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Gowns

Do I need to buy one before I go? How much are they?

Actually, while we're here, what would I need? Suit / tux? What's the difference? Where can I buy one? How much? Cheers.

Reply 2

Filibuster

Symphonyinblue

Do I need to buy one before I go? How much are they?

I dont think they are much. I think they'll prob send you all the info post august 18th wen they'l send it to all those with conditionals.

Reply 3

Symphonyinblue

OP

Do we wear them much, my parents said they might get it for me for my 21st. I'm actually really looking forward to having one, its symbolic, and so I don't really want a second hand one

Reply 4

dobbs

17

Ahhhhh the great questions of life (at Durham!) :biggrin:

Hope I can answer some of them!

FIRSTLY - gowns :smile:

OK, firstly - what's a gown? Well, you wear them for matriculation (big ceremony in the Cathedral in Freshers Week where some random people officially say you are part of the University of Durham) and then for formal meals in college. Secondly, does your college wear gowns? See the lists below :smile:

Do wear gowns
Castle (aka University)
Hatfield
St. Johns
St. Chads
St. Marys
Grey
Trevelyan
Hild Bede (only for matriculation, not for formals)
John Snow (Queens Campus)

Don't wear gowns
Van Mildert
Collingwood
St. Aidans
St. Cuthberts (pretty sure, may be wrong about this one!)
Ustinov
George Stevenson (Queens Campus)

Finally - do you need to buy one beforehand? NOPE! You'll get the opportunity to buy one on the first/second day of University in your college - if you get there early you can usually buy second hand ones, but there aren't usually many of these! I think it's something like £10 for a second hand one but £20 or something like that for a new one. Bit of a rip off I know but you HAVE to own one, so they can charge what they want :frown:

SECONDLY - Formal clothes :smile:

Girls
For formal meals and matriculation and stuff like that you DO NOT have to have ball gowns and all that kinda stuff. Formal meals, whilst yes, they're formal, you only have to wear like smart clothes - black skirt and nice top or whatever. Some colleges are more strict than others and say you have to wear all black for some formals and such, but I think the majority are quite fair in what they expect of you.

However, for balls (examples - freshers ball, summer ball, etc.) you WILL need to have ball gowns. Unfortunately for most of you who can't bear to wear the same gown twice this means forking out every time you want to go to a ball. Haha! :p:

Boys
We're slightly luckier in that we can wear the same suit over and over again lol. As before, formal meals and matriculation only require you to wear a normal suit, none of this fancy black tie - tuxedo style stuff, just a suit, shirt, tie, black shoes, all that! Also, again, some colleges are more strict than others and if you try to wear a tuxedo at a normal formal meal you may get killed as you're not meant to "out-dress the senior man" or whatever they call them! Again, majority of colleges are less strict and will allow you to wear your tuxedo if you so wish.

For balls...HOWEVER (again lol) you ARE meant to wear black tie - this means a black suit with a bow tie (preferably black!).....though this is better for us, as we don't have to buy a new one every time we go to a ball.

For "twoflow" - if you're planning to go to the Freshers Ball in the first week, then you'll need a tux....I didn't go because it was quite expensive, and from what I heard it wasn't all that good!! If you don't go then you won't need to buy one (yet!). However you WILL need a normal suit for formal meals, matriculation, etc etc.

FINALLY

If you've never worn formal clothes before (I'd NEVER worn a suit til I went to Durham!) then don't worry too much about it, I was like "Oh my god this is far too posh for me!" but it's not and it's just what you're wearing and when the meal is over if you want to go and get changed into t-shirt and jeans then you can and no-one will care to be honest! :smile:

HINT: Guys try Matalan/ASDA for suits - cheap and no-one really can tell that they're from there :biggrin:

Hope all this helps :smile:

Reply 5

dobbs

17

Filibuster

I dont think they are much. I think they'll prob send you all the info post august 18th wen they'l send it to all those with conditionals.

Correct - all the info you need will be sent very shortly after results day :smile:

symphony - If your parents want to buy you one, I recommend that they give you the money for buying it in Durham. You don't want to go out and buy one and realise that it's slightly different than everyone elses, then you'd look a bit odd lol! And trust me there is no way you'd be "stuck" with a 2nd hand one, I'm 150% sure of that :smile:

Reply 6

Symphonyinblue

OP

the idea of matriculation in a cathedral full of people is not going down well with me. I think i will be on tamazepan by the time i get there. can i opt out, or would that mean opting out the degree thing?

Reply 7

twoflow

dobbs

For "twoflow" - if you're planning to go to the Freshers Ball in the first week, then you'll need a tux....I didn't go because it was quite expensive, and from what I heard it wasn't all that good!! If you don't go then you won't need to buy one (yet!). However you WILL need a normal suit for formal meals, matriculation, etc etc.

Brilliant, cheers mucker.

