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. 2 m) long. 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.
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. 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.
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 La Trobe University
University of Adelaide Aquinas College Kathleen Lumley College Lincoln College St Ann's College St. Mark's College
University of Melbourne Trinity College Janet Clarke Hall Medley Hall Ormond College Queen's College St Hilda's College
University of New England Austin College Drummond and Smith College Earle Page College
University of New South Wales Colombo House Fig Tree Hall Goldstein College New College Philip Baxter College University of New South Wales Hall
University of Queensland 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 Sancta Sophia College St Andrew's College St John's College St Paul's College Wesley College The Women's College
University of Tasmania Christ College Jane Franklin Hall St. John Fisher College
Canada St. Michael's College Trinity College
Ireland
University of Dublin University Sporting Pink Trinity College 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) College Historical Society ('The Hist') (incorrect)
National University of Ireland University College Dublin 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 Maynooth University University of Galway University College Cork
University of Limerick University of Limerick
Dublin City University Dublin City University
New Zealand
University of Otago
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
University of Birmingham University of Birmingham College of Arts and Law College of Social Sciences College of Life and Environmental Sciences College of Engineering and Physical Sciences College of Medical and Dental Sciences Faculty of Science
University of Bristol Arts Engineering Law Medicine Sciences Social sciences Union
University of Cambridge University of Cambridge Christ's College Churchill College Clare College Clare Hall Corpus Christi College Darwin College Downing College Emmanuel College Fitzwilliam College Girton College Gonville and Caius College Homerton College Hughes Hall Jesus College King's College Lucy Cavendish College Magdalene College Murray Edwards College Newnham College Pembroke College Peterhouse Queens' College Robinson College St Catharine's College St Edmund's College St John's College Selwyn College Sidney Sussex College Trinity College Trinity Hall Wolfson College Postdocs of Cambridge (PdOC)
Sports colours Full Blue Half Blue Roos Tadpoles Riding team Rifle team Hawks' Club CUTwC CU Bowmen CURPC CUGCR
Durham University 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
Stephenson College
University of Glasgow University of Glasgow Arts Dentistry Divinity Engineering Law Medicine Nursing Science Social Sciences Veterinary Medicine
Imperial College London Imperial College London Royal College of Science City & Guilds College Royal School of Mines Imperial College School of Medicine
Lancaster University Lancaster University The County College Pendle College Fylde College Lonsdale College Bowland College Grizedale College Furness College Cartmel College Graduate College
University of London University of London Birkbeck, University of London King's College London Guy's Hospital Medical School St Thomas' Hospital Medical School London Business School London School of Economics Queen Mary University of London Royal Holloway, University of London Royal Veterinary College University College London University College Hospital Medical School Goldsmiths, University of London Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry School of Oriental and African Studies Heythrop College
University of Manchester University of Manchester Manchester School of Architecture Hulme Hall St. Anselm Hall
Victoria University of Manchester and UMIST (former) Victoria University of Manchester UMIST
Newcastle University Newcastle University Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS) Newcastle University Medical School Faculty of Science, Agriculture and Engineering (SAGE)
University of Oxford
All Souls College Balliol College Blackfriars Brasenose College Campion Hall Christ Church Corpus Christi College Exeter College Green Templeton College Harris Manchester College Hertford College Jesus College Keble College Kellogg College Lady Margaret Hall Linacre College Lincoln College Magdalen College Mansfield College Merton College New College Nuffield College Oriel College Reuben College Pembroke College The Queen's College Regent's Park College St Anne's College St Antony's College St Benet's Hall St Catherine's College St Cross College St Edmund Hall St Hilda's College St Hugh's College St John's College St Peter's College St Stephen's House Somerville College Trinity College University College Wadham College Wolfson College Worcester College Wycliffe Hall
Sports colours Full Blue Half Blue Vincent's Club
Queen's University Belfast 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 University of St Andrews St Mary's College Bute Medical School The United College (Graduate) St Leonard's College (Postgraduate)
University of Wales University of Wales Aberystwyth University Bangor University University of Wales, Newport Cardiff Metropolitan University Swansea University
University of York University of York Alcuin College Constantine College Derwent College Goodricke College Goodricke College (old) Halifax College James College Langwith College Vanbrugh College Wentworth College
Scarf colours of other UK universities 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 University of Plymouth University of Reading Richmond University University of Salford University of Sheffield Sheffield Hallam University University of Warwick University of Westminster
United States
Harvard University Harvard University Adams HouseCabot HouseCurrier House Dunster HouseDudley HouseEliot House Kirkland HouseLeverett HouseLowell House Mather HousePforzheimer HouseQuincy House Winthrop House
Yale University Yale University School of Art Graduate School of Arts and Sciences School of Nursing School of Drama Divinity School Berkeley College
Branford College Hopper College Davenport College
Ezra Stiles College Jonathan Edwards College Pierson College
Silliman College Timothy Dwight College Trumbull College
Morse College
Academic scarves of other American universities Bates College Brown University Cornell University