It’s that time of year again! High school and college-aged women around the world are getting ready to attend their graduation ceremony. Commencement is a huge deal, and it’s important to dress your best for it.
If you’re not sure what to wear, (we’re guessing that’s why you’re here!) College Fashion is ready to help. We’ve shared tips on picking your graduation wear (plus cute graduation dresses, graduation cap ideas, and graduation shoes), but today we’re putting it all together.
Keep scrolling to see five cute and stylish outfits for graduation:
Feminine Florals Graduation Outfit
Products: Dress – Lulus, Shoes – DSW, Earrings – Francesca’s
For a spring commencement ceremony, consider wearing a season-appropriate floral print dress.
Worn with espadrille wedges, this v-neck frock makes for a cute yet comfy graduation outfit. The tea length of this dress also makes it a bit more upscale than a normal floral dress might be.
Grab some trendy tassel earrings to finish the look off.
The Classic LBD
Products: Dress – Lulus, Earrings – J.Crew, Necklace – Eve’s Addiction, Shoes – Lulus
A little black dress is always a fashionable and classic choice for special occasions, and graduation is no exception.
Stand out in the crowd with this tiered dress that’s a little more interesting than your typical LBD. Pair it with some diamond earrings and a personalized roman numeral bar necklace — you can get this necklace engraved with the date you’re graduating!
Finish the look off with simple black ankle strap heels.
Bold Brights
Products: Jumpsuit – Nordstrom, Earrings – Kendra Scott, Shoes – DSW
This year’s Pantone color of the year is Living Coral so why not embrace that bright color on your graduation day?
This amazing coral jumpsuit is sure to stand out in a crowd and of course will be fashionable. Pair it with these stunning teal earrings for that extra burst of color.
Pair the color combination with neutral shoes as not to overload on the color.
Polished Perfection
Products: Dress – Lulus, Necklace – Banana Republic, Shoes – DSW
This lilac satin dress is perfect for a more upscale graduation ceremony.
To look perfectly put together, pair the dress with a simple and delicate necklace and some classic nude pumps. This look is all about elegance and the simplicity of this outfit definitely gives off sophisticated vibes.
Chic Separates
Products: Shirt – Madewell, Pants – Gap, Skirt – Macy’s, Shoes – Macy’s, Watch – Dillard’s
Not that into one-piece styles? You totally can (and should!) wear chic and sophisticated separates. We wanted to give you two options here: tailored trousers and a full skirt, each in a polished navy blue. Both picks would look so stylish with this cute light blue swiss ruffle shirt and white flats.
Keep your accessories practical, but fun. Try a watch with a navy blue strap to complete the look!
What do you think of these graduation outfits?
Are you graduating this semester? If so, have you decided what to wear? What do you think of our outfit ideas? Be sure to leave a comment and let us know your thoughts.
Also, on behalf of myself and everyone else at CF, congrats to all of the new graduates! Good luck in the future and we hope you have an awesome graduation!
Yes, thank you for this! I was wondering what to wear to graduation! I like that you included outfits that aren’t just dresses, I hadn’t thought of that. This article was really helpful!
My graduation is a month away, which I thought was soon, but yours is only a week away! Good luck with everything!
~Sara
I’m not graduating this year, but a good friend of mine is, and her family is having a big semi-formal dinner for friends and whatnot. I am definitely wearing the last outfit, except with a pencil skirt, I think!
I love this article, but I especially like the evil eye ring from the first post. Any idea where I could get one (or something similar) in the UK? I can only see it on the US website.
Yay! I’m graduation from Community College in a month or so and was going crazy over finding the perfect dress. I was looking for a flower print, modest, with or without sleeves dress. (Since mine is in the morning, a strapless or spaghetti strap dress wouldn’t do and since I live in a 100F+ climate, wearing a cardigan wouldn’t due either). Finally, after searching every fashion website (major & indie) I found one in etsy.com So, I would definitely recommend you look beyond the obvious options if you’re looking for an modest or unusual dress like myself.
I’m planning on wearing my dress with a pair of brown leather oxfords. Since my graduation is pretty casual, I don’t see a reason for wearing heels, and would definitely recommend oxfords or flats if you dislike heels like I do. Also, if your graduation is outside (like in a football stadium, or whatever) that requires you to walk over grass, wear flat shoes or wedges. In my High School Graduation, girls that were wearing heels would be tripping all over themselves and some even had the point of their heels digging into the dirt… it was a nightmare, they had to pull their heels out of the dirt.
By the way, I’m surprised white dresses weren’t on this list, since I’ve heard they’re pretty hot this summer and that there are some universities that *require* you to wear one.
This is great, I was definitely leaving my outfit to the last minute. Now I’m just inspired, probably with the LBD, very classic!
I have to second Paola and say that if your graduation is outside, wedges are a better option since you will probably end up sinking into the grass if your wear stilettos. Also, think about how loud your shoes are on a stage, especially in a more intimate graduation. If you are wearing flip-flops (don’t do that) or heels with a plastic or metal heel will be very loud and distracting. Have fun and try to wait until after your parents get pictures to start crying (you may want to think about waterproof makeup if you think your graduation day is going to be as emotional as mine was).
I love the Colorful & Simple look! While I’m not graduating until next year, I think it’s a perfect day look (most ceremonies are in the morning/late afternoon), but the pumps and the turquoise earrings help the outfit work for post-grad parties as well.
Great post and congrats to everyone graduating soon!
Wow! I so v badly want to graduate,but 2 years left still! 🙁
These outfits are all AMAZING! Especially the first and second. I’m not graduating anytime soon but I’m definitely checking these outfits out anyway. 🙂
i remember i wore heels to my hs graduation the one thing i learned was NOT to wear heels if your graduation is outside on the grass 🙂 just a thought.
I love the second and the fifth outfits. The fifth one looks so sophisticated, especially if you are in your late twenties and onwards during time of graduation. I’m graduating from my PhD next year and I’m already planning outfits 🙂
Hey great post love all the looks 🙂
However my univeristy requirement is that we wear white,I’m looking for the perfect white short dress !!!!
Still have a year to find it though LOL 🙂
Thank you @ Ashley 🙂
i’m graduating this year and i’m wearing a little blue dress that has a grace kelly feel to it and i noticed that a lot of girls now-a-days happen to be opting for more simple dresses that display elegance
Wow! This article totally brings back memories for me! I remember just trying to find something that was comfortable to wear underneath my graduation gown but then I regretted it when I looked drab for the graduation dinner 🙁 This is a great article if you want to avoid my mistakes and look fashionable and still be comfortable on your special day!
@Ashley
Thanks for the dress ideas I love the one from Forever 21! This helped so much so thank you!
Great oufits!!! Awesome!!!!!!!
I am in love with all of these outfits! My favorite’s the lace and bows one. So adorable!! <3
My convocation is June 1st and even though I’ve been using the thought of walking across that stage as motivation to get through the term, I haven’t thought about what to wear. Thanks for reminding me that I should probably figure that out! haha
This are brilliant! I’ve been trying to think of what I can wear to graduation (even though it’s not until November!) I want to wear a dress and heels, but I didn’t know what would go with my black robes + blue and gold hood….
Thank you! I was hoping CF would do a graduation post, since i’ve been trying to find a perfect dress for graduation for awhile now. The one I think i’m most likely going to end up wearing looks very similar to the floral print dress in your post. Good to know my choice was the same as CF’s 🙂