skirtcafe.org

You may recall last year the Oxford becaome one of the first Universities to have a standard dress code covering both men and women. Then it was portrayed as a way of satisfying the LGBT section (see report in the Telegraph http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/un ... exams.html )

I've now looked at the "official" dress code for Degree ceremories and here is what it says:-

"What to wear to a degree ceremony

Full academic dress must be worn at degree ceremonies. You should wear a mortar board or soft-cap, and your preferred sub fusc from the following list:

1. One of: dark suit with dark socks, or dark skirt with black tights or stockings, or dark trousers with dark socks
2. Dark coat if required
3. Black shoes
4. Plain white collared shirt or blouse
5. White bow tie, black bow tie, black full-length tie, or black ribbon.

Members of the University serving in H.M. Forces are permitted to wear uniform together with a gown.

For all degrees you must also wear the gown of your existing status (and the hood if there is one) during the first part of the ceremony. You will change into the gown (and hood) of your new degree at the appropriate time during the ceremony. Your college will let you know which gowns and hoods you will need. Please be aware that you may be refused admission to the degree ceremony if you are not properly dressed."

So no selectivity at all - just the student's choice. Full information here http://www.ox.ac.uk/students/graduation/ceremonies/

Job done!

It's definitely good that you can now mix and match. That is, just because you are wearing a black skirt doesn't mean your obliged to wear the black ribbon. You could go for the smart white tie option. Perhaps I should get my first (only!) degree converted to an MA after all...

Never thought about a dress code for graduation. At mine I wore a pale yellow shirt, golden yellow trousers, yellow tie and brown velvet jacket with my gown on top. I have the video to prove it! If I were to do it now I think that I would replace the trousers with a similar coloured skirt and either black or very pale yellow tights. BTW I must get that transferred to DVD and an electronic file before video becomes totally inaccessible.

One day a few Summers ago my wife & I visited Edinburgh and coincided with Graduation Day there.

I had never seen such a fine array of formal kilt outfits on the young men, each one a fine figure of manhood, before. The city was teeming with them and I expect their tailors/hirers were laughing all the way to the Bank.

T.