Academic dress of the University of Cambridge

University of Cambridge

The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...

has a long tradition of academic dress

Academic dress

Academic dress or academical dress is a traditional form of clothing for academic settings, primarily tertiary education, worn mainly by those that have been admitted to a university degree or hold a status that entitles them to assume them...

, which it traditionally refers to as academical dress (though academic dress is used here for consistency with other articles on Wikipedia). Almost every degree which is awarded by the University has its own distinct gown in addition to having its own hood. Undergraduates wear college gowns which have subtle differences enabling the wearer's college to be determined. Academic dress is worn quite often in Cambridge on formal, and sometimes informal, occasions, and there are a number of rules and customs governing when and how it is worn. Black gowns (undress) are worn at less formal events, while on special days (such as the days of General Admission to Degrees) full academical dress is worn, consisting of gown, hood and headdress with Doctors in festal dress. The University's officials also have ancient forms of academic dress, unique to the University.

When academic dress is worn

Most undergraduates buy or borrow a gown in their first week at Cambridge for the purpose of matriculation

Matriculation

Matriculation, in the broadest sense, means to be registered or added to a list, from the Latin matricula – little list. In Scottish heraldry, for instance, a matriculation is a registration of armorial bearings...

, which is the formal ceremony of enrolment in the University. It is more common to buy a gown, especially at the more traditional colleges, as the number of occasions on which it is worn quickly repays the investment. Gowns are often recycled between 'generations', as new graduate students in turn need to upgrade their gowns at the start of the year.

In most colleges, gowns are worn to Formal Hall (formal dinner, held every night in some colleges, once or twice a term in a few others) and to Chapel. Various College events also demand academic dress; for example, in the Trinity College

Trinity College, Cambridge

Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...

regulations for members in statu pupillari, it specifies that certain senior members of College (such as the Dean) prefer students to wear a gown when addressing them in their official capacity (often when having been "deaned" for breaking the College Rules). The extent to which these rules apply vary greatly from college to college, some dispensing with academic attire even for formal hall.

On special occasions, fuller academic dress is used, including hoods. Gowns are always worn with a hood to graduation ceremonies at the Senate House

Senate House (University of Cambridge)

The Senate House of the University of Cambridge is now used mainly for degree ceremonies. It was formerly also used for meetings of the Council of the Senate...

, and the University sets out strict rules regarding which gown and hood a graduating student should wear, and with what. Hoods may also be worn when attending chapel with Choir Dress

Choir dress

Choir dress is the vesture of the clerics, seminarians and religious of traditional churches worn for public prayer, either apart from the eucharist or by those attending the eucharist as the clergy part of the congregation rather than as the celebrants...

or a surplice

Surplice

A surplice is a liturgical vestment of the Western Christian Church...

Components of Cambridge academic dress

When wearing full academic dress, a person wears the gown, hood and headdress of the highest degree he or she has already received from the University of Cambridge. Anyone who does not hold a Cambridge degree (such as an undergraduate, or a graduate of another university) normally wears a gown according to his or her status in Cambridge, i.e., undergraduate, BA status or MA status (see below), though without the strings which are attached to the gowns of Cambridge graduates. Graduates of other universities may wear the academic dress of those universities on 'scarlet days', unless they are university officials or participating in a degree ceremony, but this has only been permitted since 1998.

A graduand (someone about to be presented for a degree) wears the full Cambridge academic dress of the highest status degree that they already hold. Graduands who do not already hold a Cambridge degree wear the gown appropriate to their status in the University, along with hood of the degree to which they are about to be admitted. Undergraduates, who do not yet hold a degree, wear their undergraduate gown, with the hood of the degree that they are about to receive. Thus, for example, an undergraduate graduating to a BA degree wears an undergraduate gown and a BA hood. A holder of a BA from Cambridge graduating to a PhD wears both a BA hood and gown, whereas a graduate of another university graduating to a PhD wears a BA or MA status gown and PhD hood.

