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As is natural in the oldest University in the United Kingdom , the University Of Oxford has a long tradition of Academic Dress , and a visitor to Oxford during term will see academic dress worn on a regular basis. WHEN ACADEMIC DRESS IS WORN Academic dress is still worn very often in Oxford, and every Undergraduate goes in his or her first week to buy a gown, cap, and white bow tie (for men) or black ribbon (for women) for the purpose of enrolment in the University (known as Matriculation ). Regulations regarding gowns differ from college to college, but gowns are commonly worn to:
Gowns and caps are worn to disciplinary hearings in the Proctors' Court. In addition, gowns are worn with cap, hood (for graduates), and '' Sub-fusc '' to:
COMPONENTS OF OXFORD ACADEMIC DRESS Gowns The gowns in use in Oxford can be divided into two basic shapes. All gowns are open-fronted, except for the Doctor s' convocation habit which is closed at the front. ''Clerical-type'' gowns
The ''clerical-type'' gown has no collar, but instead has the voluminous material of its back and sleeves gathered into a yoke. Gowns of the same basic shape are worn by Barrister s (see Court Dress ), preachers and Bishop s in the Church Of England . ''Lay-type'' gowns
The ''lay-type'' gown derives from a garment fashionable in Elizabethan times. It is less voluminous than the ''clerical-type'' gown, and has a flap collar and long closed sleeves with arm slits just above the elbow. Gowns of the same basic shape are worn by Solicitor s, Queen's Counsel , court ushers, the Speaker Of The House Of Commons , the Chancellor Of The Exchequer , and the Lord Chancellor . Hoods Hoods in Oxford are of three shapes. Doctors' hoods are scarlet in the ''Oxford full shape''. Bachelors of Divinity wear black hoods in the ''Oxford full shape''. All other hoods can be either in the ''Burgon shape'' or the ''Oxford simple shape''. Generally hoods are worn by graduates whenever ''sub-fusc'' is worn, but sometimes they are worn with an ordinary tie, e.g. by a lecturer at a public lecture. Academic caps Men wear a Mortarboard (also known as a ''square''), which is not worn indoors, except by the Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor and Proctors. When meeting the Vice-Chancellor, Proctors, or other senior official of the university in the street, it is traditional for a man to touch or raise his cap. In practice few people wear their caps nowadays, and instead carry their caps on occasions where caps are required. Women may choose between the mortarboard or the ''soft cap''. The soft cap is not removed indoors, although the mortarboard may now be removed or left on indoors at the wearer's discretion. Doctors in the lay faculties (i.e. those except Divinity and Philosophy) wear Tudor Bonnet s, which are round and made of velvet. ''Sub-fusc'' ''Sub-fusc'' means "of a dark/dusky colour" in Latin, and refers to the clothes worn with full academic dress in Oxford. Generally, this involves a dark suit with a white shirt, collar, and bow tie for men and a white blouse and black ribbon for women. A cap (mortarboard) is worn or carried. In addition, doctors in the higher faculties and senior university officials wear bands, such as those worn with Legal Court Dress . Members of Her Majesty's Forces may wear their service Uniform with gown and hood in place of ''sub-fusc''. On occasion uniform swords may be seen worn with ''sub-fusc''. Persons in Holy Orders may wear their clerical dress. Sub fusc is worn at Matriculation , at university examinations and degree ceremonies and at Encaenia . During exams, candidates often also wear a Carnation in their buttonholes: white normally, pink for the penultimate and red for the final examination. A number of myths surround 'sub fusc' and its use in examinations - for example, that sub fusc has a counterpart in 'full fusc', said to be a full suit of armour, which if worn to Finals examinations automatically results in a student being given a First; or the claim that one enterprising undergraduate examined the University statutes prior to an examination and discovered that all students sitting exams in sub fusc are entitled to a glass of sherry. He demanded his due in the exam, and the University's Proctor s duly responded, before fining him one shilling for failing to wear his sword, allegedly also part of the archaic statutes. STUDENT DRESS Undergraduates ''Commoners'' (i.e. those without a Scholarship or Exhibition ) wear a short black ''lay-type'' gown which just covers the suit jacket. The gowns have a flap collar and instead of sleeves have two streamers adorned with folds. These are the remnants of closed sleeves, as can still be seen on the laced gowns of the higher faculties. ''Scholars'' (and some ''exhibitioners'') wear a black ''clerical-type'' gown down to the knee. The gowns are gathered at the yoke, and have bell sleeves to the elbows (in effect they are short versions of the BA gown). Until the abolition of their statuses in the nineteenth century, ''gentlemen-commoners'' and ''noblemen-commoners'' each had distinct gowns, generally of coloured silk in the ''lay'' shape, decorated with lace. Undergraduates and mortarboards It is often claimed that undergraduates by custom do not wear their caps. This is incorrect; however, like all other male members of the university (other than the Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor and Proctors), male undergraduates must remove their caps indoors. Out of doors, caps may be worn, but it is customary to touch or raise one's cap as a salute to senior university or college officers. It is also only in recent years that female undergraduates have been permitted to remove their mortarboards during university ceremonies. As mentioned earlier, women who opt for the traditional women's soft cap still do not have this dispensation, and should remain covered at all times. Undergraduates appearing before the Proctors' Court are required to present themselves wearing their caps and to salute the Proctors in the customary manner upon entering. They are then usually invited to remove their caps for the remainder of the proceedings. Postgraduates Graduate students who do not have an Oxford degree wear a black ''lay-type'' gown that is a full-sized version of the commoner's gown, reaching to the