University scarves can be found in the gift shop on most UK university campuses. You will often see students roaming about their campus with a university scarf on too. University scarves are a symbol of community and prestige as well as keeping students warm and looking stylish!
University scarves are popular as gifts for friends and family, as keepsakes for students and as leaving mementoes for academic staff and alumni.
University scarves are said to date back to Oxbridge. The universities of Oxford and Cambridge are sometimes referred to together as Oxbridge. Oxford and Cambridge are the UK’s oldest universities.
Stripes are a popular design for university scarves and there is a historical reason for this. Around the time of the Second World War wool was in short supply, so university scarf manufacturers and suppliers had to look for a new material to carry on making university scarves from.
University scarf makers came up with the idea of using woven material instead of wool to make university scarves. The woven material was torn into strips, and the trend for stripy university scarves was born.
When the war ended, wool was available once again for university scarves, but universities stuck with the woven fabric.
Initially university scarves were mainly made for Cambridge University colleges and their boat club members. The university scarves were designed to reflect the colleges’ crests and the rowing clubs’ oars.
However, university scarves soon became popular at other UK universities besides Cambridge. University scarves were worn to identify students, and which college they were from. It’s not just students who wear university scarves either. They are also popular with academics and alumni. However, the scarves for undergraduates, postgraduates, academics and alumni can all be different to show who is who.
Oxford and Cambridge universities are collegiate and each college often has its own scarf. However, not all universities are collegiate. University scarves have become popular to differentiate between departments, faculties and subjects. University scarves are also often worn by university sports teams. University scarves can also indicate academic or sporting achievement or prowess.
University scarves originally came in several colours normally just two to match the University colours but there are now often more than two colours.
The popularity of university scarves has now spread to some schools in the UK too. This is particularly true of private schools, which incorporate scarves to match school and tie colours.
Old university scarves are often snapped on sites such as eBay these days, as memorabilia or a stylish vintage item.