Are Graduation Stoles a 21st-century Accessory? | A Deep Dive Into Their Rise & Evolution

Graduation day is a pivotal day that transforms a student’s life. Getting out of the comfort zone to stepping into the real world full of responsibilities is a big deal. That’s why celebrating your big day becomes essential. You know you have your friends and loved ones’ support as they cheer for you, while you get on to the stage. When you have all the eyes on you, you want everything to be perfect including your graduation stole. While students do wear them without thinking much about them, knowing the history of graduation stoles can make your experience even better. Though not all universities require students to wear one, it can be a fun and meaningful accessory. Let’s look at a few facts that might surprise you!

The Stoles Have Been Around Since Medieval Times

The trend has been rising in recent years, but graduation stoles have been around for centuries. Earlier, the length and color indicated the person’s status and rank in churches. The Anglicans and Catholic priests wore them as per their rank. Different colors indicated the hierarchy of their ranks. It might interest you to know that the word stole, originated from a Latin-Greek word called “stola”. Stola means garment. And, a stole is a scarf-like piece that is draped over the shoulders.

Over the period, the designs and materials evolved and transformed into more of an accessory. Apart from the graduation ceremonies, stoles are also used in religious processions and holy events.

Regular Stoles and Graduation Stoles Are Very Different

We are sure everybody must have seen a graduation stole in convocation. But, if you have never held one in your hand or are researching details about them, let us help you with that. Grad stoles are scarf-like pieces that are structured when compared to a regular fashion scarf which is usually flowy and doesn’t have a double lining. The materials that are commonly for the stoles are satin, silk, polyester, and cotton-mixed acrylics. Satin is one of the most popular materials that you will find in the market. Satin possesses a beautiful sheen. Also, the style of draping differs in both these stoles. The formal one goes directly around your neck, maintaining the ends at equal lengths.

The Blank Stoles Vs. Customized Stoles – When To Choose Which?

If you can’t decide what kind of stole you should wear, we will clarify the uses and benefits of both these stoles.

Blank Stoles:

A few graduates choose to wear a blank stole too, that is because they might want to participate in the ceremony, without wanting to highlight specific achievements. This brings the focus to the event as a whole rather than a certain aspect of the ceremony. Personalized stoles usually depict association with clubs and memberships, but blank stoles represent a general achievement.

It can be also true for students who belong to clubs that are not well-recognized or do not have a specific logo or design assigned to them. In some universities, students might have to wear a plain one to maintain uniformity. Also, the blank stoles are priced less compared to the custom ones, and they take less production time too.

Customized Stoles:

The custom stoles serve as an opportunity to show specific achievements, affiliations, memberships, and honors like valedictorian, and salutatorian. When talking about these stoles, there are so many things you can do with it. Starting from choosing whether you wish to use embroidery or printing, you can decide what sort of look you are going for.

Embroidery adds depth to the stole, while printing can look smooth. You can embellish the stoles with the university logo, and even your photo. The advantage of this is that every stole looks different and is unique. Also, personalizing a stole can help you tell your unique story. If you want to save time and take out the hassle of designing, you can choose from various pre-designed stoles.

A Piece of Fabric or Demonstration of Achievements?

Graduating is a difficult feat, and only a select few can fulfill this dream. Stoles help recognize a student’s achievement tangibly. Moreover, you can buy blank stoles and decorate them yourselves if you are creative or have access to tools like an embroidery machine, rhinestones, and heat-based stickers. Customizing is a great way to showcase all your achievements, and also add important details like the class of year.., will help you recall your graduation year, even years later. Now that you know about the blank stoles and the custom stoles, there are cultural and international stoles as well. These stoles represent student’s connection to their heritage while displaying their honors. Also, a few schools reward their highest performing students valedictorian stole, and receiving such awards can boost morale.