White on graduation day is practically asking for a disaster to happen. 

On the day of my high school graduation, I had a white gown. I hadn’t put it on at my house, for fear I would have managed to get it dirty before I even entered the school. Despite my caution, I had barely exited my car before the white gown was ruined. 

As I took the gown out, a breeze caught the fabric, blowing it into my tire and causing the hem to be stained brown from the country roads. 

That moment marked the beginning of my commitment to never wearing white on my next graduation. 

White is a color seemingly always present on graduation day, whether as a gown, a collared shirt or a pretty dress. It’s almost always there. 

There are many reasons for this. White is considered a neutral color; it could practically go with anything a person chooses to wear. It could also be for uniformity, like my high school did, by making female gowns white. White can also be seen as a blank slate or a symbol of purity for the future, according to The California Aggie.

I really just don’t understand the appeal, though. 

If someone is looking for a neutral color that won’t burn their retinas when glaring off the sun or cause messy mayhem, beige and black are always there, ready for someone to choose. Black is my neutral of choice, despite being seen as gloomy. It pairs nicely with just about anything. 

Honestly, why are we trying to be neutral on graduation day?

This is the moment that the all-nighters, the excessive caffeine and the typing of enough essays to cause arthritis have led to. This is the graduate’s chance to celebrate themselves and their accomplishments. 

And the color to represent this euphoric, bittersweet feeling should not be white. 

I personally wore a dark blue outfit underneath my gown at my graduation. It captured the somberness of the mood while also still giving my outfit a pop of color. I also think green would be a good choice as it reminds me of trees, which in my mind symbolize growth. 

There are so many different colors to express oneself, especially through clothing. I highly urge every graduate, from here until the end of time, to reconsider reaching for that piece of white fabric. 

Leave the white for a wedding and pick a color to truly showcase the person underneath the cap and gown.