It is trimmed with velvet panels down the front and velvet chevrons on the sleeves. While black is still the predominate color, the color of the gown may denote the wearer s university. The trim may be in a color which denotes the wearer s discipline. The headpiece in most American universities is a mortar board. Tassel colors may denote the discipline in which the wearer s degree was earned.
Doctoral tassels are often gold.
The soft velvet Tudor cap is also worn by many who hold the doctorate. It is the hood that adds meaning to the academic regalia. Changed little since the middle ages, the hood is worn falling from the shoulders down the back of the gown in a display of color. It is edged in velvet, which by its color denotes the discipline in which the wearer s degree was earned. It is lined in two colors of silk which represent the college or university from which the degree was awarded.