2016 is a particularly special year for us since we are finally graduating college! For the longest time, this year always seemed so distant, and it was almost just yesterday that we were talking about how we couldn't wait to finish school and start the rest of our lives, despite our hesitations about surviving in "the real world". College graduation is a time to really reflect on who you are and how these past 15 years of routine has helped shape your future. Nowadays, a bachelor's degree might not mean as much since it has become the base of academic achievement, but nonetheless, it is a very important milestone and something to be celebrated. It it is also very common to have graduation photos taken on your campuses or in a big city near your school. We wanted this post to give a little inspiration to those girls out there who are still looking at graduation dresses for their photoshoots or commencement ceremonies. In this post, we offer a variety of dresses in different materials to show how cuts and fabric make a big difference in showing off your personality. From chiffon, to the traditional lace, and even neoprene (a synthetic rubber material), we cover a lot of bases. Graduation is a time where tons of photos will be taken (it may even rival Prom), so pick pieces that show off who you are and have a little fun with it!
Make Space for Lace
You can never really go wrong with lace and it just happens to be one of the most popular choices in terms of material for graduation dresses. We chose two different pastel blue dresses to show how the cut of a dress changes up the personality of an outfit. Jess' skater dress is young and fun, although the lace appliques certainly do dress it up and makes it more formal event friendly. For those who would like to add a necklace, we suggest something dainty, such as a lariat necklace, so that the attention remains focused on the dress itself. Mel's lace dress is slim-fitting and hits her knees, which balances out the cutouts on the top portion of the dress. It's sexy yet sophisticated and elegant, which is why we absolutely love it! For those of you who want to keep it traditional with white, but would like a bolder option, Jess wears a structured lace romper worn with red lace heels, which is a great pairing since her stole is also red. A great idea would be to use the colors of your gown or stole as a base of determining accessories! Monochromatic and complementary colors may work well depending on what color you're working with.
Just go with the Flow (Chiffon) There's something about chiffon that is so ethereal and elegant, making it the perfect type of dress to wear to a formal event like college graduation. Mel's blue dress is lightweight and very comfortable, which is exactly what you want especially if you are graduating at the start of the summer months and the heat is unbearable for pictures. This dress is extremely simple with no frills, which is great because you can pair it with bold jewelry or shoes. However, Mel chose classic nude heels since she loved the simplicity of the dress and didn't want to take away from it. The possibilities are endless, so play around with different colors and cuts, especially with chiffon. The material is forgiving and flattering on almost everyone!
We all scream for Neoprene You've probably never heard of neoprene before, and neither did we until we looked up what material this dress was made from. Neoprene is a type of synthetic rubber, and a dress made from it is usually a bit more heavy and structured, which is obvious from how this dress holds its "poof". It was actually made popular from the brand Triangl that makes those cute bikinis you see your friends and celebrities wearing from Instagram pictures and on your Facebook feed. Jess' dress is as classic as it gets when it comes to a white graduation outfit. The fit and flare style is great for pretty much every body type and the best part is that finding a dress like this is really easy (Take a look at the links below for this dress and other similar options). Wearing a traditional white dress also means you can get away with more accessories, and in this case, a decorated graduation cap! Jess' school's main colors are red, white, black, and yellow so she decided to use lace and white flat-back pearls for her cap along with a large white satin bow. The possibilities are endless with grad cap decor, so have a little fun and show off who you are with a favorite quote or design!
Congratulations to all the graduates out there! The end of college, as cheesy as it is, really is the beginning of a new chapter. So use that newfound wisdom and go get em! Hopefully you'll look back on your graduation photos with fond memories :)
Location: National Mall, College Campuses
Outfit Details
Jess
Outfit 1: Blue Lace Dress - Tobi, Shoes - Charlotte Russe
Outfit 2: White Lace Romper - Revolve, Earrings -H&M (similar) , Shoes - DSW
Outfit 3: White Dress - Bloomingdale's (similar) (similar), Shoes - Nine West (similar)
Mel Outfit 1: Blue Lace Dress - Bloomingdale's, Shoes (old)
Outfit 2: Blue Shift Dress - Forever 21 (similar), Shoes - Nine West (similar)