What’s an Oxford Hood?

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The Oxford hood is an ornamental hood worn by university graduates, originally designed for practical purposes. It is typically black with a stripe reflecting the student’s discipline and can be lined with the school’s colors and edged with decorative piping. The hood’s length varies depending on the student’s grade, and it is typically only worn by Masters and PhD students.

An Oxford hood is a special hood worn over the shoulders of a university graduate. While these hoods were originally practical in nature and designed to protect the head, today the hood is purely ornamental, with the graduate wearing a hood, tam, hood, or other form of head covering. The Oxford hood is sometimes also referred to as a “simple hood”, in reference to the fact that it lacks a hood or the ornamental fabric known as a tippet.

Hoods have been part of academic regalia for centuries. Originally, academic rules were derived from the dress worn by members of religious orders, as most students historically were members of religious orders until universities were opened to the lay public. The hood was added as a practical measure, and many historic hoods were lined with fur for extra insulation and warmth. There are a variety of different hood styles in use today; at the same time, people could tell which school a student went to based on their cover style, although this is no longer the case.

Since the hood is ornamental, it is possible to obtain a license with its size and shape. The Oxford hood is typically long, covering the back well and ending with an ornamental train called a liripipe. By tradition, the body of the hood, known as the hood, is black, lined with a stripe that reflects the student’s discipline. The inside of the hood can be lined in the school’s colors, and the hood can also be edged with decorative piping. A small strap goes across the throat to hold the hood to the body.

Wearing an Oxford hood is a challenge, and many graduates cheat and use pins to secure the hood in place. With no pins, the hood can slide off center, bunch at the shoulders, or pull against the throat, squeezing the strap that’s supposed to keep the hood in place. Helps someone see a hood from behind by straightening it as needed to ensure it looks neat and tidy.

The length of the Oxford hood varies, depending on the grade of the student. These hoods are typically only seen on Masters and PhD students, although undergraduate students are technically allowed to wear hoods at many universities. In addition to the Oxford hood, it is also possible to see Cambridge or full hoods, which include the tippet or a cape.




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