today's moment of serendipity

[kaberett]

Lo these many years ago -- I think I was in sixth form, so 2006-2008ish -- I picked up a copy of mauve from a charity shop (probably the Oxfam bookshop on Sidney Street?).

Today, lo these many years later, I finally! caught up to the present day! of A Slob Comes Clean! which means that I can now stop dedicating most of my reading cope to that particular completionist digression, and can redirect to this year's planned Reading Project, namely "work my way through the stack of hard-copy books that probably don't actually meet my threshold for Want To Keep (In Hard Copy) at least to the extent of establishing that I no longer care about them and should Just return them to a charity shop*, and so I have once again picked up mauve, having got a whole five pages into it in late February.

Today I also made a desultory attempt to find out of there's anyone other than Ede & Ravenscroft who sell Imperial gowns* and in the process discovered that the reason they are quite such an egregious shade of that particular purple is -- and you can of course see exactly where this is going -- a specific commemoration of Perkin's mauve.

I am mildly peeved that (1) we apparently really don't actually wear hats for graduation, and (2) the purple velvet Tudor bonnet with white cord and tassel is, contra wikipedia, something only recipients of Higher Doctorates are entitled to. Upon my own head it shalln't, alas, be.

But: I really am charmed by this unexpected confluence, and it is delightful leavening for the ... something ... of bureaucracy. I think this metaphor has got away from me? I think perhaps it might be Time For Bed.

* They provide hire garments for the actual graduation ceremony, and deduct the cost of hire -- £58 -- from the purchase price, provided you make the purchase within 28 days following your actual graduation ceremony! They are also out of stock of the relevant items, and do not expect their stock to be replenished until the end of the summer, oh and also you can't place pre- or back-orders. They have confirmed, after I asked in very small words, that they really do mean that because they do not have stock I will not only have to pay £58 to hire the necessary accoutrements for the graduation ceremony, I will also have to pay full price with no discount if I make a purchase. I have not actually cancelled my attendance at the graduation ceremony in a fit of pique -- yet -- but I am going to be making a phone call on Monday in order to Ask Some Questions.

Comments

[shanaqui]

We didn't wear hats at my last graduation either, but the photographers had some for the purposes of photographs, else I'd have been tempted to hire one anyway for completion's sake.

[vass]

<333

They have confirmed, after I asked in very small words, that they really do mean that because they do not have stock I will not only have to pay £58 to hire the necessary accoutrements for the graduation ceremony, I will also have to pay full price with no discount if I make a purchase.

>:(((

[fyreharper]

but hat !

[swaldman]

So far I've been to graduations in three British universities. None of them have had hats as part of the regalia for normally-attainable degrees (one might have had for PhD. Not sure). I think all of them had fabulous headgear and other accoutrements for higher doctorates, which feels like such a waste.

At least two of the three offered mortarboards for hire, to only be worn strictly *after* the ceremony, mostly aimed at people from countries where their families would expect a hat-flinging photo.

[swaldman]

Why would anybody actually buy academic dress?

Genuine question.

[kaberett]

Essentially: because I grew up in Cambridge, with a Fellow as a parent, and I'm very used to academic dress as an everyday thing that Just Happens. So I sort of assume that if I stay in academia there will inevitably be more occasions when it's necessary, esp. if I wind up at the Oxford geochem group at any point, which is not totally implausible!

[swaldman]

Ah! You could probably just have answered "Oxford" 😅

In a "normal" university I am called upon to wear regalia once or twice a year, for graduations. And on those occasions the university rents it for me.

But I can well believe thst Oxbridge is different 😉

[kaberett]

I'm very sure my perspective is also warped because I am sure my mum wound up attaching her scarlets to her gown at least once a month (in addition to non-scarlet days), so!

[swaldman]

And I don't even know what that means. There's a gown that is distinct from the graduation robes?

Heeeee!

[kaberett]

... VERY niche upbringing XD Yes, Cambridge has two versions of every gown from PhD up -- one (plain black) for everyday use (like, for instance, if you're eating at hall in the evening), and then there are special red felt stripes to attach for graduation and other festival days...

[swaldman]

:-)

[shannnon_foraker]

What are you planning to do, now that you've gotten your PHD? Are you able to work at all (you mentioned something about a job application at one point)? Just curious.

I may need to get out more

[emperor]

I was pedantic enough to have my MA gown adjusted to be an undress PhD gown (add the lace), no removable scarlet. They subsequently changed the rules to make the "undress PhD gown + scarlet facings" legit, even though it was until recently illicit, as it was meant to be a plain MA gown + scarlet facings (and everyone was ignoring this and just putting red onto their undress PhD gown).

[it's possible that when it gets to lunchtime that WP article may be mysteriously edited]

Re: I may need to get out more

[kaberett]

HEE.

And yep, my mum has been attaching her scarlets with giant paperclips f o r e v e e r.

Re: I may need to get out more

[emperor]

...I have avoided attending any event where I might be required to wear scarlet ever since (at least at GSM I can wear a cassock instead :) )

[fyreharper]

This implies having occasion to wear academic garb more than once a month which I find delightful :D

[emperor]

I wear my academic hood most weeks because choir.