Newrara Doctoral Tam Black Velvet 8-Sided W/Gold Bullion Tassel One Size Fits Most

My university store was charging $150 for their velvet tams, which I felt was a rip-off, so I purchased these for my and my husband's doctoral commencement. It fit my head just fine (normally I am a size large in hats etc) but it was just a tiny bit snug for my husband (I had to position it very carefully for him so that the velcro adjustment didn't gap. FWIW, the official university tam came with a velcro adjustment too. In terms of looks, the difference was minimal. The official tam was a bit softer and sat perhaps a touch more elegantly than this one, but at the end of the day it *is* academic regalia and no matter how you cut it, it looks a bit silly. No regrets with this tam! I'd just proceed with caution if you are a big-headed guy.

Velcro works well, tam feels stable and secure

I ordered this tam because my university wanted $175 for an "official tam," and they already took all my money in tuition. The tassel is great. It's the traditional gold-tone wire cord. The hat secures with velcro and fit my small head just fine. The velvet is reasonable quality, but it was obviously a cheaper version than the official tams, which are made of a finely woven silk velvet and have a ribbon band. The band on this tam is soft, sort of slouchy velvet, but it was comfortable, if not as fancy.

This tam is very well made. The velvet is soft, thick and jet black in color. The inside of the tam is lined with nylon, and like most tams it has a Velcro closure that accommodates a range of head sizes. My head circumference is 22 3/4", and it appears that this tam can accommodate up to one inch above, and one inch below my size. The gold bullion tassel is stitched to the center and left side of the tam, and is not designed to be removed. I love my new tam and I'm looking forward to wearing it in May when my students graduate from Carnegie Hall.

I bought this online because it was very expensive from the university. It made it through most of the ceremony but in the last 30 mins was starting to fall apart. It was very affordable and did get me through a few hours!

Looked great!

Attractive eight-sided doctoral tam. I received lots of compliments. I packed it in my suitcase the day before graduation and it did not wrinkle. My ceremony was outside so I appreciated that it was adjustable and stayed on in the wind and light rain. Order this one.

This is a good option for a reasonable price but it is not as well-made as expected.