After the Reformation in the sixteenth century it appeared that Doctors in lay faculties (Law, Medicine and Music) brought items of professional, non-academic dress into Oxford and Cambridge and used them instead of the old clerical-style dress. The square cap, which had evolved from the medieval pileus, was perhaps viewed by them as tied to the ecclesiastical origins and discipline of the old institutions. Even seen by some as a reminder of the Roman Catholic past that was to be abandoned. They adopted the Tudor round bonnet with a brim and soft crown to it. So, in general, bachelors, masters and Doctors of Divinity were required to wear the square cap, while doctors in lay faculties were prescribed the round bonnet instead. The Tudor bonnet (also referred to as a doctor's bonnet or round cap) is a traditional soft-crowned, round-brimmed cap, with a tassel hanging from a cord encircling the hat. As the name suggests, the Tudor bonnet was popularly worn in England and elsewhere during Tudor times. Today the cap is strongly associated with academic tradition. It is typically worn as part of academic dress by the holder of a research or professional doctoral degree. Of course, graduation caps have evolved a lot over the years, but what about today’s caps? The two most commonly used cap styles for modern graduations are the following. Mortarboard Caps Makeup was a particularly important aspect of Tudor fashion and cultural trends. Most of the time, women would color their cheeks with a homemade rouge and, throughout Elizabeth I’s reign, the use of lead-based face cream was popularised to hide any blemishes or scarring.

Another style is the Tudor bonnet graduation cap . A soft, round cap with a tassel attached to a cord surrounding the hat’s circumference. This style of cap was traditionally worn in Tudor times, hence the name, but now is worn by those graduating at a Doctorate level. Ours are made from the highest quality velvet and have a durable and comfortable design. As your PhD Doctoral Gown will be colourful to celebrate your accolade, our bonnets will match your gown colour with a range of coloured honour cords . How to Measure Your Head for a Graduation Cap The Canterbury cap is a square cloth hat with sharp corners. It originated in the Middle Ages, and is commonly found in the Anglican Communion, as well as in the Catholic Church where it is used by Anglican Ordinariate clergy. It is also soft and foldable, "Constructed to fold flat when not in use..." [1] The Canterbury cap is the medieval biretta, descended from the ancient pileus headcovering. It is sometimes called the "catercap". [ citation needed]For men, the most common dress consisted of trousers made of wool in addition to a tunic which reached to the knees.

Doctoral degrees: PhD, DDS, EdD, EngD, DEdPsy, DSocSci and MD have ascarlet gown with a dark violet facing, sleeves and hood lining. Please note that doctoral degrees have mortarboard style hats. A person who has obtained an honourary degree or a higher doctorate degree also wears this cap. Apart from that, higher authorities like University officers, University council members, the president (student's union), University Marshal, or Esquire Bedell can also wear this cap on some educational establishments. It is mostly worn as part of academic dress by a person who holds a doctorate degree, mainly by those holding a research or professional doctoral degree. It is also often worn by those holding an honourary or full higher doctorate, and, at certain educational establishments, by University Officers, such as the Esquire Bedell, University Marshal, the president of the students’ union, and members of the university council.The keys are then carried by the Chief Yeoman Warder to safekeeping, whilst the Last Post is sounded. A few educational establishments have a custom to wear a mortarboard instead of a Tudor Bonnet. Furthermore, Livery and burgess guild's officers wear this cap as part of their traditional attire (with gowns). Ruffs were a typical accessory for Tudor men and as time went on they continued to become larger and more pronounced. In fact, they were so fashionable that in many noble households, including the royal court, a specialist laundress was usually employed to clean these ruffs daily. Most of the universities in UK founded from the early nineteenth century onwards opted to put all doctors when wearing the full-dress robes in a round bonnet or some variant like a John Knox soft cap. The first PhD in the UK was introduced in 1917. Some universities distinguish PhDs and the newer professional doctors from higher doctors by putting them in a mortar-board or giving them a bonnet in cloth rather than velvet or in other ways.” While this may be obvious to those who have previously measured their head for other hats, it may be a new experience for others. So, here’s how to measure your head for a graduation cap. The first thing you’ll need is a tape measure, not a DIY metallic one, as that’ll prove to be a nightmare.

The Chief Warder concludes the ceremony by raising his Tudor bonnet and proclaiming 'God preserve Queen Elizabeth', to which all present reply 'Amen'. On the Friday afternoon, I had a pleasure of being part of the procession as a Civic Marshal (I thoroughly enjoyed wearing my Doctoral robes again!) and whilst I was sat on the stage admiring everyone in their academic attire it dawned on me that although I was wearing the renowned floppy hat, I didn’t know anything about its origins…so, I did some investigating!

The traditional Tudor bonnet is a round-brimmed cap which has a soft crown, with a cord encircling the hat with a hanging tassel. During the Tudor times the tudor bonnet was frequently worn in England. British Museum, Compass Database, visitied on 22-Oct-2003. http://www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/compass/

While their role is usually confined to the Tower of London, the Yeomen Warders do take part in one State ceremony. At Coronations, they form a guard of honour inside the annexe at Westminster Abbey. Throughout Henry VIII’s rule, flat caps were also popularised. In fact, in many of his most famous paintings, King Henry can often be seen wearing a fur-trimmed flat cap heavily embellished with jewels and pearls.The cap is worn as traditional clothing with gowns and represents suitable headgear especially for livery and burgess guild officers. The mortarboard cap is arguably the most recognisable graduation day symbol. The square academic cap sits comfortably on your head, fitted to the wearer’s head circumference, and features a tassel that hangs from the top of the hat. Our two options for mortarboard caps are made of felt and polyester.