In the case of Medical students completing their clinical years graduands wear the gown and hood of the B.Chir degree. This is due to the fact the B.Chir degree is conferred in absentia as soon as the list of people passing the Final M.B examination is posted outside Senate House. This was to prevent the necessity for a 'double graduation' ceremony. As such it is common practice for students to hire the B.Chir academic dress, rather than purchase it, for it is superseded by the M.B academic dress post graduation. In the case of students who have completed both pre-clinical and clinical years at Cambridge, many alumni and graduates do not purchase the M.B academic dress, merely hiring it for any occasions requiring academic dress (Alumni Formal Hall etc.) as this is superseded a mere couple of years later when the automatic Oxbridge MA is granted. Medical students graduate at the end of the third year with a Cambridge BA, and for this ceremony are treated as any other students graduating with a BA.

The full list of degrees and their order of seniority is given in the Ordinances of the University: as a rule of thumb, higher doctorates outrank the PhD, which outranks masters' degrees, which outrank bachelors' degrees.

Gowns

The gowns in use at Cambridge, like those generally used throughout the UK

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

but not the US

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, are open-fronted. The main types seen are the undergraduate gown, Bachelor of Arts

Bachelor's degree

A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...

gown and Master of Arts

Master's degree

A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...

gown, though the sleeves of graduates' gowns are adorned with various patterns that indicate the exact degree or degrees that they possess, and allow this to be determined even when hoods are not being worn. In addition, for Scarlet days, Doctors (either of Philosophy, or one of the more senior doctorates) wear special dress gowns, distinguished by the use of scarlet.

Undergraduates

All undergraduate gowns resemble knee-length versions of the BA gown, and the basic gown is black, reaching down to just below the knees with an open pointed sleeve and the forearm seam left open. Most colleges' gowns include minor variations on this pattern, such as sleeve decorations. The most distinct differences are the blue colour of the undergraduate gowns of Trinity

Trinity College, Cambridge

and Caius

Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge

Gonville and Caius College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England. The college is often referred to simply as "Caius" , after its second founder, John Keys, who fashionably latinised the spelling of his name after studying in Italy.- Outline :Gonville and...

and the blue facings of Selwyn

Selwyn College, Cambridge

Selwyn College is a constituent college in the University of Cambridge in England, United Kingdom.The college was founded by the Selwyn Memorial Committee in memory of the Rt Reverend George Selwyn , who rowed on the Cambridge crew in the first Varsity Boat Race in 1829, and went on to become the...

. Illustrations and descriptions of the various collegiate gowns are available from the University's Heraldic and Genealogical Society website or the University's Cap & Gown Society website.

BA and MA

The two most common graduate gowns in Cambridge are the BA gown and the MA gown. Unlike in most other universities, except the University of Oxford

University of Oxford

The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...

, no bachelor's degree save the BA is awarded and all undergraduates at Cambridge traditionally graduated with a BA degree after 3 years, although, these days, many graduates also obtain a master's degree, such as an MEng or MSci, after a further year of study, and graduate to both degrees at once.

As in Oxford, BAs are automatically entitled to proceed to the degree of Master of Arts after a period of time (see also Master of Arts (Oxbridge and Dublin)). In Cambridge, this period is 6 years from the end of the first term after matriculation

Matriculation

provided this is at least two years from the award of the BA — BAs are thus eligible for the MA at the first graduation ceremony in the 7th calendar year after matriculation.

The BA gown is a long black stuff

Stuff (cloth)

In the context of materials Stuff can refer to any manufactured material. This is illustrated from a quote by Sir Francis Bacon in his 1658 publication New Atlantis:"Wee have also diverse Mechanicall Arts, which you have not; And Stuffes made by them; As Papers, Linnen, Silks, Tissues; dainty Works...

(cloth) gown with long bell-shaped sleeves to the wrists with the forearm seam left open from near the shoulder to around 4-3" from the wrist. The gown is gathered at the back in a yoke, and falls down to just below the knees. The BA hood is of black cloth, bound and half-lined

Lining (sewing)

In sewing and tailoring, a lining is an inner layer of fabric, fur, or other material inserted into clothing, hats, luggage, curtains, handbags and similar items....

in white fur, which by regulation is artificial.

The MA gown is similar to the BA gown, except that it has "boot" sleeves, which are long, rectangular and closed at the ends, with a crescent cut out of each sleeve-end which curves at the top (unlike the Oxford MA gown), and a horizontal arm-slit just above the elbow. It falls down to calf length (slightly longer than the BA gown) and may be made of silk. The MA hood is of black silk lined in white silk.

