Regalia--to buy or not to buy?

[regalialalia]

I'm curious how many of you are planning to buy your regalia (or already have). If you are, will you buy the whole fancy velvet shebang or are you planning to go the less-expensive basic route? Anyone planning to order online rather than use their university's bookstore?

I'm planning to buy some fancy fancies eventually but don't have the money to do so now. I wonder what the rest of you plan. And if you know of any good online locations to purchase high-quality regalia on the cheap, by all means!

[me too]

I've been contemplating the exact same thing. I have a TT job for the fall and I've been told that faculty are expected to attend one ceremony per year. The official regalia at my current university is almost $700, but I'm leaning toward purchasing. I worked hard for this, dammit. And I don't want to rent for the rest of my career. Nor do I want to buy anything but the official regalia.

I'm hoping the parents offer to purchase (I'm also waiting to hear about an award I may receive for the diss.).

[parental help]

Jan 24, 2012 8:59:08 GMT -5 @me too said:

I've been contemplating the exact same thing. I have a TT job for the fall and I've been told that faculty are expected to attend one ceremony per year. The official regalia at my current university is almost $700, but I'm leaning toward purchasing. I worked hard for this, dammit. And I don't want to rent for the rest of my career. Nor do I want to buy anything but the official regalia.

I'm hoping the parents offer to purchase (I'm also waiting to hear about an award I may receive for the diss.).

One of my future colleagues told me that his folks bought it for him as a graduation gift. I'm thinking that since my father intended to buy me a suit for graduation and I bought a new one when I was interviewing, he can redirect that money toward the regalia instead, but we'll see how well that goes; it's not like they are rolling in dough, either.

[ok]

If you have any extra start up funding, you might be able to use that for regalia.

[socguest]

if you have a job, check with your department, or consider the type of job you'd prefer. A friend who got a job at an SLAC got start up funds for it because they have to go to three ceremonies a year. another who got a job a state research school was told their department has a set that they share, because no one goes regularly enough for it to be worthwhile.

[related]

Say that you are a new AP and have some money to buy regalia (start up), it is better to buy the regalia for your new institution or the one where you obtained your doctorate?

[me too]

I'd say get regalia for the institution where you earned your PhD. I was told that my start up money was only for research-related expenses. I'm not even planning to ask whether I could use it for regalia. I'm surprised that this is an option at some places.

[expensive]

I, too, I have been contemplating the regalia. At my institution they are near $1000! I never thought to ask about using start-up funds, Thanks.

[middleground]

Here's what I did (2010 grad/SLAC TT):

I rent the robe from my SLAC's bookstore. I paid $50 to rent the whole shebang when I first got here and I've just never returned it. They don't seem to care.

I bought my own tam (the rental comes with a mortarboard): $120.

My grammy paid for my hood when I graduated.

My PhD institution uses a special robe in a special color. To buy it was more than a grand (with hood and tam). I might someday buy the robe. Maybe after tenure.

[rental]

My SLAC rents full attire for anyone who wants it. The robe is the traditional black (not institution specific), but the hood is specific to each individual's discipline. Like middleground mentioned, the rental includes a mortarboard. Some faculty have their own regalia, but most use the rental. The university (R1) where I completed my graduate work also rented regalia for any faculty member who wanted it. Both schools indicated that having faculty participate in ceremonies that required regalia was more important than the relatively minimal cost of renting regalia for faculty.

[bought]

Just stopped by the university bookstore to order the regalia. I'll get it by April, I guess. Painfully expensive, but I figure I'll get a lot of use out of it.

[anon]

Anyone here order online from graduationmall[dot]com? I'm thinking of going that route so as not to fork over $1000 to the bookstore. But I'm wondering if they're a legit business with a non-shoddy product. Any info helps. Thanks!