White Lace Graduation Dress by Tibi

A while back I promised that I would try to find out what the history is behind the tradition of women wearing white dresses under their graduation gowns. Well, I didn’t forget, but finding an answer turns out to be harder than I assumed. Some sources suggest that wearing white is symbolic of purity in a woman’s rite of passage, and that in this moment when a woman represents both her family and her school, she is expected to also represent their traditional values.

Many private schools have, instead of the institutional cap and gown, what is called the “white dress tradition”, and it is possible that this trend just carried over into public institutions where women interpreted it by wearing it under their gown. In any case, it certainly isn’t mandatory to wear a white dress under your cap and gown, but if you want to, here’s a lovely one by Tibi. 

Tibi has long been one of my favorite dress lines. There is always a light, feminine quality to their dresses, and they are made of the highest quality materials. I love the delicate edging on this short dress and the simple a-line silhouette that will work for a lot of ladies. I’m not particularly into the way this dress was styled in this photo, though, I think it would be a lot cuter paired with some simple white flats and boho jewelry. Available for $550 from eDressMe.

Photo Credit: eDressMe