Comparison of Cap & Gown Styles

Cap and Gown Sets:
Graduation Apparel in Two Styles from Homeschool Diploma.com

Traditional Finish Gowns: Stocked in 9 colors Navy cap & gown set is shown with satin stole, navy and gold honor cords Royal blue cap and gown shown with medallion with white neck ribbon	Matte Finish Gowns: Stocked in 6 colors Navy cap & gown set is shown with silver honor cords. Maroon is shown with gold cords and a medallion with academic gold neck ribbon

We've recently added a second style cap and gown set!
Because of the growing demand for graduation apparel with a matte finish, we have added these matte graduation gowns to our inventory. Our cap and gowns sets with the "Traditional" fabric (a "fairly shiny" finish), which we have carried for 9years, have been very popular among the homeschool groups and Christian schools that we serve because it is well-constructed enough to hold up for several years' use, and because the colors have never varied from one year to the next. It is a well-made gown and we see very, very few returns for quality issues. We have no plans to discontinue these Traditional gowns, but are now stocking another line along with it. The new style is constructed of a heavier fabric which is somewhat more opaque, and has a cap made from a solid, rather than corrugated board. It is a very nice fabric. We are stocking the new style in our 6 most popular colors. Because it is a new product, we do not know whether these will remain available in matching colors into the future as our other gowns have done, so if you are heading a homeschool group graduation and want to be able to purchase gowns in the future to match, we recommend the Traditional finish.

We've developed the chart below to help explain the differences and address the common questions that arise when comparing the two styles of gowns. Feel free to call us if you have questions!

Features	Traditional Finish	Matte Finish	Advantages / Differences
Colors	9 colors in stock: Black, Navy, Royal, White, Red, Maroon, Purple, Forest Green, Rose	6 colors in stock: Black, Navy, Royal, White, Red, Maroon	Colors are very similar across the two styles, except for Royal. The Royal Matte gowns are a truer blue than the Traditional, which are a little more of a 'purple' blue.
Fabric/ finish	Woven polyester-- the finish is somewhat shiny - not as shiny as some gowns, but not matte.	Woven polyester -- the fabric is not shiny	Matte finish fabric is popular with photographers because there is no shine to reflect the flash. Shinier finish looks more like satin, which is traditional for graduation gowns.
Opacity	With darker colors there is a slight amount of show-through when there is light behind it. See the full-length photo on this page; note the bottom of the navy gown.	No show-through with the darker colors. .	If wearing a white gown, we recommend light colored clothing beneath either style, but the Matte finish gown is slightly more opaque in the white fabric.
Yoke	Front of gown is pleated and seam allowance is enclosed within the yoke (no seam visible). Back of gown is stitched to the yoke with the seam allowance exposed and finished.	Outer yoke fabric is interfaced. Front and back of gown are both gathered and stitched to the yoke. There are no pleats. Seam allowance is exposed all the way around, and is finished.	Matte finish gowns have a heavier yoke because of the interfacing. Traditional finish gowns have a neater seam that lays flatter where the front of the gown joins the yoke. Both have a double layer of fabric in the yoke and are completely opaque in that area.
Weight of cap and gown set, using size 51 as an example	12 oz.	18 oz.	The substantial difference in weight is partly because of the cap, but mostly because the fabric itself is heavier. The heavier weight means that the matte gowns hang well, but are also warmer to wear in hot weather and cost more to ship
Material inside cap	Corrugated cardboard (this has been a standard for quite a few years)	Heavy, 3/16" thick, solid board with slightly rounded corners. The board slightly flexible.	Both have a fabric-covered button for attaching the tassel. Corrugated cardboard will bend more easily, but is lightweight for wearing and won't hurt anyone if thrown! Caps that come with matte gowns should not be thrown into the air.
Zipper	Color-coordinated nylon zipper with metal pull.	Color-coordinated nylon zipper with metal pull.	The top of the zipper tape is enclosed within the yoke on the Traditional gown, for a more finished look.
Finished raw edges	All seam allowances are overcast. All raw edges of fabric are finished or hemmed except a small section below the zipper.	All seam allowances are overcast. All raw edges of fabric are finished or hemmed	The one small section of unfinished selvedge on the Traditional gown does not seem to ravel at all. The fabric of the matte finish gowns, while heavier and more opaque, also ravels more easily and even though seams and raw edges are finished, there may be some stray threads to clip.
Hems	Bottom of gown and bottom of sleeves have a 1/4" rolled hem.	Bottom of gown and bottom of sleeves have a 1/4" rolled hem.
Styling	Front of gown is pleated at the yoke. Back and sleeves are gathered into the yoke. There are two vertical pleats down the front, 3" from either side of the zipper. There are no side seams.	Front, back and sleeves are all gathered into the yoke. Pleat on either side of zipper at bottom of gown keeps the shape from looking very full (see full-length photo on this page). There are no side seams.	The Traditional gown, even though lighter weight, does hang well and the pleats at the front give the effect of a facing, though it is not lined.The fact that the front of the gown is pleated at the yoke instead of gathered makes the Traditional gown lie flatter against the chest.
Quality Control / Consistency	Made in the USA - very, very few problems with these gowns.	Imported - more likely to have some quality control issues, though most seem to be minor.	Traditional gowns have been completely consistent in color and reliable in construction since 2004 when we began carrying them. We do not have a track record with the Matte gowns and do not know if the dye lot will vary from year to year.
Matching Caps available for purchase separately	YES	NO	If you plan to reuse the Matte finish gown, you would need to also reuse the cap. Caps for the Traditional gowns will continue to be available in the future (as far as we can tell) and should match well.
Sizing	We've found these gowns and the respective size chart to be quite close in accuracy. Broad-shouldered male graduates usually need the "Full fit" gown.	Slightly fuller cut; will fit a broader-shouldered or larger student without going to a "Plus size" gown	Students who are very thin and are "between" sizes may want to order "down" a size in the Matte finish gowns since they run a little larger. Students with broad shoulders should order the full fit size in the Traditional style gowns. The two types of gowns have the same sizing for height, but are different for the student's weight
Care	Iron on low heat (synthetic setting)	Iron on low heat (synthetic setting)	If the gown will be used again another year, we recommend machine washing in cold water, dry on low heat or hang up to dry, and store away from light.
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