Other Masters' gowns vary from subject to subject at Cambridge; for example, the Master of Engineering

Engineering

Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...

(MEng) and M.Sci. gowns are the standard MA gown but with an embroidered wheel on each sleeve, and a corresponding hood is worn.
The MPhil gown is the same as the MSci gown, but instead of an embroidered wheel, it has two buttons connected by a horizontal embroidered line at the shoulder.

Persons without a Cambridge degree (including those with a degree from another university) wear a "BA status" or "MA status" gown, which is identical to a BA or MA gown but with the "strings" (black ribbons attached inside the shoulder) removed. The BA status gown is for those aged under twenty-four while the MA gown is for those aged twenty-four or over. (The rationale is that Cambridge students would usually join the university at 18, obtain their BA after 3 years, at 21, and their MA after a further 3 years, at 24.)

The University's rules on academic dress do not permit those on the PGCE (Post graduate certificate in education) course run by the Faculty of Education to wear a Cambridge gown; this is unless they already hold an academic degree from the University of Cambridge, in which case they may wear the gown pertaining to that degree.

Doctors

Doctors in Cambridge have two forms of academic dress: undress and full dress (or scarlet). Scarlet is worn on formal college and university occasions, and so-called Scarlet Days (mostly Church of England

Church of England

The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...

festivals such as Easter

Easter

Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...

and Christmas

Christmas

Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...

).

The undress gown or black gown is similar to the MA gown (for PhD, LittD, ScD and in practice DD) or is a 'lay-type' gown similar to that worn by Queen's Counsel

Queen's Counsel

Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...

(LLD, MD, MusD). Different doctorates are distinguished from each other and from the plain MA gown by different arrangements of lace on the sleeves, facings or flap collar. The DD traditionally had a gown with sleeves like that on American gowns being gathered at the wrists which are called 'bishop's sleeves' or 'pudding sleeves'.

Undress gowns may be made of silk or stuff. The gown may be worn with a doctor's hood. The PhD hood, the one most commonly seen, is made of black corded silk lined with scarlet cloth; the hoods of higher doctors are made of red cloth and lined with silk in the faculty colour (scarlet for letters, pink shot light blue for science, light-cherry for laws, mid-cherry for medicine, dove grey for divinity). The MusD hood is of cream damask lined with dark cherry satin.

The full dress or scarlet gown differs for each doctorate, but uses the same material and colours as the hood. For PhDs, there are two versions of the scarlet gown. The traditional version is the same as the MA gown (in theory, though not in practice, the silk version), with the addition of a broad red cloth stripe down each side at the front. The alternative version (authorised in 2006 but commonly used without authorisation before then) uses detachable facings on an undress PhD gown, which is distinguished from the MA gown by doctors' lace on the sleeves that is not found on the traditional festal PhD gown. For the higher doctorates, such as LLD or ScD, the scarlet gown is a more impressive affair, being brightly coloured and voluminous, with open sleeves that hang long at the back, at the sleeve front, the lining is turned outwards and is fixed in position by a twisted cord and button. The linings of the sleeves and the facings are in silk of the colour of the hood lining.

Scarlet day

Scarlet day is the term used in the University of Cambridge

University of Cambridge

to designate those days on which Doctors

Doctor (title)

Doctor, as a title, originates from the Latin word of the same spelling and meaning. The word is originally an agentive noun of the Latin verb docēre . It has been used as an honored academic title for over a millennium in Europe, where it dates back to the rise of the university. This use spread...

are required to wear the festal form of academic dress

Academic dress of the University of Cambridge

The University of Cambridge has a long tradition of academic dress, which it traditionally refers to as academical dress . Almost every degree which is awarded by the University has its own distinct gown in addition to having its own hood...

. It is so called because of the scarlet elements in the gowns and hoods of the festal full dress worn by Doctors as opposed to the everyday undress black gowns. On these days it is also permitted for members of the University to wear the academic dress of other Universities

University

A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...

from which they have obtained degrees

Academic degree

An academic degree is a position and title within a college or university that is usually awarded in recognition of the recipient having either satisfactorily completed a prescribed course of study or having conducted a scholarly endeavour deemed worthy of his or her admission to the degree...

