The wearing of academic scarves is a tradition found at many colleges and universities in English-speaking countries, and particularly in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Sets of two or more coloured stripes have traditionally been used as part of the distinctive visual identity of these institutions. The scarves are usually made of Saxony wool and traditionally 6 feet (c. 2m) long.[1] The traditional vertical stripes were (according to one source) adopted first at the University of Cambridge during the Second World War when material scarcity created scarves made of strips of wool sewn together rather than woven into the fabric.[2]

Adademic scarf from St Peter's College, Oxford.

The colours are often derived from the colours of the official coat of arms 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 is not an 'official' version that has been widely used.[citation needed] For example the University of Manchester was created in 2004 by merging two previous institutions, and adopted the new colours of purple and gold, along with changing scarf colours.

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.[b]

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.[citation needed]

Australia

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La Trobe University

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La Trobe University

University of Adelaide

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Aquinas College Kathleen Lumley College Lincoln College
 
St Ann's College St. Mark's College

University of Melbourne

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Trinity College Janet Clarke Hall Medley Hall
 
Ormond College Queen's College St Hilda's College

University of New England

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Austin College Drummond and Smith College Earle Page College

University of New South Wales

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Colombo House Fig Tree Hall Goldstein College
 
New College Philip Baxter College University of New South Wales Hall

University of Queensland

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Cromwell College Duchesne College Emmanuel College
 
Grace College Gatton Halls of Residence International House
 
King's College St John's College St Leo's College
 
Union College The Women's College

University of Sydney

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Sancta Sophia College St Andrew's College St John's College
 
St Paul's College Wesley College The Women's College

University of Tasmania

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Christ College Jane Franklin Hall St. John Fisher College

Canada

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University of Toronto
St. Michael's College Trinity College

Ireland

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University of Dublin

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University Sporting Pink[3] Trinity College[4] Trinity College Dublin Association and Trust (Alumni)
 
Dublin University Boat Club Dublin University Bicycle Club Dublin University Cricket Club
 
Dublin University Croquet Club (incorrect) Dublin University Equestrian Club Dublin University Football Club (Rugby Union)
 
Dublin University Hockey Club Dublin University Ladies' Boat Club Dublin University Lawn Tennis Club
 
Dublin University Rifle Club Dublin University Swimming Club Central Societies Committee
 
University Biological Association ('The Bi') (Medical) University Philosophical Society ('The Phil') University of Dublin Choral Society
 
Dublin University Geographical Society Dublin University Speech and Language Pathology Society Dublin University Physiotherapy Society
 
Dublin University History Society Dublin University Engineering Society Dublin University Law Society
 
Dublin University Pharmaceutical Society College Theological Society ('The Theo') (incorrect)[citation needed] College Historical Society ('The Hist') (incorrect)[citation needed]

National University of Ireland

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University College Dublin

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University College Dublin
 
University College Dublin, Colours
 
Sailing and Swimming Clubs Rugby Club Boat Club
 
Agricultural Science Arts Chemical Engineering
 
Civil and Environmental Engineering Commerce Electronic, Electrical, or Mechanical Engineering
 
Law Medicine Radiography
 
Science Social Science Veterinary Medicine

Other NUI Constituent Universities

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National University of Ireland, Maynooth National University of Ireland, Galway University College Cork

University of Limerick

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University of Limerick

Dublin City University

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Dublin City University

New Zealand

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University of Otago

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Arana College Aquinas College Cumberland College
 
Knox College Salmond College Selwyn College
 
St Margaret's College

The term scarfies is often used in and around Dunedin, the site of the University of Otago, as a slang term for university students.

