How To Wear A Graduation Cap Correctly: Step-by-Step Fitting And Tassel Guide

To wear a graduation cap correctly, position the mortarboard completely flat on the crown of your head, resting approximately one inch above your eyebrows and parallel to the floor. Ensure the deeper crown point faces the back of your head while the interior seam or designated front point aligns with the center of your forehead. Secure the cap using crisscrossed bobby pins, headband anchors, or specialized hair grips, and position your tassel on the right side prior to receiving an undergraduate degree.

Pre-Ceremony Regalia Setup & Equipment Checklist

Properly wearing a graduation cap (technically known as a mortarboard) requires pre-ceremony planning to ensure structural stability, anatomical comfort, and compliance with academic protocols. Mortarboards rely on tension, friction, and scalp placement to stay balanced throughout long commencement ceremonies.

Before fitting your regalia, inspect the fabric skullcap and rigid square board for manufacturing defects. High school, bachelor's, and master's gowns generally include a standard polyester mortarboard, whereas doctoral candidates typically wear soft velvet tams. Preparing your hair, mounting accessories, and cap orientation ahead of time prevents last-minute adjustments on the processional line.

• Essential Accessories & Securing Tools:
  
  
  • Standard 2-inch bobby pins matching your hair color (minimum 4–6 pins).
  • Flexible plastic or cloth headband (for fine, straight, or short hair styling).
  • Graduation cap anchor clips or double-sided fabric tape (for bald/shaved scalps or voluminous hair).
  • Low-heat garment steamer or dry iron with a pressing cloth (to remove cap drop-skirt wrinkles).
• Mandatory Academic Standards & Benchmarks:
  
  
  • Level Placement: Cap must sit 1 inch (2.5 cm) above the eyebrow line, horizontal to the floor plane.
  • Indicator Seam: Internal manufacturer tag or deep elastic band must sit against the nape of the neck.
  • Tassel Drape: Tassel loop must attach firmly to the center top button without tangling.
• Target Specs & Budget Metrics:
  
  
  • Preparation Time: 10 to 15 minutes.
  • Accessory Cost: $0 to $12.
  • Maximum Securement Duration: 3 to 5 hours of continuous wear.

Step-by-Step Mortarboard Fitting & Securement Workflow

Step 1: Identify the Front and Back Orientation

Unfold the cap fabric skullcap beneath the hard square board. Examine the inside of the crown. You will notice a tapering elastic band or an interior manufacturer label.

The section with the deeper, more pronounced V-shaped cut and the interior label represents the back of the cap. The shallower curve represents the front. The front point sits directly over the center of your forehead, halfway between your hairline and your eyebrows.

Warning: Wearing the cap backward causes the soft crown to slip off the back of the head continuously, forcing the square board into an unnatural backward tilt that violates commencement dress codes.

Step 2: Position the Cap Flat on the Crown

Place the cap onto your head, pulling the front section down until the edge rests precisely 1 inch above your eyebrows.

Do not push the cap onto the back of your head like a beanie or tilt it backward at an angle. The flat, square mortarboard surface must remain completely parallel to the ground line. If viewed from the side, the edge of the board should form a 90-degree angle with your vertical spinal axis.

Pro-Tip: If your forehead feels pinched or the cap leaves a deep red indentation within two minutes, your cap is too small. Use a seam ripper to make two small 1/4-inch vertical cuts in the interior rear elastic band to release tension without damaging the visible outer shell.

Step 3: Implement Hair-Specific Anchoring Techniques

Because mortarboards lack deep chin straps, securing the cap against wind and movement relies entirely on your hair texture and head shape.

• For Long, Medium, or Textured Hair: Pull the cap down firmly. Slide bobby pins upward through the inner fabric band of the cap directly into your hair at a 45-degree angle. Use an "X" shape—crossing two bobby pins over each other—on both sides of the head near the ears, and two additional pins at the back nape.
• For Straight or Very Fine Hair: Pre-attach a flat plastic headband to the interior skullcap using fabric tape or hot glue before ceremony day. Put the headband on like a normal hair accessory; the mortarboard will sit perfectly anchored atop it.
• For Braids, Locs, or High Volume Afro Textures: Do not stretch the cap elastic over the volume of the hair. Let the skullcap sit gently on top of the style, and thread long hairpins directly through the cap seam loop into the base of the braids or locs. Alternatively, secure a flexible satin cap anchor inside the mortarboard.
• For Shaved, Bald, or Short Hair: Apply skin-safe toupee tape or medical-grade double-sided hairpiece adhesive along the front and side interior sweatband of the cap. Press firmly against clean, oil-free skin.

