ECU seniors talk graduation fashion

Seniors at East Carolina University pose for their official graduation headshots in various locations around campus.

From the winding lecture halls to the tailgating memories, years of the college experience will eventually culminate into the one prize no one can take away — a diploma with your name on it. For several seniors at East Carolina University, that prize will be earned in a matter of weeks.

The undeniable feeling of graduation is upon ECU’s campus and because the event marks the end of an old life in exchange for a new beginning, one’s fashion choice should reflect such significance, according to ECU alum Caitlyn Patterson.

“Graduation is a moment you’ll tangibly remember for life, whether it’s looking at your diploma hanging in your home afterwards or going through the hundreds of pictures you took with your family and closest friends,” Patterson, who earned her bachelor’s degree in fashion merchandising last fall, said. “The last thing you should want to remember is how much you regret your outfit choice.”

White as a color is “inherently positive” and is associated with traits such as beginnings, brilliance and understanding, according to design platform BorneCreative. Such traits make the color a classic choice for formal events such as weddings, dances and of course, graduations.

Besides the traditional aspect of the basic hue, white is typically an easy color to style in terms of accessories and shoes, a feat which sold senior marketing major Meaghan Flanigan when it came to selecting her graduation attire.

“I’m a legacy student. My mother and my older sister both went to ECU and when they both graduated, they chose to stick with a classic white dress,” Flanigan said. “I was going to break out of the mold and choose a different color, but when the time got closer, choosing a white dress just seemed like the best decision after all.”

Flanigan added by considering the royal purple satin of the graduation gown itself, she was very limited in the range of patterns and colors to choose from when it came to picking a dress for “the biggest day of her life.”

“With a purple graduation gown, you have to come to terms with the very thin line between standing out and looking tacky,” Flanigan said.

One of the trends on the rise this year is jumpsuits, according to fashion magazine Harper's Bazaar. Typically a trend associated with the summer months, seniors such as Kirsten Russell and Hollie Baylor said the choice to wear a jumpsuit as they walk across the stage is “one of fashion and comfort.”

“I decided to purchase a black culotte jumpsuit for my graduation outfit,” Russell, a senior declared nursing major, said. “It was important for me to go with the culotte style, especially because I didn’t want a floor-length pant leg to look strange with my gown.”

Split from Russell’s sentiment was Baylor, who said she decided to go with a yellow wide-leg jumpsuit from BooHoo to wear for her graduation. Baylor, who is 5 foot 11 inches tall, added she opted for a full-length jumpsuit in order to compliment her tall and slender figure.

“The graduation gown is a little baggy and oversized on me as is,” Baylor, a senior finance major, said. “By wearing a jumpsuit, I’ll have a chance to look better in pictures than I would with just a simple dress or a romper on.”

Along with the clothing comes the traditional shoes of choice to consider — heels (of a stable height). However, one shouldn’t be so quick to stick to tradition when it comes to footwear this graduation season as “comfort becomes the new chic,” according to senior Taylor Hudson.

“Flatforms should not be underestimated, especially for those who are dreading to wear their six inches across that stage this year,” Hudson, a senior physical education major, said. “They come in all different colors and most importantly, they look just as formal as high heels.”

Flatforms are defined as “flat shoes with high, thick soles,” according to the Oxford Dictionary. Sported by celebrities such as Rihanna, Jessica Alba and Kate Bosworth, the shoe style has taken the fashion world by storm in recent years and Hudson cites them as “the perfect touch of comfort for a graduation outfit.”

“Sure, you can wear basic thong sandals or ballet flats, but flatforms are the kind of shoes that are just bound to get you compliments,” Hudson said. “And who wouldn’t like to get a compliment on your graduation day?”