Academic dress of Durham University habit beneath their full-dress doctoral gown and hood. The Chancellor and the Vice-Chancellor were formerly directed to wear the Convocation Habit under their gold- and silver-laced gowns, "or Scarlet Habit if not holding a Doctorate". This latter usage is followed to this day, the Habit being sleeved like a cassock). Academic dress of Durham University The academic dress of Durham University has many similarities with that of other older British universities such as Oxford and Cambridge. Most colleges of Durham University insist on gowns being worn on formal occasions, including matriculation and formal halls (dinners); exceptions are Van Mildert, St
Van Mildert College, Durham as "Mildert Would I Lie To You?" and "Van Mildert Take Me Out". At Van Mildert the undergraduate academic gown is not required to be worn to formal events nor at Matriculation, instead formal dress is used. In addition, students wear black tie attire at the end of term balls. Formals take place regularly during the academic term, with the college holding between three and five per term. As with all colleges there are a number of traditions at Formals, such as pennying and odds on. Students are not required to wear academic dress to formal dinners, instead formal dress