Oxbridge scarf colours - Definition and Overview

This snowman has been kitted out in a college scarf belonging to a member of Churchill College, Cambridge.

In many British collegiate universities and particularly in Oxbridge (the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge), each college has traditionally used particular colours to distinguish themselves from one another. Perhaps the most visible manifestation of this is that many students, filled with pride in the institutions with which they are affiliated, wear college scarves at every opportunity. The coloured patterns of many colleges are instantly recognisable by many students and also find a place on other collegiate items such as sportswear.

To confuse matters further, there are also several non-collegiate scarves which nevertheless 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.

Cambridge scarf colours

University and College Colours

Cambridge non-collegiate colours

Oxford scarf colours

External links

• Scarf Colours of the Colleges of the University of Cambridge (http://www.quns.cam.ac.uk/Queens/Misc/Colours/index.html)
• Photos of Oxford University scarves and heraldic shields (http://www.varsityshop.co.uk/acatalog/Online_Catalogue_College_Information_25.html)