The History of Undergraduate Academical Dress in Britain’s Modern Universities since 1880, with a Discussion of its Recent and Current Use

Undergraduates in cap and gown are a sight associated today with a select few universities. Despite this, over thirty British universities prescribe academic dress for undergraduates. For many of the universities founded in the twentieth century, the adoption of undergraduate cap and gown was a part of establishing an esprit de corps. Some 1960s universities attempted radical reforms to undergraduate dress, which in some cases were rejected by students. Over the twentieth century undergraduate gowns faded from view; however, their current use is slightly broader than has been generally considered, thanks to a number of traditional halls of residence at civic universities.