Graduation ceremonies: long-awaited and hotly-anticipated but generally long, boring and subdued affairs.
Yanking down your oversized hood at regularly intervals as it slowly edges its way towards your throat and trying (yet failing) to suppress fluttering nerves as you picture yourself face-planting the floor on your way up the stairs often means that graduates are eager to escape and celebrate the way they know best – with a shot of tequila and a slice of lemon.
Graduation ceremonies in Thailand, however, have become a whole lot more interesting since a leading university there has given permission to five cross-dressing students to wear women’s gowns at their graduation ceremony this month.
Despite the fact that the Bangkok’s Thammasat University allowed undergrads to cross-dress in classes, it denied four cross-dressing students the right to dress as women at last year’s graduation ceremony.
But that all changed this year after the university got the green light from the Royal Household Bureau, which deals with etiquette for all functions at which a member of the Thai royal family is present. With such a relaxed, open-minded attitude – and with Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn set to preside over the August ceremony – it’s gold to Thailand for the coolest graduation ceremonies.
With dress codes and first graduate jobs being pretty hot topics right now, a ‘How to Dress For An Interview’ piece seemed appropriate. Put cross-dressing and tequila to the back of your mind and have a read-through of this brief guide:
Girls
Wear neutral trousers or a skirt (with pencil skirts, make sure it’s not so tight that you can’t sit down comfortably) with a smart, coordinated top. Shoe-wise, heels or flats are fine but stick to a neutral colour to be on the safe side. Try not to overload on the jewellery: keep it simple to look as professional as possible. Likewise, wear hair in a simple ponytail or a bun.
Guys
A navy, black or dark grey suit with a long sleeved shirt is a winning combination. Throw a solid coloured tie into the mix to give you a bit of an edge and make you stand out among the other candidates – but flip back to neutral on the shoes (and socks) front. Again, limit the jewellery – a simple chain or ring would be okay – and make sure your hair looks neat and professional.
With graduate recruitment suffering at the hands of the double-dip recession, it is vital to make the best first impression possible if you are offered an interview.