.

The ordinances

Ordinance (university)

An Ordinance is a particular class of internal legislation in a United Kingdom university.All UK universities created before 1992 are established by Royal Charter. Under their Charters, they are empowered to make Statutes, but any changes to these require the approval of the Privy Council. ...

of the University set out the following days as scarlet days: Christmas

Christmas

Day, Easter

Easter

Day, Ascension Day, Whitsunday

Pentecost

Pentecost is a prominent feast in the calendar of Ancient Israel celebrating the giving of the Law on Sinai, and also later in the Christian liturgical year commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples of Christ after the Resurrection of Jesus...

, Trinity Sunday

Trinity Sunday

Trinity Sunday is the first Sunday after Pentecost in the Western Christian liturgical calendar, and the Sunday of Pentecost in Eastern Christianity...

, All Saints

All Saints

All Saints' Day , often shortened to All Saints, is a solemnity celebrated on 1 November by parts of Western Christianity, and on the first Sunday after Pentecost in Eastern Christianity, in honour of all the saints, known and unknown...

' Day, the day appointed for the Commemoration of Benefactors, and on the days of General Admission to Degrees. In addition, the Vice-Chancellor may prescribe other scarlet days throughout the year, for example on days of national celebration.

The individual colleges each have a few scarlet days of their own as well, such as on the day of the college's Saint.

Hoods

Hoods are worn on the back as an indicator of academic status. These are of the distinctive Cambridge Full shape. The hood consists of a cape (known also as the 'tippet'), cowl and liripipe. The neckband of a hood is of the outer colour, with no edging of the lining material. The corners of tippets are square. The design of hoods as set by University Ordinances Chapter II is below.

Degree	Hood
Doctor of Divinity: DD	of scarlet cloth lined with dove-coloured silk, that is silk of a turquoise-blue shot with rose-pink
Doctor of Laws: LLD	of scarlet cloth lined with light-cherry silk
Doctor of Medicine: MD	of scarlet cloth lined with mid-cherry silk
Doctor of Science: ScD	of scarlet cloth lined with pink silk shot with light blue
Doctor of Letters: LittD	of scarlet cloth lined with scarlet silk to match the cloth
Doctor of Music: MusD	of cream damask lined with dark-cherry satin
Bachelor of Divinity: BD	of black corded silk lined with black silk
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine: VetMD	of black corded silk lined with scarlet cloth, the hood part lined with mid-cherry silk, four inches (10 cm) deep;
Doctor of Philosophy: PhD	of black corded silk lined with scarlet cloth
Doctor of Engineering: EngD	of black corded silk lined with bronze silk, the hood part lined with scarlet cloth, four inches (10 cm) deep
Master of Surgery: MChir	of black corded silk lined with mid-cherry silk
Master of Arts: MA	of black corded silk lined with white silk
Master of Laws: LLM	of black corded silk lined with light-cherry silk
Master of Music: MusM	of black corded silk lined with dark-cherry satin
Master of Science: MSc	of black cloth lined with pink silk shot with light blue
Master of Letters: MLitt	of black cloth lined with scarlet silk
Master of Philosophy: MPhil	of black cloth lined with blue silk
Master of Mathematics: MMath	of black cloth lined with slate blue silk
Master of Advanced Study: MASt	of black cloth lined with gold silk
Master of Engineering: MEng	of black cloth lined with bronze silk
Master of Business Administration: MBA	of black cloth lined with dark green silk
Master of Finance: M.Fin.	of black cloth lined with light-green silk
Master of Education: MEd	of black corded silk lined with light blue silk
Master of Natural Sciences: MSci	of black corded silk lined with pink silk shot with light blue
Master of Studies: MSt	of black corded silk lined with yellow silk
Bachelor of Medicine: MB	the hood and tippet of mid-cherry silk, the hood part-lined with white fur and the tippet edged with white fur
Bachelor of Surgery: B.Chir.	the MB hood but with no fur edging to the tippet
Bachelor of Arts: BA	of black stuff, part-lined with white fur, the tippet edged with white fur; or, until further order, of black stuff, part-lined with white, the tippet edged with white
Bachelor of Laws: LLB	the MB hood and tippet but of light-cherry silk
Bachelor of Music MusB	the MB hood and tippet, but of dark-cherry satin
Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine: VetMB	the MB hood but with an edging of white fur, two inches wide (5 cm), to the tippet
Bachelor of Education: BEd	of black stuff, part-lined with blue silk and an edging of white fur, the tippet edged with white fur
Bachelor of Theology for Ministry BTh	of black stuff, lined with black silk, the tippet edged with white fur

