Premium Graduation Hats

Buy your graduation mortar board and enjoy a keepsake from your time at university. Our premium graduation hats (also often called trencher graduation caps) are made with black felt and come with a black satin tassel. Each graduation hat features a soft foam cup with an elastic insert to comfortably fit most heads.

If you are looking to hire or buy a full graduation set, including either a bachelor or masters graduation gown, trencher cap (otherwise known as a mortarboard) and academic hood, stoles or sashes then please visit our Select your University page. If you are completing your doctoral degree then you might instead be interested in a PhD hat (also called a bonnet), which can be purchased from our PhD bonnets page. Also, make sure to check out our cute graduation teddy bears for a great addition to your graduation outfit.

We are also able to custom manufacture graduation hats (either with a hard cup or soft cup) for Australian high-schools, tertiary institutions and universities. These can be ordered in a variety of different fabrics and colours to suit your institution. For more information on ordering bulk graduation trenchers, please visit our wholesale graduation gowns and accessories page.

Origins and History of Graduation Caps

The graduation hat, also known as a mortarboard, graduation cap, square cap or trencher cap, has its roots dating back to at least the 13th century when it was called a trencher cap and may have developed from the biretta, a similar-looking cap worn by the Catholic clergy. Symbolically, the purpose of the mortarboard was originally to serve as a plate for food, but later it became a symbol of education and academic achievement. Today, the graduation hat is worn by students during graduation ceremonies to signify their completion of academic studies and their transition into the next stage of their lives. The flat square top and tassel hanging from the top of the mortarboard have become iconic symbols of the graduation ceremony.