic on the inside of the cap indicating the back of the cap. The cap front will be the part you wear over your forehead and should sit about an inch above your eyebrows. The caps top - the flat, square mortarboard - should sit parallel to the ground without a tilt. You should have a Mortarboard corner/point at the centre of your forehead too. One last tip: Remember to check with your university regarding your graduation cap tassel! Typically, you’d start with the tassel on your right and move it over to the left once you’ve graduated. Master’s or Doctoral students will wear the tassel on the left side without moving it as you’ve already made with past graduation. Make sure to check the rules on tassels with your university. For any further graduation cap queries, get in touch with us and pop us a message. We’re happy to help!
And finally…There is no truth to the commonly heard rumour, “that women used to wear mortar boards while men didn’t, as the Mortar Board symbolised capping women’s education”. The origin of wearing a hat or not for graduation was carried forward from the religious venues where graduations were originally held, where men removed their hats as a traditional sign of respect and submission. Nowadays, most institutions provide mortar board caps for both men and women.