Headdresses

A form of a black hat known as a square cap (also mortarboard) is worn or carried. Properly, it is worn outdoors and carried indoors, except by people acting in an official capacity who customarily continue to wear it indoors. Although in practice few people wear (or even carry) a cap nowadays, they are nominally still required for graduates at the University; caps ceased to be compulsory for undergraduates in 1943 due to a shortage during the Second World War, and, after bringing them back for degree ceremonies in the Senate House only, were finally made entirely optional for undergraduates in 1953, though they are still not permitted to wear any other head covering with a gown.

With their festal gowns, Doctors of Divinity wear a black velvet cap

Bishop Andrewes cap

The Bishop Andrewes cap is a recent reinvention of the ancient style of academic cap as part of academic dress before it developed into the modern mortarboard as it is known today . The cap is named after Bishop Andrewes who may have not have worn this style of cap at all.The cap is similar to the...

, and Doctors in other Faculties wear a wide-brimmed round velvet bonnet with gold string and tassels, known as a Tudor bonnet

Tudor bonnet

A Tudor bonnet is a traditional soft round cap, with a tassel hanging from a cord encircling the puggaree of the hat...

, instead of a mortarboard, though they may choose to wear a square cap with a festal gown if they are taking part in a ceremony in the Senate House

Senate House (University of Cambridge)

The Senate House of the University of Cambridge is now used mainly for degree ceremonies. It was formerly also used for meetings of the Council of the Senate...

Sub-fusc

Sub-fusc means "of a dark/dusky colour", and refers to the clothes worn with full academic dress in Cambridge although the University officially does not use this term. Generally, this involves a dark suit and white shirt, collar, bands

Bands (neckwear)

Bands are a form of formal neckwear, worn by some clergy and lawyers, and with some forms of academic dress. They take the form of two oblong pieces of cloth, usually though not invariably white, which are tied to the neck. Bands is usually plural because they require two similar parts and did not...

and bow tie for men (who must also wear black socks), and a dark suit and white blouse for women. The rules for dress on graduation for women also specify that women's attire must have long sleeves and, if a skirt is worn, it must be knee-length or longer and worn with tights. Although only male graduands are required to wear white ties and bands by a regulation, nothing prevents lady graduands doing so too if they wear a properly collared shirt.

In place of sub-fusc, members of Her Majesty's Forces have in the past been allowed to wear their service uniform

Uniform

A uniform is a set of standard clothing worn by members of an organization while participating in that organization's activity. Modern uniforms are worn by armed forces and paramilitary organizations such as police, emergency services, security guards, in some workplaces and schools and by inmates...

, persons in holy orders

Holy Orders

The term Holy Orders is used by many Christian churches to refer to ordination or to those individuals ordained for a special role or ministry....

their clerical dress, and national dress has been worn, together with the appropriate gown and hood. Currently as of 2007, national dress is no longer accepted as an alternative to sub-fusc. The proctor

Proctor

Proctor, a variant of the word procurator, is a person who takes charge of, or acts for, another. The word proctor is frequently used to describe someone who oversees an exam or dormitory.The title is used in England in three principal senses:...

s have discretion to waive the part of the regulations concerning dark clothes and white tie on 'reasonable grounds'.

Notably, the rules governing Cambridge

University of Cambridge

sub-fusc are less detailed and less strict than those prevailing at Oxford

University of Oxford

. In particular, bands may be worn at Oxford only by high officers of the university and by doctors on certain occasions. Some women are required to wear bands with a black tie (in practice a black velvet ribbon) while others holding certain offices are permitted the alternative of a white bow tie with their bands. At Cambridge, there are only strict sub-fusc rules in Statutes and Ordinances for graduation ceremonies, at which the rules are enforced strictly by the proctor

Proctor

s. Persons who are incorrectly dressed may be prevented from graduating in person, and their Praelector

Praelector

A praelector is a traditional role at the colleges of the University of Cambridge and the University of Oxford. The role differs between the two universities.At Cambridge, a praelector is a fellow of a college...

or Presenter may be fined.

