Academic dress

Otago Polytechnic’s academic dress was designed by Third Year Diploma in Fashion and Design students - Richard Moore (winner of the 1998 Smoke Free Awards), Carmen Shrimpton and Rebecca Vorrath, and has been followed through to the manufacturing stage by the staff of The School of Fashion and Design.  The academic dress has been manufactured by Adventure Outfitters/Streets Clothing Company in Dunedin.

By taking a Scottish style bachelors gown as inspiration, the designers maintained the traditional Celtic link with Dunedin, while adapting the unique colours and motif from the Otago Polytechnic’s shield. By combining these two influences, the students established an appropriately traditional but unique and very distinctive look.

Academic Dress for Graduands

• Graduating with an Undergraduate Certificate : Blue gown on its own.
• Graduating with an Undergraduate Diploma : Blue gown, plus facing.
• Graduating with an Undergraduate Degree : Blue gown, plus facing, hood and trencher.
• Graduating with an Undergraduate Honours Degree : Blue gown, plus facing, hood edged with dark blue and trencher.
• Graduating with Masters : Blue gown, single colour hood and trencher with gold tassel.
• Graduating with a Postgraduate Diploma or Certificate, Graduate Certificate or Diploma : Blue gown, plus facing, hood and trencher.

The facing is buttoned onto the gown at the shoulders and lies flat down either side of the front opening of the gown.

The hood is buttoned onto the gown at the shoulders and the facing is worn buttoned over the hood (i.e. the facing is on top).

The blue gowns feature gold braid edging around the sleeves and back yoke.  The facings are made from coloured satin, with each colour representing a specific school/qualification.  The hoods are made from the same material as the gown and are lined with satin to match the facings; each hood is edged on the outside with gold braid.  Honours Degree hoods feature dark blue edging on the satin lining, and Masters Hoods are one solid colour in the colour of the qualification.

How to wear the trencher:  The trencher is worn with the shorter peak to the front, the longer to the back, top parallel to the ground and the tassel over the left eye.

The Colours

• Architecture, Building and Engineering - Buff (Burnished Gold)
• Art - Silver
• Business/Applied Management - Scarlet
• Design - Black
• Electrotechnology and Engineering - Deep Red
• Engineering - Independence Blue
• Hospitality - Leaf Green
• Information Technology - Deep Red
• Midwifery - Lavender
• Natural Resources - Olive Green
• Nursing - Purple
• Occupational Therapy - Gold
• Social Services - Light Aubergine
• Sports - Light Blue
• Tertiary Teaching  - Cerise Pink
• Travel and Tourism - Scarlet
• Veterinary Nursing - Old Gold