Formal Dress Forum

[Dave the Explosive Newt]

Quoting exnihilo from 12:49, 4th Nov 2007
That rule seems improbable. It would mean that someone at 22 with an MA and MLitt entering Cambridge for a PhD would be obliged to wear a bachelor's gown, whereas a candidate from elsewhere who was 25 with a BA would wear a master's? Age seems wholly irrelevant, and I also strongly deprecate a rule which bans gowns from other universities, if you are to permit graduates of other universities then you really ought to permit them to wear their proper attire, anything else is incredibly foolish.

http://www.societies.cam.ac.uk/cuhags/gowns/gowns.htm

No-one seems to have made any fuss, and according to the man in Ede and Ravenscroft I do count since I'll be over 24 before finishing the 2nd year of this course. Winner.

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Mmmmmmm, cake.
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[exnihilo]

Absurd.

[J.C.H.]

The MA status gown is exactly the same as my gown from St Andrews ...

No it's not - the sleeves of St Andrews gowns are finished in the Oxford pattern, with the 'boot end' facing backwards. The Cambridge Masters' sleeve is different, subtly so, yet distinguishable nonetheless.

[J.C.H.]

... if you are to permit graduates of other universities then you really ought to permit them to wear their proper attire.

Which Cambridge does: the proper attire at is that of your highest rank within Cambridge. It is the corporate uniform of the University and to allow members from other places to wear their robes at Cambridge occasions would be divisive and discriminate against those from places which don't prescribe academic dress at all.

[exnihilo]

Does that apply to the coloured gowns of doctors from other universities? If not, why not. Sparing the feelings of those whose universities had no gowns is, I rather suspect, bugger all to do with the rule at Cambridge.

Absurd I said, and absurd I remain convinced that it is.

[Dickie]

Quoting exnihilo from 10:07, 9th Nov 2007
Does that apply to the coloured gowns of doctors from other universities? If not, why not. Sparing the feelings of those whose universities had no gowns is, I rather suspect, bugger all to do with the rule at Cambridge.

Absurd I said, and absurd I remain convinced that it is.

In Cambridge there are no other universities. Thats why they have these slightly odd regulations.

But it is up to them what you do in their house, includng not smoking on ANY university property!!!!!

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[Dave the Explosive Newt]

Quoting Dickie from 15:04, 9th Nov 2007

In Cambridge there are no other universities. Thats why they have these slightly odd regulations.

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Actually there's Anglia Ruskin's campus on East Road these days.

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Mmmmmmm, cake.
http://standrews.facebook.com/profile.php?id=37102114

[Anon.]

Quoting Imago from 13:25, 4th Nov 2007
I remember that it certainly used to be the case that only Cambridge first degrees were recognised by Cambridge. Thus if one arrived with one’s first from St A to embark on a Camb PhD, one’s nameplate on the staircase would state merely ‘A Jones’, whereas next door would be ‘B Smith BA (Cantab)’.

So they'd recognise second degrees, such as MLitt or BLitt? How about MA (Oxon)?

[Anon.]

Quoting Mr Comedy from 18:32, 5th Oct 2007
I'm a big fan of knee length socks for general warmth value, however I'm contemplating where they can be worn. So far I have:

- whilst playing a sport (e.g. football, rugby)
- with a kilt
- when hunting/riding/shooting.

However, I'm a big fan and keen to use them more widely than this narrow band - are there other occasions to wear knee length socks without commiting a dress crime?

Sir Menzies Campbell is now fairly notorious for wearing long socks all the time. The fact that they gave rise to the speculation that he wears sock suspenders was quoted by him as one of the reasons for his recent resignation.

I used to wear sock suspenders myself in the VIth Form and in my first year or so at St Andrews. Now I just can't be bothered.

[Mr Comedy]

Quick question:

- are brown shoes with a dark suit ever acceptable?

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"I am in no way interested in immortality, but only in the taste of tea. " -Lu Tung

[Jason Dunn]

Quoting Mr Comedy from 15:19, 25th Mar 2008
Quick question:

- are brown shoes with a dark suit ever acceptable?

