At first I thought I would keep it and give it to a friend whose son graduates from the same university in a couple years. I went online to see if they wore the same gown this year as a few years back and they are…so maybe they might be later. It would save them $50. But then I remembered they sell the tassel with the graduation year on it, so not sure it will work after all.
It just feels wrong throwing it away, but I’m not keeping it.
I wore it as a Halloween costume one year…with a price tag on my arm.
Maybe your community theater or thrift shop would like it? Might be useful for Halloween? Masquerade? Our kids only rented theirs from their U. D did buy one for getting her GED–it may be in her closet for all I know.
Your friend’s son can probably buy the tassel separately.
We were given a gown from a friend…didn’t save us a penny because to get the tassel, DS had to get the whole cap and gown package. Oh…and this included the graduation tickets.
It’s definitely a racket – like the wedding industry – the graduation industry. 
At my D’s school you had to rent the graduation gown. And it was more expensive than the one we bought for S.
It had to be returned right after graduation, it rained before and no time after so almost no pictures of D in gown.
I’d rather have a gown to throw away. Us philosophy was less waste. Annoying is what it was.
My second kid’s college recycled those gowns…so…we just rented and were happy to do do.
If you donate it to a consignment shop or Goodwill/Salvation Army, local homeschoolers might buy it. It might also be used by local theater companies.
Please…just don’t take this to your local theater or school without calling first. Most schools, and civic theater groups do NOT have storage for things like this.
Honestly, ours was a red gown…really not useful for anything. But I did use it once for a Halloween costume…and then I sent it to recycling.
Both kids’ caps and tassels are here. As are their diplomas.
I kept the tassels and caps and donated my gown back to the universities.
Every year gets a new tassel but they’re not attached to the caps or anything.
I sold it on eBay.
My daughter got a gown and cap from a sorority sister and used it. We just had to buy a new tassle. My youngest used it three years later and also bought a tassle. She passed it on after her graduation.
My son wore my husband’s advanced degree robe at some point when he had to be a judge for school.
Plain black was useful.
Plain black is useful and can be worn by officiant at a wedding as well. It can also double as wizard robes a la Harry Potter and Hogwarts.