United Kingdom

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University of Birmingham

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University of Birmingham
College of Arts and Law College of Social Sciences[5] College of Life and Environmental Sciences
College of Engineering and Physical Sciences College of Medical and Dental Sciences Faculty of Science

University of Bristol

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Arts Engineering Law
Medicine Sciences Social sciences
Union
 

University of Cambridge

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University of Cambridge [b]

Scarf colours: three equal stripes of Cambridge blue and navy, with navy in the middle on one side of the scarf, and Cambridge blue in the middle on the other

 
Christ's College Churchill College Clare College

Scarf colours: brown, with two equally-spaced narrow white stripes

Scarf colours: black, with two equally-spaced narrow stripes of brown edged with pink

Scarf colours: black, with two equally-spaced narrow yellow stripes

 
Clare Hall Corpus Christi College Darwin College

Scarf colours: black, with two equally-spaced narrow stripes of red edged with yellow

Scarf colours: cherry pink, with two equally-spaced narrow white stripes

Scarf colours: blue, with two equally-spaced narrow sets of three adjacent red, Cambridge blue and yellow stripes, with the red stripes closest to the edge of the scarf, and the yellow stripes closest to the centre

 
Downing College Emmanuel College Fitzwilliam College

Scarf colours: black, with three narrow magenta stripes

Scarf colours: navy, with two equally-spaced narrow rose pink stripes

Scarf colours: maroon, with two equally-spaced narrow grey stripes

 
Girton College Gonville and Caius College Homerton College

Scarf colours: green, with two equally-spaced narrow stripes of red edged with white

Scarf colours: four equal stripes alternating black and Cambridge blue

Scarf colours: navy, with two equally-spaced narrow white stripes

 
Hughes Hall Jesus College King's College

Scarf colours: light blue with three equally-spaced narrow stripes, the outer stripes of Cambridge blue and wider, the central stripe of white and narrower

Scarf colours: three equal stripes of red and black, with red in the middle on one side of the scarf, and black in the middle on the other

Scarf colours: royal purple, with two equally-spaced narrow white stripes

 
Lucy Cavendish College Magdalene College Murray Edwards College

Scarf colours: eight alternating stripes of black and blue of varying width, with wide black and narrow blue stripes transitioning towards narrow black and wide blue stripes across the face of the scarf

Scarf colours: navy, with two equally-spaced narrow lavender stripes

Scarf colours: three equally-spaced narrow stripes separating two black areas towards the edge and two blue areas in the middle, the outer stripes of yellow and the central stripe of red

 
Newnham College Pembroke College Peterhouse

Scarf colours: grey, with a central broad band of navy, itself divided in two by a narrow gold stripe

Scarf colours: dark blue, with two equally-spaced narrow Cambridge blue stripes

Scarf colours: four equal stripes alternating white and blue

 
Queens' College Robinson College St Catharine's College

Scarf colours: dark green, with two equally-spaced narrow white stripes

Scarf colours: from one edge of the scarf to the other, the first third grey, then three equal stripes of blue, gold and grey, and then the final third blue

Scarf colours: burgundy, with narrow pearl pink stripes

 
St Edmund's College St John's College Selwyn College

Scarf colours: blue, with two equally-spaced narrow stripes of Cambridge blue edged with white

Scarf colours: navy, with two equally-spaced narrow stripes of Cambridge blue edged with red

Scarf colours: maroon, with three narrow gold stripes through the middle, the central stripe slightly narrower than others

 
Sidney Sussex College Trinity College Trinity Hall

Scarf colours: two equal halves of dark-red and navy

Scarf colours: navy, with three equally-spaced narrow stripes, the outer stripes of yellow and slightly narrower, the central stripe of red and slightly wider

Scarf colours: black, with two equally-spaced narrow white stripes

 
Wolfson College Postdocs of Cambridge (PdOC)

Scarf colours: red, with two equally-spaced narrow golden stripes edged with white

Scarf colours: five equal stripes of Cambridge blue, royal purple, white, royal purple again, and Cambridge blue again

Sports colours

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Full Blue Half Blue Roos
 
Tadpoles Riding team Rifle team
 
Hawks' Club CUTwC CU Bowmen
 
CURPC CUGCR

Durham University

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Durham University Full Palatinate Half Palatinate
 
