The Gown
The world’s centres of learning have traditionally been hotbeds of radical ideas and innovation. And although the fashions they adopt have been somewhat slower to adapt, they have still changed over the years. By 1500, Europe’s great universities, including Oxford and Cambridge, had abandoned the sober closed cloak and opted for the more fashionable tunic, or undergarment, which was now open at the front and worn with sleeves. This robe – the tunica, or toga – is the ancestor of the university gown worn today.
In earlier times, universities would have been a riot of colour, as students and teachers wore gowns of any hue they wished. It wasn’t until the end of the 15th century that the trend moved towards darker colours, until eventually black became the norm in the 17th century. Only Doctors enjoyed the privilege of wearing a striking scarlet robe and this privilege continues today, although Doctors do have a black or undress gown for ordinary use.
For PhDs, the robe is more often claret or crimson, but blue or gold robes are now becoming popular. As a rough guide, the gown for Bachelor’s degrees tends to have long pointed sleeves, while Master’s gowns have long closed sleeves with an opening at the elbow.
However, true to character, universities continue to embrace change and move fashions forward. Paradoxically echoing the fashions of medieval times, universities are shedding the traditional black and introducing coloured gowns for their graduates. New designs are also shedding old conventions to produce gowns unique to each university. With their roots firmly planted in centuries of tradition, Ede and Ravenscroft is proud to be at the forefront of these new changes in academic dress, giving classic designs a modern touch for the 21st century.
