What to wear under your graduation gown

An academic gown is worn open at the front. It covers your shoulders and your back, and it swings apart whenever you move. Anything at the back of your outfit disappears under it; what stays in view is a strip down the front, and everything below the knee.

Then there's the hood. UAL's academic dress is its own, designed with Ede & Ravenscroft and Bobby Hillson of Central Saint Martins, but UAL's graduation pages don't give the colours of its hoods. So rather than trying to match one, think about your neckline instead: the hood will rest there whatever it looks like, and a calm, simple neckline gets on with any of them.

Plan for an indoor day with one outdoor stretch. Everything happens inside the Royal Festival Hall: you're seated for a ceremony of one to two hours, then graduates and guests go up to the reception in the 4th floor bar and on the 5th floor terrace. Bags may be searched at the doors, and anything larger than 40 × 25 × 25 cm stays out of the auditorium, so a holdall with a change of clothes is a problem rather than a plan.

The month matters too. Long-term Met Office averages for the venue's area put March at 4 to 11°C, with rain on around nine days and the odd frost; July runs from 13 to 23°C, with close to twice March's sunshine. A terrace is open to the weather in both, so bring a layer you'd be happy to be photographed in, or one a guest can hold.

On camera, contrast is what makes an outfit read. Next to the gown, a clear colour or a light neckline shows up cleanly, while a shade too close to the gown's own gets swallowed by it. A dark outfit can still look striking with a lighter note near your face.

The gown adds a lot of fabric of its own, so outfits that skim the body keep their outline best under it. A fitted mini or a sculpted midi keeps its shape whenever the gown parts; an ankle-length column or slip feels softer, and swings nicely as you cross the stage. Very full skirts and big sleeves fight the gown for space and tend to lose.

Wearing your own work? Think about it the way you'd think about a garment under a coat. Volume at the hip or hem still shows, a strong colour on the front panel still lands, and a sharp neckline frames the hood. Anything that relies on being seen from behind is better kept for the photographs afterwards.

In March, layer thinly: merino or another fine-gauge knit under a fitted dress, tights in whatever weight you like, and a proper coat for outdoors. Bulk under the gown only makes you look wider in photographs, so let the coat do the warming. July is easier: lighter cloth, bare legs, and something to throw over your shoulders on the terrace if the sun is strong.

Pick shoes you can trust on stage before you think about how they photograph. You'll cross it with the hall watching, then stand through the reception. A block heel, a modest heel you've worn before, or a polished flat all cope; a pair fresh out of the box is a gamble.

Leave room for the cap, too. Bachelor's and master's graduates wear a mortarboard, which stays put best with hair worn down or gathered low at the neck; a high or sculpted style makes it hard to keep on. Doctors wear a velvet bonnet instead, and a style that sits close to the head suits either. Go easy on necklaces, because the hood takes up that space anyway.

Fit comes first: a jacket close at the shoulder and waist, and trousers that break cleanly on the shoe. Charcoal, navy or a mid-grey reads clearly under a gown in photographs. March calls for wool and a warm coat for getting there; in July, a lighter cloth in stone, sand or pale blue keeps it formal and cool.

A suit isn't required to meet UAL's formal recommendation. Well-cut trousers, a crisp shirt and a tie do the same job, with a waistcoat for structure if you leave the jacket off. And because what you wear is up to you, tailoring in an unexpected fabric, or a jacket you cut yourself, has every place at a UAL ceremony, as long as it looks finished.

Whatever you choose, a buttoned shirt pays its way. The hood rests on it and moves around as you walk, stand and sit, and a collar and a button give it somewhere to settle.

With no hood colours to work from, choose a tie for your outfit rather than for the hood: a muted solid in navy, forest green or soft grey works with anything. Shoes should be polished leather in black or dark brown, lace-ups or loafers, worn in properly beforehand, because you'll be on your feet through the reception. Tuck the shirt in, and the outfit keeps its shape whenever the gown parts.