Gowns and academic dress

We encourage all graduates to wear academic dress to the formal graduation ceremony. This comprises a gown, hood, and mortarboard which is usually worn over smart or formal attire.

How do I book my gown?

Your gowning service will be provided by Graduation Attire.  All you need to begin is your Student ID (8-digit) number and size measurements.  Students eligible to graduate at our Autumn ceremonies will receive an email when bookings open.  

To book your gown set, please follow the link below:

Graduation Attire Gowning

Once you have completed your order, your gown, hood, and mortarboard/bonnet will be available to collect on the day of your ceremony.

 There will be a £10 surcharge for late bookings and purchases on the day.

If you do not book your robes in advance, we can not guarantee their availability.

Can I hire for longer than a day?

You are able to choose extended hire during your gown booking process or ask a member of the Graduation Attire team on the day.  Many people prefer to extend their hire, allowing them to take their own pictures with their graduation attire once the ceremony has concluded.  This gives the student an extra 7 days with the gown, hood and cap.  A prepaid return labelled envelope will be provided by the Graduation Attire team, allowing you to send the gown back to them hassle-free.

Where and when should I collect my gown?

You will be able to collect your graduation attire on the day of your ceremony after you have registered your attendance from the Sir Stanley Matthews Sport Centre, located on the Leek Road Campus.  We recommend that, wherever possible, you arrive approximately 90 minutes ahead of the start of your ceremony to register and collect your gown and tickets.

On the day of your ceremony you will receive a text with a collection code.

Using this collection code, the team at collections will gather your attire whilst you confirm your details.  Your information will then be transferred to the GradTag inside your gown.  The GradTag is now unique to you and is used to identify your on stage photo and gown return.

Staff will be available to help you into your robes and show you how to position the hood.

Please note; you will need to be seated 20-minutes prior to your ceremony start time.  Please allow time for the graduation attire dressing service and travel from campus to the Kings Hall.

Where and when should I return my gown?

Please return your graduation attire in the Catalyst Building, following your post celebrations.

If you have hired your graduation attire for the day, please return before 6pm. A member of the collection team will scan your GradTag to confirm your gown has been returned.

Please note, any late returns may be subject to a £15.00 late fee.

If you have paid for an extended hire of your graduation attire, please use the pre-paid envelope provided to return your gowns within 7 days of your ceremony.

What should I wear?

The award ceremony is a formal occasion and we encourage graduates to dress appropriately. 

Please note; walking is involved during the day and to check the weather forecast of your ceremony day to ensure that your clothes are appropriate for the expected conditions.

What if I am eligible for two awards?

You may find that both of your awards are being celebrated in the same ceremony, though more often they will be scheduled in two separate ceremonies. This will usually depend on whether your awards are in different or the same subject areas and if they were awarded in the same, or different academic years.

If your awards are celebrated in the same ceremony, it's standard practice that your higher award will take precedence. We will invite you to cross the stage twice, but we’d recommend that you hire the academic dress associated with your higher award as there will not be opportunity to change during the ceremony.

If your awards are celebrated in different ceremonies, it is up to you whether to attend both ceremonies or just one.

What will my hood and gown look like?

 Examples of the University’s academic dress colours are shown below: