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The wearing of academic scarves is a tradition found at many colleges and universities in English-speaking countries, and particularly in the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
and
Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
. Sets of two or more coloured stripes have traditionally been used as part of the distinctive visual identity of these institutions. The
scarves A scarf, plural ''scarves'', is a piece of fabric worn around the neck or head for warmth, sun protection, cleanliness, fashion, religious reasons, or used to show the support for a sports club or team. They can be made in a variety of diffe ...
are usually made of Saxony wool and traditionally 6 feet (c. 2m) long. The colours are often derived from the colours of the official
coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its ...
and/or the varsity colours, and are used in clothing and symbols of all kinds, from ties to trophies, but notably in the long woollen winter scarves that students and alumni wear to show their pride in their institutions. Some universities have different scarves for different faculties and even for undergraduates and postgraduates. Some may even have a 'combination scarf' where one side is in the university's colours and the other the faculty, etc. colours. Traditionally, academic scarves would not have further embroidery on them, such as arms or logos, as the stripes are sufficient to identify the scarf's origins and affiliation; however, at some universities such as Cambridge it has become usual for scarves to be embroidered with the college arms. Furthermore, universities might change their design and colours from time to time, usually during re-branding exercises, or if there isn't an 'official' version that has been widely used. At some universities, in addition to collegiate scarves, there are also several non-collegiate scarves which have a well-established meaning. For example, those representing the university in sport may be entitled to wear a particular scarf, depending on their level of achievement, or a university department or club may have its own scarf. In addition, some colleges and universities have (for example) separate scarves for senior clubs such as their Boat Clubs. Academic scarves are to be distinguished from other types of scarves that are officially sold by the institution themselves which often use different colours and are embroidered with logos and other emblem, or designed/made differently to traditional academic scarves.


Australia


La Trobe University


University of Adelaide


University of Melbourne


University of New England


University of New South Wales


University of Queensland


University of Sydney


University of Tasmania


Canada


Ireland


University of Dublin


National University of Ireland


University College Dublin


Other NUI Constituent Universities


University of Limerick


Dublin City University


New Zealand


University of Otago

The term scarfies is often used in and around
Dunedin Dunedin ( ; mi, Ōtepoti) is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from , the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Th ...
, the site of the University of Otago, as a slang term for university students.


United Kingdom


University of Birmingham


University of Bristol


University of Cambridge


Sports colours


Durham University


University of Glasgow


Imperial College London


Lancaster University


University of London


Newcastle University


University of Oxford


Sports colours


Queen's University Belfast


University of St Andrews


University of Wales


University of York


Scarf colours of other UK universities


Scarf colours of former UK universities


United States


Harvard University


Yale University


Academic scarves of other American colleges


Scarf colors of US High Schools


See also

* List of rowing blades – School and university


Notes


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Academic Scarf Traditions by university or college British clothing Academic dress Scarves