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Academic Apparel
The history of academic apparel has its origins in medieval British universities, particularly Oxford University, where scholars wore hoods and gowns as their customary daily attire.
Because of the close affiliation between the university and the church at that time, academic gowns resembled cassocks and elaborately worked clerical vestments. It is from these medieval garments that American academic dress derives.
Gowns and hoods have been worn at American colleges and universities since colonial times, but it was not until 1895 that a code for academic attire was established by an intercollegiate commission. In accordance with this code, which has been modified over the years, academic attire reflects the level of an individual’s degree and the institution granting that degree. Black is the standard color for gowns, and the three levels of degrees are distinguished mainly by sleeve style. Gowns for the bachelor’s degree are usually worn closed and have long, pointed sleeves. Masters’ gowns are usually worn open and have oblong sleeves with the front section cut away in an arc. The doctor’s gown is trimmed in velvet down the front, with three bars on each of the large, bell-shaped sleeves.
The hood indicates the level of degree attained. The bachelor’s hood is three feet long and has a two-inch velvet border. The hood for the master’s degree is three and a half feet long and has a three-inch border. Doctors wear a four-foot-long hood with a five-inch border. The hood’s colored lining identifies the institution conferring the degree; this lining may have a single color or several colorful stripes or chevrons.
The color of the velvet trim bordering the hood indicates the field of learning.
The black mortarboard cap is standard at most colleges and universities throughout the United States. Some authorities believe its square shape represents a scholar’s books, while others believe it
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