A Tudor bonnet (also referred to as a doctor's bonnet or round cap) is a traditional soft-crowned, round-brimmed cap, with a tassel hanging from a cord encircling the hat. As the name suggests, the Tudor bonnet was popularly worn in

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

and elsewhere during Tudor times. Today the cap is strongly associated with

academic An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary or tertiary higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membership). The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, f ...

tradition. It is typically worn as part of academic dress by the holder of a research or professional doctoral degree or a full higher doctorate. It may also be worn by a person who has been awarded an honorary doctorate. At certain educational establishments the cap distinguishes university officers, such as the esquire bedell, university marshal, the president of the

students' union A students' union, also known by many other names, is a student organization present in many colleges, universities, and high schools. In higher education, the students' union is often accorded its own building on the campus, dedicated to soci ...

, and members of the university council. The cap is worn as traditional clothing with gowns and represents suitable headgear especially for livery and burgess

guild A guild ( ) is an association of artisans and merchants who oversee the practice of their craft/trade in a particular area. The earliest types of guild formed as organizations of tradesmen belonging to a professional association. They sometimes ...

officers. Tudor bonnets can be made of velvet or cloth, usually black but sometimes in other colors. The cord and tassel may be in a variety of colors. Gold is common in academic caps, but in

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the Un ...

and some other institutions a black ribbon is traditional. In many North American educational institutions it is usual for holders of doctorates to wear a soft, brimless, tam or traditional mortarboard instead. The biretta also sometimes appears among holders of

theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing th ...

degrees or officers at religious institutions.

External links

The Burgon Society, dedicated to the study of academic dress
Academic dress Caps Headgear {{clothing-stub

See also

External links