Third Time's a Charm: The Robe Shop

I spent the last two days battling jet lag and getting myself set up in my new room. Most of this involved buying exciting things like shampoo, Post-It notes, and tea. It's amazing how much you can get done in a day when your body wakes up naturally at 3:30 in the morning.

And then I got to buy my robes. Robes are to be worn at formal dinners, during any exams, and for sundry occasions. There are several types of robes at Oxford. For me, there are the fancy, colorful robes I'll be wearing at graduation and there are the "everyday" robes I'll be wearing at the aforementioned events. I bought my everyday ones. Graduate student everyday robes are different than those of undergrads, which are hilariously called "commoner robes" because they haven't earned any degrees yet to make them special. Graduate robes are longer and have these tapers that run down the back of the gown on either side. Since they are open-faced, the clothing worn underneath them, right down to the nylons and velvet ribbon, is regulation and is called "sub fusc". The hat is also a requirement. You have your choice of mortar board or soft cap. Mortar boards must be worn outside and must not be worn inside; soft caps must be worn at all times. I opted for the soft cap because once you resign yourself to hat hair, you don't want to be forced to take the cap off and display it.

Please excuse the crooked selfie; I don't know anyone yet who can take my picture.