What to wear to your graduation

Here's the story: Me being me, I started dreaming up my graduation outfit long before I even decided the topic of my bachelor's thesis, let alone started writing it. Fortunately I did write the thing eventually -on fashion as language and identity in the TV series Girls, since you ask, and it was so much fun!- and graduated with a BA last June.

I volunteered at last year's graduation and so I had gotten an idea of what people wore to these events and, to be honest... most girls were dressed either inappropriately (think daywear/too-short dresses) or just kitchy. The ones that looked good mostly wore something very simple and uninteresting like an LBD. Now, there's nothing wrong with a good LBD and I know I'm one for simplicity,but when it's your graduation you're allowed to stand out a little! ;) Plus, I wore black to my high school graduation, so I was ready to change it up...

For the record, this is what I wore to my high school graduation: knee-length black dress with small cut-outs, gold leaf earrings, red lipstick and gold Ferragamo heels (you've seen them here). My friends at the time said they'd have preferred the dress a little shorter, but I think knee-length is perfect.

Another conclusion I came to -and this was the extent of my decisiveness when it came to picturing my outfit- is that almost every girl wore a dress. It felt like they were trying too hard to be girly and sexy and adorable, stuttering on their high heels and showing their entire leg, whereas for me graduating is, of course, about looking beautiful to celebrate your academic success -but it's also a more formal context. Amidst the sea of flashy dresses and wobbly steps, a young member of the staff stood out to me: she was wearing a tailored navy blue jumpsuit. She looked comfortable, professional dynamic and stunning. I decided that I was definitely going to wear a jumpuit. Because dresses are just too obvious and gender-conformist and innocent-girl-y. Forget being a girl -I am a woman with a degree, I said to myself.

Forgive the selfies -my graduation day was so crazy that we barely took any pictures!

I went shopping in Athens with my mother and -despite my doubts- bought this white sleeveless, wide-leg jumpsuit. It looked great but it being white and  white legged, it felt a little bit costumy and grown-up. I would put it on and feel I was encased in fabric which I had to be super careful not to stain. So I freaked out, went to Zara and bought a backup jumpsuit (telling myself that even if I didn't wear it on the graduation, it was casual enough to wear in real life). This one was dark blue, with a wide culotte leg that stopped below the knee, a plunging V neck an spaghetti straps -pretty, but more understated.

I didn't end up wearing this to my graduation, but I did wear it many times this summer!

And then I didn't decide what to wear until I was in full makeup and flesh-coloured underwear on the day of the graduation, and made my sister decide for me. Thankfully she's saner than I and told me to wear the beautiful white jumpsuit. I accessorized with my silver hoop earrings which mean a lot to me because I bought them with my grandma, and I wore the same gold Ferragamo sandals I wore to my high school graduation  -no point buying new shoes if nobody's gonna see them! I used a clutch I made myself from paper with pressed flowers (you've seen it here), and I wore magenta lipstick and my hair in waves.

With my sister and wearing the ridiculous cap :)

There's something about wearing white to a graduation. It symbolizes new beginnings and looks great with the tan you got the weekend before in Mallorca. And at the end of the day, despite having wished my jumpsuit were a little sexier, I was relieved to be fully clothed and dressed in something classic that will still look good 10 years from now when I stood onstage to shake the hand of a guy in a robe and get my degree.

And on a final note, just to clarify: this year's graduation outfits were 140% better than last year's. A lot of people looked great, and almost everyone dressed appropriately. And we were all so happy which, at the end of the day, is what really counts.

Here's my (brief) guide to dressing for your graduation:

-a well-fitting suit is always a good idea (note that I haven't specified genders here).

-the dress code (unless specified otherwise) is cocktail. Not evening dress nor day wear. Also not prom.

-regardless of your body type, consider not showing off too much. Be proud of your body, but don't display it for everyone to see. This is not the time&place.

-you don't have to wear heels if you don't want to, but opt for appropriate shoes, not embellished flip-flops! Same goes for heels: no heeled ankle boots, for example.

-try to be a more formal version of your everyday self, but don't try to turn into a different person. By all means have your hair and makeup professionally done if you want to, but make sure you're still recognizable(!); if you can't walk in heels, don't wear them; if you don't feel comfortable in a dress, don't wear one, etc. Wear whatever you want, but own it!