Subfusc

The University of Oxford has a long tradition of academic dress, which continues to the present day.

Academic dress is still worn very often in Oxford, and every undergraduate and graduate must obtain a gown, cap, and white bow tie or black tie or black ribbon for the purpose of the University matriculation ceremony, where students formally become members of the University.

Regulations regarding gowns differ from college to college, but gowns are commonly worn to:

Gowns and caps are worn to disciplinary hearings in the Proctors' Court.

In addition, gowns are worn with cap, hood (for graduates), and subfusc to:

On certain occasions, e.g. the Encaenia garden party, by tradition, graduates wear gown and hood without subfusc.

The wearing of subfusc remains a popular tradition. In May 2015 students voted overwhelmingly in favour of compulsory academic dress in examinations, with 75.8% supporting subfusc and 78% supporting gowns, in a referendum with an unusually high 40.6% turnout. A previous referendum in 2006 showed 81% support for subfusc. Both referenda were widely interpreted by students as not so much being a vote on making subfusc voluntary, but rather a vote on whether or not to effectively abolish it by default, as it was assumed that if a minority of people came to exams without subfusc, the rest would soon follow.

After the names of the components, the Groves classification system is given.

The gowns in use in Oxford can be divided into two basic shapes. All gowns are open-fronted, except for the Doctors' convocation habit which is closed at the front.

The clerical-type gown has no collar, but instead has the voluminous material of its back and sleeves gathered into a yoke. All of the above have open bell-shaped sleeves, with the exception of the MA gown and the Doctors' convocation habit. The MA gown has long closed sleeves with arm slits just above the elbow and a crescent-shaped cut at the foot of the sleeve, forming two forward-facing points. The Doctors' convocation habit is sleeveless.

Gowns of the same basic shape are worn by barristers (see court dress), preachers and bishops in the Church of England.

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