The Student Room Group

Ultimate (?) Guide for What to Wear for Matriculation - Not Just Girls

Since some people asked about what to wear for matriculation, I listed up what I can see in the matriculation photos of each college in a graduation year book (2014).

At colleges where all girls are wearing either black or white, there're many who are wearing white shirt with black skirt/trousers. (Just as a standard dress code under gown for graduation ceremony for girls at all colleges.)

These are the photos of freshers who matriculated in 2011, so please check the latest instruction with Welcome Pack you'll get very shortly from your college. But even if it's been changed since then, I think it's much more likely the code was relaxed than was made more formal.

Note: Except for a few colleges I mentioned otherwise, male students all wear dark suits with a tie.

(these are only for Non-mature Colleges, but if anyone wants to know about mature colleges, please let me know.)

Christ's - All girls wearing either white or black (a few with white dress with black pattern or the other way around), except for a couple of girls light blue shirts and one girl with light lavender(?) dress.
Except for one boy with a blue/light grey(?) shirt, all boys are wearing white shirt with their suit & tie.
(Update : What they were wearing in 2016 Matriculation photo. Thank you, @Doonesbury :smile:)

Churchill - Various colours. (girls)
Some boys with coloured shirts, one in dark red.......

Clare - Various colours. (girls)
A few boys with light blue shirts. One boy in a dinner jacket with a bow tie......

Corpus Christi - All girls in either white or black, I think....though a few girls' dresses look more like a (very) dark navy, but it might be because of light.....
A couple of boys with light blue/grey shirts. And the second boy with a bow tie with proper dress shirt. (Can't see what jacket he's wearing.....)

Downing - Various colours (girls)
Quite a few boys wearing shirts that's not white. TWO boys in dinner jacket & bow tie, looking really smug.....

Emmanuel - All girls in either white or black.
Almost all boys in white shirt, except for one with very light blue.

Fitzwilliam - Various colours (girls).
Several boys in light blue/grey shirts.

Girton - Everybody in peasant costume.............. No! Just joking!!! :tongue:
All girls in either white or black.
Boys mostly in white shirts, with some boys in light blue/grey.

Gonville & Caius - Many girls are in black or white (or patterned in those two colours) but some girls in other colours, like red, blue, grey, purple.....

Homerton - Various colours (girls)
Most boys in white shirts, but not all.

Jesus - Various colours (girls).
Boys' shirts in white, grey, blue, black, lavender, pink.... A couple without a tie.

King's - Various colours (girls) . Some girls in very casual attire, like a t-shirt/blouse with jumper/cardigan,
Not only they're not wearing a gown, some boys are not even wearing a suit. Some in a shirt (with collar) with tie but no jacket, some in shirt & jacket (of various colour) but no tie, some with just a shirt without jacket or tie. Some boys in chino.....
Many wearing trainers, including some of fellows. (one of them might be their Master....) Except for one, none of the academic staff in the photo wearing a tie. one of them in jumper......
How much statement do they want to make?? :tongue:

(Note: this is the description of their 'matriculation' group photo in the graduation year book I have but I have a suspicion (read; hope :tongue:) they change their clothes to something a bit more respectable for the matriculation itself. So if you're going to King's, please check with their welcome pack carefully for the proper instruction on dress code.)

(Note 2 : After checking their timetable of matriculation day last year, it seems possible they went into matriculation directly from the photo session in the same clothes....... unless they dashed back to their room and change to something more formal and dashed back to the ceremony........... It's all so confusing......
Why can't they do things like all other colleges do???)

Magdalene - Various colours (girls)
Boys mainly in white or very light coloured shirts. Two boys without a tie and two boys with dinner jacket & bow tie.

Murray Edwards - Various colours. Very colourful. More colourful than girls at other colleges........

Newnham - various colours, and all girls in the front row with crossed legs.

Pembroke - Girls mostly in black or white, except for one girl with in black race over red fabric inside.
Boys mainly in white shirts, with some in light blue/grey.

Peterhouse - The only female wearing something not either black or white is a female fellow in the front row, in bright red.
All boys in white shirts. Surprisingly, no bow tie..........

Queeens' - Girls mostly in black or white (or patterned in those colours), but some in other colours, too, like grey, greyish-lavender, gold/black patterned fabric and one girl in dark red and the other in a white/black/red-patterned dress.
Most boys in white shirts with some with very light blue/grey shirt. One bow tie....

Robinson - Everyone in brick-colour........Sorry, that's their building, not the clothes! :tongue:
Girls in various colours.
Boys (shirts) in various colours, but majority in white.

St.Catharine's - All girls in black or white. One very stocky-built girl with suit & tie.....but turned out to be a boy with very long hair....
Most boys in white shirts, but some in other colours, too.....including one with quite bright purple shirt with very shiny blue tie........
One fellow with a bow tie.

St.John's - Almost looks like a graduation photo sans hood.
All girls in plain white shirt (presumably with plain black skirt/trousers). All boys in white shirt.
There're so many of them........Some of them might well be their butlers accompanying their master.......:tongue:

Selwyn - Girls in various colours.
Boys (shirts\0 in various colours.

Sidney Sussex - Various colours (girls)
Boys in white/light blue or grey shirts. One in black shirt.

Trinity - Most girls in white, black or very dark navy/grey, but a few in other colours, too, like red, blue, purple/lavender, light green/lime.
Majority of boys in white shirts, with some in other light colours (blue, grey).
Two bow ties.

Trinity Hall - Girls in various colours. One girls with neon-blue hair.
Boys mostly in white shirt, some in light blue/grey, two with stripy shirts, one with interesting pattern I can't make out what......Looks a bit like what you see on alpine costumes.....