Collingwood College Cranmer Hall Grey College
 
Hatfield College John Snow College St Aidan's College
 
St Chad's College St Cuthbert's Society College of St Hild and St Bede
 
St John's College St Mary's College Trevelyan College
 
University College Van Mildert College Durham Law School
 

University of Glasgow

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University of Glasgow
 
Arts Dentistry Divinity
 
Engineering Law Medicine
 
Nursing Science Social Sciences
 
Veterinary Medicine

Imperial College London

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Imperial College London
 
Royal College of Science City & Guilds College Royal School of Mines
 
Imperial College School of Medicine

Lancaster University

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Lancaster University
 
The County College Pendle College Fylde College
 
Lonsdale College Bowland College Grizedale College
 
Furness College Cartmel College Graduate College

University of London

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University of London
 
Birkbeck, University of London[6] King's College London[7] Guy's Hospital Medical School
 
St Thomas' Hospital Medical School London Business School[8] London School of Economics[9]
 
Queen Mary, University of London[10] Royal Holloway, University of London[11] Royal Veterinary College
 
University College London[12] University College Hospital Medical School Goldsmiths, University of London[13]
 
Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry School of Oriental and African Studies[14] Heythrop College[15]

Manchester University

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University of Manchester[16]
 
Manchester School of Architecture[17] Hulme Hall St. Anselm Hall[18]
 

Victoria University of Manchester and UMIST (former)

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Victoria University of Manchester UMIST VUM Faculty of Arts
 

Newcastle University

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Newcastle University[19]
 
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS) Newcastle University Medical School Faculty of Science, Agriculture and Engineering (SAGE)
 

University of Oxford

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Balliol College Blackfriars Brasenose College

Scarf colours: navy, with two equally spaced triple-stripes of white, purple and white again

Scarf colours: black, with two narrow yellow stripes a fifth of a scarf-width in from either edge

 
Campion Hall Christ Church Corpus Christi College

Scarf colours: navy, with two sets of narrow triple stripes a quarter scarf-width in from either edge, each set of triple stripes of red, white and brown from left to right

Scarf colours: five equal stripes alternating navy and dark red, with navy at the edges and in the centre

 
Exeter College Green Templeton College Harris Manchester College

Scarf colours: black, with two purple stripes each a quarter of the scarf wide, separated from one another by a central black area itself a quarter of the scarf wide

Scarf colours: navy, with a wide central stripe of green, and a narrow yellow stripe through each of the navy areas to either side

Scarf colours: navy, with a wide central stripe of red, and a narrow yellow stripe through each of the navy areas to either side

 
Hertford College Jesus College Keble College

Scarf colours: burgundy, with two narrow stripes of red lined with white a quarter scarf in from either edge

Scarf colours: green, with a central narrow white stripe, and two slightly thinner white stripes one fifth of a scarf-width in from either edge.

Scarf colours: navy, with two red stripes a fifth of a scarf-width in from either edge, each stripe divided by a white pinstripe

 
Kellogg College Lady Margaret Hall Linacre College

Scarf colours: navy, with two equally-spaced stripes of medium-blue edged with white

Scarf colours: navy, with two equally-spaced stripes of yellow, each edged with a thinner stripe of white on the left-hand side only

Scarf colours: two equally-spaced thin yellow stripes separating the outer two-thirds of black and the central third of grey

 
Lincoln College Magdalen College Mansfield College

Scarf colours: dark blue, with two pairs of sky-blue tramline stripes one quarter of a scarf-width in from either edge

Scarf colours: black, with two equally-spaced wide bands of white

Scarf colours: navy, with two equally-spaced pairs of thin tramline stripes, the left pinstripes in each pair of yellow and the right of red

 
Merton College New College Nuffield College

Scarf colours: purple, with two narrow white stripes a quarter of a scarf-width in from either edge

