Graduation Attire, Built to Order

Graduation honor cord colors are the least standardized part of a ceremony, and the reason is that most schools invent their own scheme rather than following a national one.

What is broadly consistent: cords mark an honor or affiliation rather than a degree, they are worn over the gown, and they are usually sold as a pair joined by a pin. In the US, cords sit outside the academic costume code that governs gowns, hoods and caps, so their colors are set by each school or honor society rather than nationally. Gold is the color most often used for general academic honor, but two institutions can use the same color for entirely different awards, and only a genuinely national scheme is fixed. The clearest example of one is the National Honor Society, whose official colors are blue and gold.

We make cords to order in single, double and triple strand, in the school's own colorway, so the scheme does not have to be forced into an off-the-shelf mix. Minimum order is 50 units per style and color, and they can be combined with stoles on the same order — see stoles and sashes.

What do graduation cord colors mean?

There is no universal chart. Cords signal an honor or affiliation that the school or society defines, so meanings vary between institutions and countries. Where a national scheme exists, the school specifies it. Ask the school which award each color represents.

Are honor cords different from a stole?

Yes. A cord is a braided pair worn over the gown to mark an honor or affiliation; a stole is a flat panel carrying the school name, year or crest. Both can be worn at the same ceremony, and we supply them as one order.

Can you match our existing cord color?

Yes — send the reference or a photograph and we match it, returning lab dips within 48 hours before production.