# Graduation Season: Thos Goofy Academic Robes

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/graduation-season-thos-goofy-academic-robes/305432>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 25, 2005, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/graduation-season-thos-goofy-academic-robes/305432 "2005-05-25T14:14:33Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\
**Post date:** [May 25, 2005, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/graduation-season-thos-goofy-academic-robes/305432/1 "2005-05-25T14:14:33Z")

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OK, all the eager young graduates are listening to boring speeches about how to make the world a better place, etc. My question; where do they store those positively goofy academic robes? Those floppy hats from the 13th century-what are thye called? And colors-my robe was a simple balck one-what’s with all the fancy colors?  
Finally, what are those racing stripe (on the doctoral robes)-are they supposed to signify something?  
Those maces-were they originally used to kill people? ☹

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**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\
**Post date:** [May 25, 2005, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/graduation-season-thos-goofy-academic-robes/305432/2 "2005-05-25T15:07:19Z")

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It’s traditional. As far as where they’re stored, since most are rented, they are kept at a company that rents time out.

Some professors do buy the robes (since they use them more than once). Students can buy them, too.

The stripes are usually for Master’s Level and above, and signify the degree and the college that granted it.

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**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\
**Post date:** [May 25, 2005, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/graduation-season-thos-goofy-academic-robes/305432/3 "2005-05-25T15:39:45Z")

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[Here’s one site](http://www.willsieco.com/academic_costume.asp) of about a million posted on the web about academic costume codes.

As to RealityChuck’s response, I had to buy my robe when I graduated from high school and college. It was only like $20.00.

E3