Academic dress for officials of the University

The Chancellor

The Chancellor of the University wears on ceremonial occasions a black silk gown with a long train, decorated with gold lace, similar to the gown of the Lord Chancellor

Lord Chancellor

The Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, or Lord Chancellor, is a senior and important functionary in the government of the United Kingdom. He is the second highest ranking of the Great Officers of State, ranking only after the Lord High Steward. The Lord Chancellor is appointed by the Sovereign...

Persons presenting for, or conferring, degrees

The Vice-Chancellor or his/her deputy, when conferring degrees, and anyone who is not a praelector of a college presenting a graduand (in practice, this is limited to someone presenting for a higher doctorate) wears a scarlet cappa clausa, or "closed cope" of scarlet cloth with an ermine hood and trimmings, as shown in the image. Cambridge is the only university in the world apart from the University of the South in America to retain the cappa clausa as part of its academic dress.

Proctors

The Proctor

Proctor

s in Cambridge are formally responsible for the discipline of junior members of the university. In addition, they have various ceremonial and administrative duties, with which they are, in practice, mainly occupied.

In both Oxford and Cambridge, the Proctors could formerly be seen patrolling the streets after dark with the university Constables, or bulldogs, who wore top hats in Cambridge and bowler hats in Oxford. These traditions have now ceased, although the Proctors are still responsible for posting various disciplinary notices (e.g. highlighting the restriction on undergraduates' possession of motor cars) around the Colleges. Their Constables continue to wear top hats and cloaks on ceremonial occasions.

The Proctors wear the academic dress of a Master of Arts, but with a distinctive ruff

Ruff (clothing)

A ruff is an item of clothing worn in Western Europe from the mid-sixteenth century to the mid-seventeenth century.The ruff, which was worn by men, women and children, evolved from the small fabric ruffle at the drawstring neck of the shirt or chemise...

at the neck. They wear the MA hood to congregations, but at other times wear the hood "squared," meaning that it is so folded that it presents the appearance of a large square cape. The method of arranging this dress has been handed down, as has a pattern "ruff", from Proctor to Proctor; but nowadays the repositories of such traditions are more often the Proctors' men, who, in these matters, perform the offices which judges expect of their clerks.

Other officials

The University constable, or bulldog, has full dress comprising a long blue cloak studded with brass buttons. With this he carries a halberd.

Other officials such as the Esquire Bedell

Esquire Bedell

An Esquire Bedell is a junior ceremonial officer of a university, usually with official duties relating to the conduct of ceremonies for the conferment of degrees. The word is closely related to the archaic Bedel and modern English Beadle. The term is primarily associated with universities in the...

or Orator wear the academic dress appropriate to their degree.

External links

University of Cambridge Ordinances, Chapter II, contain regulations on academical dress (PDF)
Cambridge University Cap & Gown Society, formed to promote awareness and wearing of Academical Dress at Cambridge.
The Burgon Society, founded to promote the study of Academical Dress
Cambridge University Heraldic & Genealogical Society gown guide
Gonville & Caius College: Dress at graduation
Gonville & Caius College: Academic dress
Murray Edwards College: Academical dress
Discussion of the wearing of academical dress on scarlet days
Discussion of academical dress for the Vet.M.D. degree
Ryder and Amies academic tailors, with images of academic dress on their website
A. E. Clothier University and General Outfitter (specialising in menswear and university clothing; jewellery with college crests; full dress hire service)
University of Cambridge: Information on the Cambridge MA

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.

When academic dress is worn

Components of Cambridge academic dress

Gowns

Undergraduates

BA and MA

Doctors

Scarlet day

Hoods

Headdresses

Sub-fusc

Academic dress for officials of the University

The Chancellor

Persons presenting for, or conferring, degrees

Proctors

Other officials

See also

External links