<p>Yeah early May in the Raleigh area can range from low 80’s to 90’s, plus you will want that cardigan when you are in the air conditioned building, but must walk 15 minutes in the heat to get there.</p>
<p>For those that are going to SE school graduations, attire is totally different. The NE is more formal, the SE lives in rainbows! It is just the way of life. Even between VA and NC there is a huge difference. NC the girls will wear a cotton sundress (Hollister) and rainbows as their graduation attire, in VA, they still wear a sundress, but it is more formal and they wear heels.</p>
<p>I am thinking of white slacks and a twin set for Cornell graduation on Memorial Day weekend. </p>
<p>I’m hoping to do one outfit for a wedding in May (non-traditional gay couple), plus Cornell graduation and s2’s high school graduation in mid-June. All three events are outside. Cornell’s is two-part, a stadium part and a indoor hall part. The information we have received from Cornell is that there will be a lot of walking, and sitting in the sun and to dress (down) accordingly.</p>
<p>It’s possible that the Cornell graduation will be pre-empted (for us) by the NCAA Lacrosse Final Four. It’s happened in two of the past three years – last year the University did a special intimate ceremony on campus for the seniors the day after the Final Four.</p>
<p>It depends if Graduation is inside or outside. D’s was outside, all girls had summer dresses, voted for No Gowns, thank goodness. Parents just were nice, not very formal outfits that were not too hot for outside.</p>
<p>I’m thinking there will be two outfits - one for the English department reception and Baccalaureate on Friday and one for Graduation. The problem is that the one for the Friday events has to be a traveling one because we’re driving down and will just make it. I kept waiting for the time-line for the major reception but had to do my planning without it. I can’t take my youngest out of school for more then one day so we’ll just have to leave at 6 am! </p>
<p>My son’s graduation is May 1st in Southwest Virginia. Probably something light that can be layered. Looks like the Friday events are indoors and graduation is outside unless the weather is bad, in which case it’s at the civic center. I don’t own any shoes that I can’t walk in, so I’m halfway set!</p>
<p>bullet, I think attire in NC depends on the school…I went to Wake, so Lilly Pulitzer and heels was much more standard than Hollister and Rainbows. Under-dressing for an event is a pet peeve of mine, so I typically err on the side of more formal.</p>
<p>My outdoor graduation was freezing cold, especially for mid-May, when it should have been warm. It was only in the lower 50s with a strong wind, so it felt even colder.</p>
<p>Well, we are driving down in a crossover vehicle, so there is room for most of my closet if I want to cover all eventualities!</p>
<p>My tried and true black and white regimen works so well for this type of thing. I got really adventurous and bought a pair of red sandals to throw into the mix. Whoo Hoo!</p>
<p>Don’t wear white pants to an outdoor ceremony, unless you also want to bring a towel to wipe down the seats. Think of a dark color or print instead!</p>
<p>Last year at Cornell, we had a hot, humid Saturday ceremony, followed by rain and a glorious Sunday ceremony in the same stadium, then a smaller reception on the lawn of son’s college. So, I’d say keep it loose, wear comfy shoes and something like a sleeveless top with a jacket, a hat and sunscreen.</p>
<p>Haven’t really thought about graduation wardrobe – Wake Forest in mid-May. I usually leave such things until much closer to the event, and then panic sets in! LOL! Hoping for a warm sunny day – which means lots of sunscreen and a book to pass the time since seats are first-come,first-serve. Can’t believe she’s graduating – seems like she just got accepted!</p>
<p>This thread did get me thinking! I checked both of my kids’ high school graduation pics and DS’s college graduations picture. I do NOT want to be in the same outfit from a previous graduation!! Maybe this IS an excuse for a shopping trip!!!</p>
<p>For my son’s graduation, I wore what I needed to wear to work later in the day. I only had part of the day off.</p>
<p>For my daughter’s, which is outdoors, the most important ingredients will be sunscreen, sunglasses, and a hat. I doubt anyone will notice whatever else I choose to wear with it.</p>
<p>My point is that nobody is looking at you. They’re looking at the graduates. So wear what you want.</p>
<p>With two feet of snow outside and more predicted for Wednesday, this post ^, talking about sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat, just makes me feel all tingly!</p>
<p>Jeans, raincoat, rain boots and a thin poncho distributed by the college. Boston in early June, very muddy. Most of the graduates had the ponchos over their caps and gowns.</p>
<p>Yes, I think that this seemingly endless winter is the reason I even started thinking about dressing for graduation south of the Mason Dixon Line. That, plus the fact that I usually do these things too late. I would be looking for spring clothes in spring (how absurd!) and there would be no spring/summer clothes left in the stores.</p>
<p>I agree, the weather here is so miserable that I am dreaming of Spring–which starts 3 weeks from today, by the way. I realize that D2 is the star. I am far from a fashionista, and the main reason I am starting to think about graduation fashion is because I can’t just look in the closet that morning and pull out whatever I think would look passable. I have to pack it, think about what it will look like after hours smushed in the suitcase, and, most of all, how I can get away with one pair of shoes for the entire 5-day trip. I travel light!</p>
<p>fafnir- one note of caution. The last trip we took to our son’s school, it rained so hard that the water was 3 inches deep in the streets. I am SO glad I had more than one pair of shoes.</p>
<p>Wow, in our kids’ grad pictures you can barely see anything but the grad & all the leis anyway, so my outfit was never much of an issue. I’ll probably wear slacks, because they’re so versatile. Evenings & early mornings in LA can be colder than we’re used to in HI.</p>