Academic scarf

The wearing of academic scarves is a tradition found at many colleges and universities in English-speaking countries, and particularly in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Sets of two or more coloured stripes have traditionally been used as part of the distinctive visual identity of these institutions.

The scarves are usually made of Saxony wool and traditionally 6 feet (c. 2m) long.

[1] The traditional vertical stripes were (according to one source) adopted first at the University of Cambridge during the Second World War when material scarcity created scarves made of strips of wool sewn together rather than woven into the fabric.

Traditionally, academic scarves would not have further embroidery on them, such as arms or logos, as the stripes are sufficient to identify the scarf's origins and affiliation; however, at some universities such as Cambridge it has become usual for scarves to be embroidered with the college arms.