Academic dress

regulated formal attire worn by students and officials at certain schools and universities, especially for commencement or other cerimonial occasions

Academic dress is the form of robes and headdress worn by graduates or students of a university. Some universities require all students in an undergraduate degree to wear short black robes to classes such as University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge which has their students wearing a less formal robe whilst on campus. Most academic dress is only worn at graduation ceremonies or formal occasions not everyday. There are different types of dress for different types of degrees with the doctoral degree using the most elaborate and formal type of dress. Academic dress was first worn at the old universities of Oxford and Cambrdige but is now worn by most universities around the World. The colour of the robe and/or sash of the robes indicate which degree and in what subject the wearing is graduating in. Academic dress almost always includes a type of headdress commonly called a mortar board.

A Doctor of Philosophy wearing formal academic dress