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"I am in no way interested in immortality, but only in the taste of tea. " -Lu Tung

Perhaps if both the suit and the shoes are a dark brown. Otherwise dangerous waters indeed.

[Eliot Wilson]

We certainly very strongly deprecate the current fashion for a charcoal suit and tan shoes.

[hr]

Bill and Ted beat the Grim Reaper at Twister

Bill: "You played very well, Death, especially with your totally heavy Death robes."

Death: "Don't patronise me."

[Tweedle-Dum]

Mr Potton has been assaulting me with the idea that one might wear trous with a tailcoat in some fashion as morning dress. How?

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Tetragrammaton is a four letter word.

[Eliot Wilson]

I have heard this idea floated before, and, indeed, I think I may have seen it in... specialist magazines. The tricky thing would be the waistcoat. For it not to clash horribly, I think it would need to be black.

Mr Murray is threatening to trot this look out at some point; if he does so, I shall be happy to report back.

[hr]

Bill and Ted beat the Grim Reaper at Twister

Bill: "You played very well, Death, especially with your totally heavy Death robes."

Death: "Don't patronise me."

[Eliot Wilson]

An example can be found here:

http://www.kiltsforhire.com/pdf/hirebrochure_13.pdf

Colour me sceptical.

[hr]

Bill and Ted beat the Grim Reaper at Twister

Bill: "You played very well, Death, especially with your totally heavy Death robes."

Death: "Don't patronise me."

[Lid]

The tartan lapels in the chap at the bottom would look almost admissable, if he didn't look a combination of gaudy and Moss Bros on acid.

Is the chap one down on the left a slightly less well co-ordinated relation of Dr Joss?

The chap at top left looks like if he removed the jacket, he'd be the night steward on the Caledonian Sleeper, having cunningly fashioned his garments from the leftover blankets for the night. At least his patrons would appreciate the Stella as a distraction from the get-up.

My criticisms aside, where can one obtain trews in this town in the University tartan? (The Kirk Wynd kiltmakers have had some ex-hire 38 waists in the window that would do the job, were I not 8-10 inches smaller around the middle however after popping in, they can't obtain tartan trews in the University tartan, allegedly!)

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Mathematical Anti Telharsic Harfatum Septomin

[Jason Dunn]

Quoting Lid from 00:19, 17th Apr 2008
The tartan lapels in the chap at the bottom would look almost admissable, if he didn't look a combination of gaudy and Moss Bros on acid.

Is the chap one down on the left a slightly less well co-ordinated relation of Dr Joss?

The chap at top left looks like if he removed the jacket, he'd be the night steward on the Caledonian Sleeper, having cunningly fashioned his garments from the leftover blankets for the night. At least his patrons would appreciate the Stella as a distraction from the get-up.

My criticisms aside, where can one obtain trews in this town in the University tartan? (The Kirk Wynd kiltmakers have had some ex-hire 38 waists in the window that would do the job, were I not 8-10 inches smaller around the middle however after popping in, they can't obtain tartan trews in the University tartan, allegedly!)

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Mathematical Anti Telharsic Harfatum Septomin

I'm sure I've said this before, but one could simply abstract the horrendous tracts of the stuff they upholster the stage with at graduation. Or for comic effect one could cut out what you need leaving pleasing trouser-shaped hole.

[RJ Covino]

Abstract tartan? Not sure that's kosher...

[Dickie]

Quoting RJ Covino from 22:32, 18th Apr 2008
Abstract tartan? Not sure that's kosher...

Everything that is obtained without the parting of gelt has to be kosher....

You should know that you hook nose....

(this is not ment to offend anyone not even the late Dr C....)

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[Anon.]

Are people talking about actual trews, or just trousers made of tartan cloth? The former are tight-fitting to the leg in the manner of mess overalls, and have no outside seams and thus no pockets. I would say they were only really suitable for dress (i.e. evening) wear.