Note: Not all colleges wearing gowns in their matriculation photo, but (except for King's and mature colleges), I think it's due to their scheduling of matriculation 'ceremony' & photo session.
All students (except for King's and some mature colleges and 'perhaps' Homerton ......) wear a gown for matriculation and dinner afterwards.


** As I said above, there are from the photos of matriculation in 2011, so things might have changed since then.
So, please check for the latest instruction from your college that comes in Welcome Pack.

Hope this helps. :smile:
(edited 6 years ago)

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Reply 1
Original post by vincrows
Since some people asked about what to wear for matriculation, I listed up what I can see in the matriculation photos of each college in a graduation year book (2014).
...
Hope this helps. :smile:


Wow! :smile:
Reply 2
Nice. My mum was getting too excited over it.
Original post by C0balt
Nice. My mum was getting too excited over it.


Poor her.
Just a boring black & white for Christ's girls......:tongue:
Reply 4
I just had a look at my matriculation photo, just realised I'm the only guy not wearing a white or light blue shirt...
Reply 5
Original post by vincrows
Poor her.
Just a boring black & white for Christ's girls......:tongue:

On the other hand I won't have to put up with choosing what to wear/buy ...:tongue:
Original post by alow
I just had a look at my matriculation photo, just realised I'm the only guy not wearing a white or light blue shirt...


Lol what did you wear?
Green? :tongue:
(edited 7 years ago)
Reply 7
Original post by vincrows
Lol what did you were?
Green? :tongue:


Like this colour but without the jazzy lining :tongue:

Original post by alow
Like this colour but without the jazzy lining :tongue:


Brave, even without the jazzy lining and the attitude.


Should've gone to Churchill with a shirt like that. :biggrin:
Original post by C0balt
On the other hand I won't have to put up with choosing what to wear/buy ...:tongue:


Still need to get something for formals, though.
Unless you're going tio wear white shirt & black skirt for all formals, too.......:tongue:
Reply 10
Original post by vincrows
Still need to get something for formals, though.
Unless you're going tio wear white shirt & black skirt for all formals, too.......:tongue:

How many do you recommend for formals?
Nah I'm not gonna wear that... I look like a middle aged bank worker with the shirt and skirt....
Original post by C0balt
How many do you recommend for formals?
Nah I'm not gonna wear that... I look like a middle aged bank worker with the shirt and skirt....


We bought our daughter 2 new dresses and she took one of her old ones with them to Cambridge.
She just rotated those three for three years for formals (and she went to quite a few formals. Probably more than average), but she's a sort of girl who's not that interested in dresses and the like.
Some girls got more dresses but I know many of them buy theirs from shops, like H&M, Zara, Apricot, TK Maxx, so not very expensive ones.
Reply 12
Original post by vincrows
We bought our daughter 2 new dresses and she took one of her old ones with them to Cambridge.
She just rotated those three for three years for formals (and she went to quite a few formals. Probably more than average), but she's a sort of girl who's not that interested in dresses and the like.
Some girls got more dresses but I know many of them buy theirs from shops, like H&M, Zara, Apricot, TK Maxx, so not very expensive ones.


I've got one for the school summer ball and one more casual one but I think it's a bit too summer-y so I guess I'll have to get one or two more.... 😅
Any information for Lucy Cavendish? Thanks!
Original post by nature_elf
Any information for Lucy Cavendish? Thanks!

@nature_elf
Lucy's photo actually looks very much like any non-mature college's, with everyone in dress of various colours and wearing a gown. :smile:

Some mature colleges' photos look more like a group photo of some kind of corporate weekend-away, with checked shirts, t-shirts, jumpers/fleeces, raincoats, hoodies, hardly any suits & tie, and hardly any gown............:tongue:
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by C0balt
I've got one for the school summer ball and one more casual one but I think it's a bit too summer-y so I guess I'll have to get one or two more.... 😅


At most colleges, for a standard formal hall you don't need to be too dressy - a casual dress or nice skirt/trousers and top (+/- gown depending on college) as you might wear for any evening out is fine. Then for things like boat club/society dinners, you want to be a bit smarter.
Original post by C0balt
I've got one for the school summer ball and one more casual one but I think it's a bit too summer-y so I guess I'll have to get one or two more.... 😅


Original post by Helenia
At most colleges, for a standard formal hall you don't need to be too dressy - a casual dress or nice skirt/trousers and top (+/- gown depending on college) as you might wear for any evening out is fine. Then for things like boat club/society dinners, you want to be a bit smarter.


And there's Halloween Bop costume & make-up you need to put more careful consideration and effort into ........:tongue:
Original post by vincrows
And there's Halloween Bop costume & make-up you need to put more careful consideration and effort into ........:tongue:


Plenty more fancy dress opportunities than just Halloween! Usually a couple per term, depending how keen you are...
Original post by Helenia
Plenty more fancy dress opportunities than just Halloween! Usually a couple per term, depending how keen you are...

And Catz's Cardinal Regatta, if you're a rower. Were you in it?
Reply 19
Original post by Helenia
At most colleges, for a standard formal hall you don't need to be too dressy - a casual dress or nice skirt/trousers and top (+/- gown depending on college) as you might wear for any evening out is fine. Then for things like boat club/society dinners, you want to be a bit smarter.

Oh actually I had a smart pair of trousers and many shirts so formal sorted then :lol:
Original post by Helenia
Plenty more fancy dress opportunities than just Halloween! Usually a couple per term, depending how keen you are...

Usually not too keen on party situations but might get more active on that regard lol

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