Reply 8

undercover-ange

dobbs

Correct - all the info you need will be sent very shortly after results day :smile:

symphony - If your parents want to buy you one, I recommend that they give you the money for buying it in Durham. You don't want to go out and buy one and realise that it's slightly different than everyone elses, then you'd look a bit odd lol! And trust me there is no way you'd be "stuck" with a 2nd hand one, I'm 150% sure of that :smile:

So are all the durham gowns the same or something? I was just going to bring my mother's old gown to save hassle but would it be better to buy one there? x

Reply 9

dobbs

17

Symphonyinblue

the idea of matriculation in a cathedral full of people is not going down well with me. I think i will be on tamazepan by the time i get there. can i opt out, or would that mean opting out the degree thing?

Why would that be bad? It's not all of Durham Uni because obviously they can't fit everyone in, you'll be in there with about 2 or 3 other colleges, you just go in silently, sit down while some people (Mayor of Durham City, Head of Undergraduate Admissions or something like that, some random College Principals maybe, oh yeah and probably some Bishop dude or something) go on for about 30mins about how the university was founded and how we're all so lucky to be there and how we are part of Durham and we need to help to make it a lovely place and so on. Then they finish and you all leave. It's boring, but really you should go - if just to see the Cathedral! :smile:

(But if you DIDN'T go, no-one would notice because they don't do a register or anything, and you'd be fine!)

undercover-ange

So are all the durham gowns the same or something? I was just going to bring my mother's old gown to save hassle but would it be better to buy one there? x

Yep all Durham gowns are the same - made by *goes to check my gown* "Grey & Son Ltd - Robe Makers, Durham" lol! However, if you brought your mam's (yes MAM, I'm northern OK? :p:

) then I'm sure it'd be fine, as long as it's just plain black and, well, it's a gown lol! Bring it along on your first day and ask the people selling them if you could have a quick look at them to compare them. If they're massively different then maybe buy a new one, otherwise I can't see any harm in using your mams :smile:

Reply 10

Rach:)

1

[QUOTE=dobbsOK, firstly - what's a gown? Well, you wear them for matriculation (big ceremony in the Cathedral in Freshers Week where some random people officially say you are part of the University of Durham) and then for formal meals in college. Secondly, does your college wear gowns? See the lists below :)

Do wear gowns
Castle (University)
Hatfield
Johns
Chads
Marys
Grey
Trevelyan
Hild Bede (only for matriculation, not for formals)

Don't wear gowns
Van Mildert
Collingwood
Aidans
Ustinov
George Stevenson (Queens Campus)
John Snow (Queens Campus)

What about St Cuths? Does anyone know if you have to wear gowns there? Thanks.xx

Reply 11

dmt

Just a quick correction, John Snow do wear gowns. It's just George Stephenson at Queens that don't.

Reply 12

dobbs

17

Rach:)

What about St Cuths? Does anyone know if you have to wear gowns there? Thanks.xx

Although I don't know officially, I wouldn't think so as they're a society and very unlikely to be gown-wearers :smile:

dmt - sorry, I had a feeling one of the Queens Campus colleges did wear gowns, but read on the DSU Message boards that neither of them did! I'll correct my post :biggrin:

Reply 13

socialist cook

8

In my experience, at Hatfield, you bought gowns when you arrived (along with your freshers t shirt-although this is optional!).

Unfortunately, as i turned up later, all the second hand and cheaper ones were gone so i ended up forking out £40- but for all the times i have worn it and will wear it, it's definitely paid for itself.

Reply 14

dobbs

17

socialist cook

In my experience, at Hatfield, you bought gowns when you arrived (along with your freshers t shirt-although this is optional!).

Unfortunately, as i turned up later, all the second hand and cheaper ones were gone so i ended up forking out £40- but for all the times i have worn it and will wear it, it's definitely paid for itself.

Agreed - gowns are also fun for other purposes. Anyone who doesn't put it on in the first few weeks and go "na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na naaaaaaaaaaa....BATMAN!!!" and run around with it wafting behind you doesn't know how to have fun! :biggrin:

Reply 15

Willingly Bear

Originally Posted by undercover-ange
So are all the durham gowns the same or something? I was just going to bring my mother's old gown to save hassle but would it be better to buy one there? x

I'm a postgrad at chads where I wear a masters degree gown but you would have to either be very nerdy or look very carefully to notice the difference between any gown.

Reply 16

durhamdosser

4

Rach:)

What about St Cuths? Does anyone know if you have to wear gowns there? Thanks.xx

No gowns at Cuths, nope. They have a few formals which people like to dress up for, but they don't get to wear anything over their smart clothes. Gowns are great for protecting your clothes from food/wine. :p:

Reply 17

durhamdosser

4

Becca

Indeed. My gown is covered in cream stains from when the give us brandy snap baskets with fruit and cream. :biggrin:

Nice! I had to sponge mine clean (NOT washing, to make the distinction) to get off the red wine vomit. Possibly too much information, I know, but I couldn't have left it on for 3 years. (Though apparently the guy who was sat next to me has no similar objections. Ick.)