knee. However, they are not worn by graduates of other universities who are reading for the degree of Bachelor of Arts, who wear a commoner's or scholar's gown as appropriate. Nor are they worn by non-members of the University reading for Diploma s, who wear no gown, even with ''sub-fusc''. In practice, many graduate students wear the academic dress of their old university except at those occasions where "foreign" academic dress is prohibited, such as the ''Encaenia'' and the second half of degree ceremonies when the graduand pays his respects to the Vice-Chancellor in the dress of his new Oxford degree. GRADUATE DRESS See also Degrees Of Oxford University . BA and MA The two most common graduate gowns in Oxford are the Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Master of Arts (MA) gowns, which are worn by new graduates of whatever subject. The degree of Masters of Arts is granted to graduates 21 terms after matriculation, and is one of the most significant degrees as it historically conferred full membership of the University. It is hence frequently worn even by people who have a higher degree, such as a Doctorate . The BA gown is a long black ''clerical-type'' gown with long bell-shaped sleeves to the wrists. The gown is gathered at the yoke. The MA gown is similar to the BA gown, except that the long sleeves are squared and closed at the ends, with a crescent cut out of each sleeve-end, and a horizontal slit just above the elbow for the arm to pass through. The hoods are as follows:
Doctors Doctors in Oxford have three forms of academic dress: undress, full dress and convocation dress. The ''undress gown'' in the lay faculties is a black ''lay-type'' gown with a flap collar and closed sleeves, decorated with black silk lace, . The gown may be worn with a doctor's hood, which is scarlet lined with coloured silk:
The ''full dress gown'' is a scarlet ''clerical-type'' gown, with open bell-shaped sleeves and gathered at the yoke. The sleeves and facings are in the appropriate coloured silk. The full dress gown of Doctors of Music is exceptional (see below). Full dress gowns are normally worn with ''sub-fusc'', but never with a hood. The ''convocation habit'' or Chimere is like a scarlet full-dress gown, except in that it has no sleeves, is fully lined with silk of the appropriate colour, and closed at the front. It is worn over the black undress gown, with the sleeves of the undress gown pulled through the armhole of the chemir. It is always worn with white tie, bands and hood. A similar garment (in scarlet or black) is worn over a white Rochet by Bishop s in the Church Of England e.g. when sitting in the House Of Lords . Lay higher faculties Members with postgraduate bachelors or masters degrees in the lay higher faculties (i.e. those other than Divinity or Arts) wear gowns almost identical to the lay doctors' undress gowns. The hoods of bachelors and masters of the lay higher faculties are as follows:
Divinity Bachelors and doctors of Divinity , unlike their counterparts in the other higher faculties, do not wear the black silk laced gown but wear a black undress gown of the ''clerical type'', identical to the MA gown, but in silk rather than stuff. This is worn with a cassock, cincture and scarf. Doctors of divinity also have the scarlet full dress gown and the scarlet convocation habit, which is worn over the black silk gown. The hoods in the faculty of divinity are as follows:
Doctors of Music Doctors of music have no convocation habit, as the degree was created in the 19th century for professional musicians outside the university who were not members of Convocation. Instead of scarlet the full dress gown is made of cream silk brocade with apple blossom embroidery, with cherry silk sleeves. The hood worn with the undress gown is of the same materials:
Other masters' and bachelors' degrees The newer masters degrees follow with the silk gown of the lay higher faculties, and the following hoods:
Holders of the MJur degree wear the BCL hood. Holders of the undergraduate masters' degrees wear the BA gown and hood until the 21st term from matriculation, when they wear the MA gown and hood. The newer bachelors' degrees follow with the stuff gown of the BA, and the following hoods:
UNIVERSITY OFFICIALS The Chancellor The Chancellor of the University is elected for life by the Convocation (i.e. the alumni with degrees) of the University. He wears on ceremonial occasions a black silk ''lay-type'' gown with a long train, decorated with gold lace, similar to the gowns of the Lord Chancellor and the Chancellor Of The Exchequer . The Chancellor's mortarboard has a gold tassel, like that of the former noblemen commoners. In undress he wears the DCL dress or undress gown. In Oxford he always wears white tie and bands. The Vice-Chancellor Previously Vice-Chancellors had no distinctive dress, but instead wore the convocation habit if they were doctors or the MA gown and hood if they were not. When Dr John Hood , a non-MA from outside the Congregation of the University, was appointed Vice-Chancellor in 2005 , a new ''lay-type'' gown was designed for him, being black with simple gold trimming. He always wears white tie and bands. Proctors The two proctors in Oxford are responsible for the discipline of junior members of the university. In addition they have various ceremonial and administrative roles. In Oxford the proctors wear white tie and bands, and a black ''clerical-type'' gown of the doctors’ full dress pattern with sleeves and facings of blue velvet. A hood fully lined with miniver is worn turned inside out so that only the fur is visible. This was formerly the full dress of the M.A.. On their undress M.A. gown they have a Tippet , or small pouch, sewn to the yoke, which they keep for life. In both Oxford and Cambridge the Proctors could formerly be seen patrolling the streets after dark with the university Police , or ''bulldogs'', who wore top hats in Cambridge and bowler hats in Oxford. The Assessor Previously the Assessor wore an MA gown with a tippet sewn onto the yoke. He now wears a Proctor's dress gown with purple instead of blue velvet sleeves. Bedels The university Bedel s, or Mace-bearer s after their ceremonial function in formal processions, wear plain black ''lay-type'' gowns and Tudor Bonnet s, and white tie and bands. EXTERNAL LINKS
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