Academic dress of the University of Cambridge

Black gowns (undress) are worn at less formal events, while on special occasions (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.

Most undergraduates buy or borrow a gown in their first week at Cambridge for the purpose of matriculation, which is the formal ceremony of enrolment in the University.

It is more common to buy an undergraduate gown as the number of occasions on which it is worn quickly repays the investment.

Students taking part in graduation ceremonies at the Senate House always wear a gown and hood, and the University sets out strict rules regarding which gown and hood a graduating student should wear, and there are regulations on the colour and formality of clothing that may be worn.

Medical graduates completing their clinical years wear the gown and hood of the B.Chir degree.

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

Unlike in most other universities, except Oxford and Trinity College Dublin, no Bachelor's degree save the BA is awarded.

The BA hood is of black cloth, bound and half-lined in white fur, which by regulation is artificial.

It falls down to calf length (slightly longer than the BA gown) and may be made of silk.

People 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 (nominally) with the 'strings' (black ribbons attached inside the shoulder) removed or hidden from view.

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).

For PhDs, and also MD, VetMD, BusD, EngD and EdD who share the same scarlet gown, there are two versions of the robe.

At the sleeve front, the lining is turned outwards and is fixed in position by a twisted cord and button.

The MusD gown is of cream damask, with much shorter sleeves, lined and faced with deep cherry satin.

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

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.

In place of sub-fusc, members of His Majesty's Armed Forces have in the past been allowed to wear their service uniform, persons in holy orders their clerical dress, and national dress has been worn, together with the appropriate gown and hood.

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

Notably, the rules governing Cambridge sub-fusc are less detailed and less strict than those prevailing at 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.

The Proctors wear the academic dress of a Master of Arts, but with a distinctive ruff which is like a cape or very short mantle over the gown.

The Senior Esquire Bedell is required to be familiar with all details of academical dress at the University.

When carrying out the duties of his or her office, an Esquire Bedell is required to wear the academical dress of a Master of Arts.