<p>Anybody have a suggestion as to what to do with caps and gowns after graduation? I am talking about the ones that you buy. Does your community give some to poor kids? My mother held onto mine for about 20 years and then asked me if I wanted it. It was a ugly orange and I hated it to begin with. I thought about making a small tablecloth with my son’s gown.</p>
<p>If you don’t feel strongly about keeping it for sentimental reasons, you could contact a community theatre in your area. They might want something like that to add to their costume collection.</p>
<p>What about going to your school (I assume they use the same colors/style every year) and donating the gown to someone who can’t buy it for themselves? If they don’t have this kind of program, maybe they should.</p>
<p>The ones our public high school used were <em>so</em> ugly. Looked to me like it would work nicely as a cheapo bathrobe – the zip front kind. It wasn’t even woven fabric … more like the “handiwipe” material in royal blue. YUCK!</p>
<p>(And they aren’t that cheap. If the kids have to <em>buy</em> something, why can’t they graduate in navy blazers with white slacks for the boys and white dresses for the girls. At least you have something you can use again. Guess I am just a preppy sort of girl – my S looked spectacular in his blazer etc at prep school graduation, and I have very fond memories of my girls high school class all dressed in <em>different</em> white dresses.)</p>
<p>Save for costume. The gown can be made into all kinds of interesting things!</p>
<p>My daughter’s gown was labeled “Do not wash. Do not dry clean.”</p>
<p>This translates, in my mind, as “Do not reuse.”</p>
<p>Only in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants is it possible to use a garment repeatedly without washing or cleaning it in some way. This is why the book is classified as fiction.</p>
<p>Throw the gown out. Maybe keep the cap for sentimental reasons. Or just the tassels.</p>
<p>It only gets worn for an hour or two. At our hs, the kids slip into them right before the ceremony (at the school) and as soon as they’re done and pictures are taken, they’re off again.<br>
We handed ours down from brother to brother (except the tassel). I’m asking around if anyone in the next class wants it. Even though it’s been used twice, you can’t tell.
The only things my son kept were his tassel and his cords.</p>
<p>I’m volunteering at the Harry Potter opening at my local bookstore, and they’ve asked for any black or similar dark colored gowns to use as wizards robes.</p>
<p>This was one of my pet peeves. I have three sons. When the first graduated from high school, I bought the cap and gown package. When the second was to graduate, I asked the company selling the caps and gowns if I could buy the tassel only as I already owned the cap and gown. I was told it came in packages only. Along with the decorative ribbon with a school medal worn around the neck. So I bought it. I told the principal about the matter and he said it would be looked into and changed. When son number three was to graduate (this wouldn’t work for parents with a son and daughter, as they wear different colored gowns.) I was told the same story. </p>
<p>I also have two graduated from college. When the first graduated he bought
“the package” since we had no idea what kind of gown it would be. It was exactly the same as the high school ones. When second son was to graduate he refused to buy anything. Said it was a complete and total waste of money. Wouldn’t even buy the honor cords. I bought one of the tassels online and he wore a robe from home. </p>
<p>So now I only own four of them</p>
<p>I did notice that we could buy just the tassel and decorative medal through the company. Son has no problem with throwing cap and gown away but my husband and I can’t bring ourselves to do it.</p>
<p>I sure hope we can buy just the tassel and decorative medal. I have been saving S1’s cap and gown for three years in hopes that S2 ('08) will be able to wear it for graduation.</p>