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.