Graduation Attire PhD/Doctoral Tudor Bonnet

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Doctoral regalia is the most elaborate and sophisticated type of academic regalia. It is worn by individuals who have earned a doctoral degree, such as a PhD, EdD, or MD. Doctoral regalia consists of three main components: the gown, the hood, and the tam or bonnet. This has often been misinterpreted – urban legends at many universities like Trinity College, University of Bristol, and University of Cambridge state that men stopped wearing the cap to protest the admission of women into the university. This is not true – it was simply a matter of changing times and traditions that caused many men to stop wearing their hats. The UK has also influenced Ireland and Commonwealth countries like New Zealand and Australia, as well as Canada to a lesser extent. Most of these countries still mostly follow UK academic dress regulations and styles, although some universities in Canada have moved away from British-style gowns in favor of American-style gowns that close at the front.

Doctoral regalia also serves as a visual representation of the academic community. It creates a sense of unity and belonging among scholars and helps to identify individuals who have earned a doctoral degree. It also promotes a sense of pride and accomplishment among those who wear it. Until the second half of the twentieth century, mortarboards were often worn by schoolteachers, and the hat remains an icon of the teaching profession. The academic cap is also sometimes called the “square” or, more commonly, “mortarboard.” It has become a symbol of higher education and academia, and in some universities it is worn by undergraduates as well as graduates in lieu of the traditional hood.

A. Your university or college has set aside a special area for you to collect your outfit and put it on. Details are normally given to you in your handout regarding ceremony arrangements. Please confirm with your registry. Mortarboards are often seen in party supply shops in the United States in May and June, when they appear in the form of party decorations, on commemorative gifts such as teddy bears, and on congratulatory greeting cards. For schools where the graduation regalia is rented or borrowed by the student, the tassel might be a part of the rental or provided separately. Some schools that do not provide a tassel for graduates to keep may offer a souvenir tassel that is not worn with the regalia.

Hargreaves-Mawdsley, A History of Academical Dress in Europe Until the End of the Eighteenth Century (1963), p.137 Goff, Philip (1999). University of London Academic Dress. London: University of London Press. ISBN 0718716086.

A. Details will have been given to you by your university or college, however as a general rule Ede and Ravenscroft will normally be available to robe you at least two hours before the ceremony.

The wearing of doctoral regalia is an important tradition in academia. It symbolizes the wearer's academic achievement and expertise in their field of study. It is also a way to honor and recognize the years of hard work, dedication, and sacrifice that went into earning a doctoral degree. At the University of Oxford, caps are mandatory dress for matriculation events and for all examinations. It is a commonly repeated myth at Oxford that the cap must be held and may not be worn at all except at the student's graduation; however, there is no rule in the university to this effect, and undergraduates wearing formal academic dress may either carry the cap or wear it. In particular, women undergraduates who exercise the right to wear a soft Canterbury cap must wear it on their head, rather than carrying it. Additionally, all undergraduates appearing before the Proctors' Court are required to present themselves wearing their caps, before removing them as proceedings start. a b Groves, Nicholas (2011). Shaw's academical dress of Great Britain and Ireland (3rded.). Burgon Society. ISBN 9780956127235.In most cases, academic caps are not worn indoors by men – with the exception of university Chancellors and other high-ranking officials. Instead, they are typically carried. Other changes have occurred over time. In some graduation ceremonies, caps are no longer worn by men, and are only issued to women – who typically do wear them indoors.

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.

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.” The cap, together with the gown and sometimes a hood, now form the customary uniform of a university graduate in many parts of the world, following a British model. The hat itself is a flat, square hat that includes a tassel, which is suspended from a button located in the top center of the board. The board of the cap is intended to be parallel to the ground when worn properly. The hood is the most distinctive feature of doctoral regalia. It is worn over the gown and is usually made of silk or satin. The color of the hood represents the field of study or academic discipline of the wearer. For example, a blue hood signifies a degree in philosophy, green for medicine, and purple for law. The color of the lining of the hood represents the institution that conferred the degree.