Academic dress for graduation started in the 12th and 13th cennturies
when
universities first began forming. whether a student or a teacher, standard
dress for scholar was clerical garb.
In 1321, the University of Coimbra mandated that all Doctors, bachelors, and Licentiates must wear gowns.
Not until the late 1800s were colors assigned to signify certain area of study, but they were only standardized in the United States thanks of Gardner Cotrell Leonard. European institutions have always had diversity in their
academic dress.
The system Gardner Cotrell Leonard helped form was based on gown cut, style and fabric; as well as designated colors to represent fields of study.
The American Council on Education had a Committee on Academic Costumes and Ceremonies review the costume code and make changes. In 1986 the committe
changed the code with the following specifications:
The shape and size of the hood and the sleeve design of the gown show the
degree a student pursued: a Bachelor's Degree gown has pointed
sleeves and no hood,
a Master's Degree gown had long, closed sleeves with arm slits and a narrow hood,
and a Doctor's Degree had bell-shaped sleeves and a draped, wide hood.
The colors of the hood's lining tells which college or university the dgree was given by. For example: Harvard is crimson, Temple is cherry and white, and Cornell is purple and white. However, other than the lining, the hood must be black.
The field of study is designated by the color of the hood's facing. For example: Theology is scarlet, Arts Letters and Humanities are white, and Music is pink.
Caps should only be made of black cotton poplin, broadcloth, rayon, or silk, to match gown they are to be used with. Velvet may only be used for a doctor's degree.
Tassels should be fastened to the middle of the cap's top and allowed to lie where it will. It should be black, or the color of field of study, unless it is for a doctor's degree in which case, may be gold.