Step 4: Attach and Position the Tassel

Locate the top button in the direct center of the square mortarboard. Take the loop end of your tassel and pull it completely over the center button. Tug gently on the hanging strands to ensure the loop locks securely around the stem under the button head.

• Undergraduate & High School Candidates: Place the tassel on the right side of the cap, resting between your right eye and right ear.
• Graduate Candidates (Master's & Doctorate): Place the tassel on the left side of the cap, as degree holders do not participate in the "turning of the tassel" ritual during the ceremony.

Pro-Tip: If the tassel loop slips off the center button easily, wrap a tiny clear elastic hair band around the button stem over the tassel loop to lock it in place.

Academic Regalia Standards & Tassel Protocol Matrix

Regalia Instability & Style Malfunctions: Field Remedies

Scenario 1: The Mortarboard Slides Backward off Smooth Hair

• Root Cause: The friction coefficient of silky, fine, or freshly washed hair is too low to grip the interior polyester sweatband, causing gravity to pull the rear crown downward.
• Actionable Fix: Apply dry shampoo or texturizing spray to the crown roots prior to fitting. Insert two bobby pins horizontally through the interior elastic band, pushing the pins forward toward your face rather than backward into the hair, creating an anchor hook against the scalp line.

Scenario 2: The Cap Fails to Fit Over Thick Locs, Braids, or Curls

• Root Cause: Attempting to force a rigid, standard-sized elastic cap down over voluminous hair distorts the board, popping the cap off entirely or causing extreme discomfort.
• Actionable Fix: Do not force the skullcap over the hair mass. Position the cap floating on top of the hairstyle. Insert long, open-ended U-shaped hairpins through the interior lining fabric directly into the base of the braids or locs. Alternatively, adhere a thin headband to the bottom inside lip of the cap and slide the headband under your hair structure.

Scenario 3: Outdoor Wind Lifts and Dislodges the Mortarboard

• Root Cause: High winds catch the protruding flat square board, creating updraft leverage that tears standard vertical bobby pins out of the hair.
• Actionable Fix: Install a "Headband Hack." Loop a sturdy cloth headband through the inner elastic band inside the front of the cap, or secure it with heavy-duty double-sided tape. Put on the headband first, then pull the cap down over it. Lock the sides using an "X" pin configuration: two bobby pins crossed over one another at a precise 45-degree angle.

Scenario 4: The Tassel Continuously Swings Into the Eyes or Mouth

• Root Cause: The tassel string is wrapped improperly around the center button, causing it to drop too far forward along the front edge of the board rather than resting smoothly over the side corner.
• Actionable Fix: Re-seat the tassel loop around the neck of the center button. Ensure the string lays directly over the right-side diagonal ridge of the square board (pointing toward the 2 o'clock position relative to your face) rather than draping over the front edge (12 o'clock position).

Frequently Asked Questions

Which side does the tassel go on before you graduate?

Before crossing the stage and receiving your diploma or undergraduate degree, your tassel must sit on the right side of your graduation cap. Once the commencement speaker officially confers the degrees—or as you cross the stage, depending on school protocol—you will move the tassel from the right side to the left side.

How do you keep a graduation cap from falling off?

To keep your cap secure, position it flat on your head and anchor it using crossed bobby pins pushed through the fabric headband directly into your hair. For fine hair, bald scalps, or short styles, attach a fitted headband or skin-safe double-sided toupee tape to the inside rim of the cap before putting it on.

Can you wear a graduation cap with your hair down?

Yes, you can wear a graduation cap with your hair down. Create a subtle horizontal part across the crown of your head where the inner band sits, and insert bobby pins in an "X" shape on both sides behind your ears to secure the mortarboard directly to the roots beneath your outer layer of hair.

Should a graduation cap sit flat or tilted?

A graduation cap must sit completely flat and level on your head, parallel to the ground. It should never be tilted back on the rear of your head or cocked to one side, as this violates academic regalia standards and makes the cap significantly more prone to slipping off.

How far down on your forehead should a graduation cap sit?

The front point of the graduation cap should sit approximately 1 inch (2.5 cm) above your eyebrows, resting right across the middle of your forehead. Placing the cap higher creates an unstable backward tilt while placing it lower obstructs your vision.

Complete Your Commencement Preparation

Ensure your commencement day runs smoothly by fitting and securing your graduation cap well before entering the processional line. Taking time to anchor your mortarboard according to academic protocol guarantees comfortable wear, perfect photos, and zero regalia mishaps when you walk across the stage.