The Hood
While today’s academic hood is purely ornamental, there was a time when it was a practical (and warm) part of a student’s clothing. The medieval hood consisted of the cowl, which protected the head; a cape, which usually covered the shoulders and often reached the elbows; and the tail of the hood, the liripipe.
By 1450, this type of hood had been abandoned and replaced by a whole new design, the chaperon. This could be rolled up and worn on the head or draped over the shoulder. It survives today on a barrister’s gown and is used in French academic dress, where it is known as the epitoge.
While universities kept the hood, it came to be worn less frequently on the head, particularly when the skullcap became popular. As the centuries rolled by, the hood gradually lost its practical use and became a status symbol. Its shape also changed and by the 17th century most of the cape had disappeared and the hood had moved further down the back, much like it is today.
Click here for an overview of hoods.
