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[twanda]

So I finally have to bite the bullet and make the big purchase. But the options seem overwhelming. My questions are as follows, is the custom made stuff worth the extra or is off the rack just as good. If it is worth it for custom, which fabric to choose? 4, 6 or 8 sided tam? Can anyone reccomend a retailer? Are there less expensive ways to do this?
Who knew this would be such an involved decision.
Any advice is appreciated. Thanks

[pink_]

I think it depends on the school (some are much more elaborate than others), and also on the body--if you are very petite or very tall or very something else, that I imagine it would be worth it to have a gown that fits, but otherwise, I'm not sure how much you want to spend on something that you may only wear once a year (or less). 

For my school, we don't have a lot of options, so people who buy pretty much buy the same thing . . .  but other places might have more choice.

I would spend more for better quality fabric (by better quality, I mean material that will stand up to long-term use and not disintegrate or change colors or fall apart), but I don't care that much about other bells and whistles.

I did go for the sparkly tam though, just because I really loved it and figured that if I hadn't earned it by then, I never would.
:)

[litdawg]

I have my own tam and hood from my graduation.  $400 more for the custom gown w/ UC colors to match.  Someday, I'll justify the purchase.  Till then, I can justify renting gown-only every year.  That actually makes financial sense as it will take over ten years to recoup the investment on a custom gown.

[clean]

Ive been out for about 7 years.  Only last year did i get regalia.  We had a new president and it went on sale for about $130 for the 'coronation'.  Before that, i would rent or borrow it from someone else not going.  I looked into buying long ago, but figured that i had better things to spend $400 on.  If you have to attend graduations once a year, it just does not make sense.  If you feel obligated to attend graduations, but dont 'have' to attend, dress nice and sit with the parents.  When the ceremony is over shake lots of hands and pose for plenty of pictures.  Most faculty make a break for the parking lot to beat the traffic. 

You may try to buy one used from someone retiring.  No one knows or cares if the hood is really from your alma matta.

I have a coworker that takes pride in wearing a gown he got from his oldest's high school graduation.  It cost $10, but no one can tell it is made of nylon.  It lacks the 3 stripes, but again, no one can tell.

[trabb]

You may try to buy one used from someone retiring.  No one knows or cares if the hood is really from your alma matta.

No one else may care, but I certainly did!  After giving seven years of my life to my PhD, I decided it was worth it to me to have the custom colors.  My alma mater's robes/hood are pretty distinctive.  Purchasing them was something of a leap of faith, not to mention a motivating factor, since I didn't have a TT job at the time.  Several times as I was pondering abandoning my search, the thought passed through my mind that I couldn't quit because I had to justify purchasing that damned outfit.

twanda seems to have already decided to buy the regalia, but I should point this out for anyone on the fence who doesn't yet have a job.  I found out only after I purchased mine that faculty may have much less of a need for them at large schools where it's simply impractical for the entire faculty to process at any given event.  My advisor told me that she's used hers only about four times in a twenty-five year career.

[iomhaigh]

I found out only after I purchased mine that faculty may have much less of a need for them at large schools where it's simply impractical for the entire faculty to process at any given event.  My advisor told me that she's used hers only about four times in a twenty-five year career.

Yup -- and conversely, at small schools, you are expected to be at graduation, convos, etc. in full regalia. 

[bibliologos]

I'm at a small school, and I've used my robes on average three times every school year.  In that case, it makes absolute sense to get the best quality robes you can. 

[athena1]

I wear mine 2-3 timse a year.

I rented for graduation then purchased my rental when I went to turn it in. I bought my 8-pointed tam when I started my TT job.

[dept_geek]

There's an old, if short, thread on this topic here: http://chronicle.com/forums/index.php/topic,28405.0.html

I thought there was another, but instead of returning what I was looking for, the search function returned every post with the word "by" in it. Sigh.

[twanda]

Its not exactly a small school but we get heavy pressure from our Dean to turn out and look pretty. So this means 2-3 uses a year between graduations and awards cermonies, and at $40 a pop for rentals it just doesn't make sense to me to rent. To athena1 who bought her/his rental, was it less than 290 which seems to be the off the rack price? And what company was it that let you purchase the rental? It seems there are no fabric choices in the non-custom gown, so this brings me back to my original question, is it really worth it to get the custom stuff? I don't like the idea of shelling out the money period but at the same time I don't want to shell out what is still a lot for the less expensive stuff and then leter wishing I would have just spent a little more for fabric that won't kill me in the heat. Basically is the Walmart model just as good, its all a racket anyway, or will I wish later I had forked out the extra to get the name brand with better fabric?   

[dept_geek]

I think (MHO, of course) you will want to spend a little extra cash if you have to wear the thing on a regular basis. The better ones will hold up in the heat, and just look nicer in a few years.  Plus, if your colors are anything other than dark blue, they will stay brighter over time (my hood is a lovely bright orange, and the gown has orange chevrons/velvet stripes - the less expensive ones are sort of a rusty orange color after a few years).

Just spend the money. You earned it. Show off the nice one.

[katherineparr]

Also, may I plug the pocket option? I bought my robes upon completion of the PhD and I have had numerous occasions when those pockets have saved me. No need for a purse, keys in pocket. Sunglasses? Pocket. PDA to play video games during interminable convocation speeches? POCKET!!

On my regalia, ordering pockets was $20 more. Seriously. It's ridiculous, but totally worth it.

Also, I would buy the high-quality fabric, but I would also buy lighter fabric if available. My regalia is very heavy, and even with a T-shirt underneath I am disgusting by the end of any event. I sometimes fantasize about how if I won the lottery I would commission regalia in linen with cotton velvet stripes. Or, perhaps, just personal fan-holder. Or something.

[sinenomine]

Does your alma mater have an official supplier for regalia?  Mine has a link on their graduation Web pages that goes right to Josten's.  The Ph.D. set was pricey -- $500 -- but it's very nice quality.

[bigsky]

Our Dean rents ours when we attend graduation (Midwest MS granting). I recall my PhD advisor received one when he was tenured from his employer.

[infopri]

At the first-week orientation lunch for new faculty when I joined a StateU, the campus president happened to sit with a colleague and me for dessert.  The conversation turned to some big event/ritual (torch lighting, I think?) that was later that week, and she said, "You WILL both be there, won't you?"  And you know it wasn't a question. 

Turns out, it was a regalia event.  I told her I didn't have any regalia (I was ABD).  She demanded I go buy some.  (On the other hand, my husband, who has been teaching for almost 30 years, has worn regalia maybe half a dozen times, always for graduation.)

I second (fifth?) the posters who advise you to spend a little extra to get a comfortable, durable, color-fast material.  And pockets!!  I'd have given anything for pockets.