Scarf colours: brown, with two equally-spaced narrow white stripes

Scarf colours: black, with two equally-spaced stripes of dark-red edged with yellow

 
Oriel College Reuben College Pembroke College

Scarf colours: dark blue, with two equally-spaced pairs of narrow white tramlines

Scarf colours: navy, with two equally-spaced stripes of grey edged with pearl-pink

 
The Queen's College Regent's Park College St Anne's College

Scarf colours: navy, with a wide band of white through the centre, and a white pinstripe through each of the two remaining navy areas

Scarf colours: navy, with two equally-spaced stripes of red edged with grey

 
St Antony's College St Benet's Hall St Catherine's College

Scarf colours: navy, with two equally-spaced wide bands of yellow, and a thin red stripe through each yellow band

Scarf colours: maroon, with two equally-spaced narrow stripes of purple edged with sky-blue

 
St Cross College St Edmund Hall[20] St Hilda's College

Scarf colours: navy, with two narrow double-stripes a quarter of a scarf-width in from either edge, the left of each double-stripe of white and the right of purple

Scarf colours: maroon, with two equally-spaced mustard pinstripes

Scarf colours: navy, with three equally-spaced stripes of white

 
St Hugh's College St John's College St Peter's College

Scarf colours: Two narrow double-stripes a fifth of a scarf-width in from either edge, the left of each double-stripe of white and the right of yellow, with the background areas to the left of each double-stripe of blue, and to the right of black, such that a black and a blue area meet in the centre of the scarf.

Scarf colours: black, with three equally-spaced thin stripes, the central stripe of red and the outer stripes of yellow

Scarf colours: green, with two narrow yellow stripes a quarter of a scarf-width in from either edge

 
St Stephen's House Somerville College Trinity College

Scarf colours: red, with two equally-spaced narrow black stripes

Scarf colours: navy, with two narrow white stripes a quarter of a scarf-width in from either edge

 
University College Wadham College Wolfson College

Scarf colours: navy, with two narrow yellow stripes a quarter of a scarf-width in from either edge

Scarf colours: black, with two grey-blue stripes a quarter of a scarf-width in from either edge, each stripe edged with a yellow pinstripe on the right-hand side only

Scarf colours: navy, with two equally-spaced stripes of red edged with yellow

 
Worcester College Wycliffe Hall

Scarf colours: black, with two equally-spaced pearl-pink stripes

Sports colours

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Full Blue Half Blue Vincent's Club

Queen's University Belfast

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Queen's University Belfast
 
Graduate University colours Queen's University Belfast Boat Club
Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences School of Law School of Medicine and Dentistry

University of St Andrews

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University of St Andrews
 
St Mary's College Bute Medical School The United College (Graduate)
St Leonard's College (Postgraduate)

University of Wales

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University of Wales
 
Aberystwyth University Bangor University University of Wales, Lampeter
 
University of Wales, Newport University of Wales Institute, Cardiff Swansea University

University of York

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University of York[21]
 
Alcuin College Constantine College Derwent College
 
Goodricke College[22] Goodricke College (old)[23] Halifax College
 
James College Langwith College Vanbrugh College
 
Wentworth College

Scarf colours of other UK universities

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University of The Arts, London Aston University University of Bradford
 
Cardiff University Cranfield University University of Central Lancashire
 
University of Dundee University of East Anglia University of Edinburgh
 
University of Exeter University of Greenwich University of Hertfordshire
 
University of Hull University of Kent University of Leeds
 
University of Leicester University of Liverpool Liverpool Hope University
 
Loughborough University Manchester Metropolitan University University of Nottingham
 
Open University[24] University of Plymouth University of Reading[25]
 
Richmond University University of Salford[26] University of Sheffield
 
Sheffield Hallam University University of Warwick University of Westminster


United States

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Harvard University

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Harvard University[27]
 
