College Gowns

It mentions that for signing the Matriculation list and going to th matriculation dinner that you need to wear a gown.

How much are they generally?

Just asking out of curiosity, and can you actually buy them from the porters lodge or is it better to go to a tailors and buy one?

Scroll to see replies

Reply 1

RK92

http://www.cam.ac.uk/local/local/gowns.html

the official supplier websites have prices on them. looks like ~£50 for a cotton gown :smile:

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 2

Languages Nutter

Generally speaking, they're about £35. The procedure for getting them varies by College: some Colleges suggest you buy them from Ryder and Amies beforehand, whereas others have a gown sale on as you arrive. I'd suggest getting in touch with someone at your College to ask how they do things.

thanks guys.

My porters lodge sold second hand gowns. If possible go for this option. Shops try and convince you that the 'quality' of your gown is important. I personally think this is absolute nonsense. I was at an extremely traditional college which held formal hall each evening, and required the use of gowns at chapel and at various other functions. So I used my gown considerably more frequently than many other Cambridge students do. And I had absolutely no problems with a cheap, second hand gown.

Reply 5

kpatb

Original post by Craghyrax

So basically... shops will try to rip you off?
Point noted.

Reply 6

Craghyrax

Original post by kpatb

So basically... shops will try to rip you off?
Point noted.

Exactly. Ede and Ravenscroft are the worst though. Definitely avoid.

Reply 7

kpatb

Original post by Craghyrax

Exactly. Ede and Ravenscroft are the worst though. Definitely avoid.

Thanks for that Craghyrax :smile:

I was thinking of trying to buy one second hand from the Porter's lodge when I got to Cambridge anyway - good to know that yours lasted :biggrin:

Reply 8

chai wallah

Would someone arrest me if I set up a little business making £10 gowns...?!

Reply 9

Craghyrax

Original post by chai wallah

Would someone arrest me if I set up a little business making £10 gowns...?!

Regrettably, capitalism is legal.

Reply 10

30160775

How much for a gown made to measure? My college said they'd be holding a massive gown sale but that all the gowns were the same size, which means that while everyone's wearing a knee-length gown, my gown will be dragging on the floor...

Reply 11

Craghyrax

Original post by 30160775

I could be wrong, but I think when you go to one of the University outfitters they measure you and ensure that it fits.

However I've never in my life noticed a gown not fitting. They all look the same (to me) on everyone, tall or short, being relatively shapeless garments. So I think the need for a personalised fit is overstated.

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 12

Canned Door

Original post by 30160775

fwiw, the longer the gown, the cooler it is, by appearance and also because grad gowns are longer. I thought undergrad gowns were once size fits all, with the result that tall people, especially guys wearing suits, barely look like they're wearing a gown at all because it's about as long as their jackets, where gowns look amazing on shorter people, or in the case of gowns for graduates and above, just plain cool regardless of height. Maybe that's just me, but I doubt it.

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 13

30160775

Original post by Canned Door

So it doesn't matter what I wear under the gown, since nobody will see it anyway? And where are all the Fitz fresher medics?

Reply 14

chai wallah

Even if you've got a full-length gown it's tailored to be open as well as having no fastenings - I think? So you could wear a jacket with 'YR MOM' on the back but other than that everything's visible!

Reply 15

wsmccusker

Thanks for the input guys. And you Craghyrax.

Reply 16

SunderX

Original post by chai wallah

Yep, although different colleges sometimes have restrictions on what you can wear underneath for special occasions :P.

Gowns due have sizes for height, but the undergraduate gown is pretty short anyway, and I've borrowed gowns on enough occasions to realise it doesn't really matter that much. Plus, you can always take consolation that the Cambridge undergrad gown looks much better than the Oxford one, which reminds me of a waistcoat :p:

Spoiler

Reply 17

chai wallah

Original post by SunderX

Spoiler

Awwww, poor lasses! I definitely chose the right city...!

I've actually inherited a gown but I've just checked and it's full-length which is a bit of a bummer. Lovely though! Only good for pretending to be a Harry Potter extra, perhaps.

edit: oooh. Lily Cole wore trousers (King's). Rockstar! Sorry about terrifically unflattering first pic:

Spoiler

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 18

SunderX