Adams House[28] Cabot House Currier House
 
Dunster House Dudley House Eliot House
 
Kirkland House Leverett House Lowell House
 
Mather House Pforzheimer House Quincy House
 
Winthrop House
   

Yale University

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Yale University[a]
School of Art[a] Graduate School of Arts and Sciences[a] School of Nursing[a]
School of Drama[a] Divinity School[a] Berkeley College[a]
Branford College Hopper College[a] Davenport College[a]
Ezra Stiles College[a] Jonathan Edwards College[a] Pierson College[a]


Silliman College[a] Timothy Dwight College[a] Trumbull College[a]
Morse College

Academic scarves of other American colleges

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Bates College Brown University Cornell University
Colby College Colgate University The College of William and Mary
Columbia University Dartmouth College MIT
Northwestern University Pratt Institute Princeton University
Sweet Briar College State University of New York at Buffalo University of California
University of Pennsylvania Vassar College Wesleyan University
University of Maryland University of Illinois Williams College

Scarf colors of US High Schools

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Phillips Academy[29]

See also

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Notes

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  1. "True colors: A field guide to Yale scarves". Yale Alumni Magazine. Retrieved 2018-11-16.
  2. "Scarf Colours of the Cambridge Colleges". Queens' College, Cambridge. Archived from the original on 2008-03-15. Retrieved 2008-03-26.

References

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  1. ^ "A brief history of academic scarves". Study.EU. Retrieved 2017-08-03.
  2. ^ "'The Bramley' -Pure Wool Collegiate scarf". 6 February 2018.
  3. ^ "Scarves of the University of Dublin". Archived from the original on 2013-12-14.
  4. ^ "Scarves of the University of Dublin". Archived from the original on 2007-11-17. Retrieved 2007-11-17.
  5. ^ "University of Birmingham, Social Sciences Scarf - Ryder & Amies".
  6. ^ "Birkbeck, University of London Scarf - Ryder & Amies".
  7. ^ "King's College London Scarf". www.ryderamies.co.uk.
  8. ^ "London Business School, University of London Scarf - Ryder & Amies".
  9. ^ "London School of Economics". LSE Student Union. Retrieved 2019-11-03.
  10. ^ "Queen Mary, University of London Scarf - Ryder & Amies".
  11. ^ "Royal Holloway, University of London Scarf - Ryder & Amies".
  12. ^ "University College London Scarf". Smart Turnout. Archived from the original on 2006-10-13. Retrieved 2006-10-13.
  13. ^ "Goldsmiths, University of London Scarf - Ryder & Amies".
  14. ^ "School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) Scarf - Ryder & Amies".
  15. ^ "Heythrop College Scarf - Ryder & Amies".
  16. ^ "Knitted scarf". University of Manchester. Archived from the original on 2019-11-04. Retrieved 2019-11-04.
  17. ^ "MSA Official Scarf". Manchester Metropolitan University. Retrieved 2023-08-10.
  18. ^ "Hall Scarf". St. Anselm Hall Association. Retrieved 2023-08-10.
  19. ^ "Newcastle University Scarf - Ryder & Amies".
  20. ^ "St Edmund Hall". Shepherd and Woodward. Archived from the original on 2018-12-15. Retrieved 2019-11-04.
  21. ^ "University of York Scarf". University of York Official Merchandise. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
  22. ^ "University of York, Goodricke College Scarf - Ryder & Amies".
  23. ^ "Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2024-08-22.
  24. ^ "Open University (OU) Scarf - Ryder & Amies".
  25. ^ "Product Details". www.rusu.co.uk.
  26. ^ "Salford University Scarf". Ede & Ravenscroft. Retrieved 2020-08-12.
  27. ^ "Traditional Harvard Scarf". Archived from the original on 2018-10-29. Retrieved 2018-10-29.
  28. ^ Colin Manning (13 March 2014). "Get up, it's Housing Day".
  29. ^ "Phillips Academy rowing scarf". Archived from the original on 2018-10-29. Retrieved 2018-10-29.