Subfusc must go
Subfusc: a good, fun tradition which must go
In the 1970s, one young female Oxford graduate was lambasted by the press after wearing a black leather skirt when graduating. The woman in question apparently had no other legitimate skirt, but despite the fact that her leather item was in no way contravening university regulations, she received criticism for simply not belonging sufficiently to the establishment.
This anecdote characterises the history of subfusc perfectly • arbitrary, sexist and most of all, exclusive. Finding out about the origins of subfusc is difficult. It seems nobody knows exactly where it came from or when it started, and hence, why we should have it. The most common answer given is the typically Oxford, “But it’s traditional, and good fun.
This cannot be denied for students already at the university, subfusc is yet another chance to get dressed up, look good and, most importantly, feel like members of an exclusive club. What this argument ignores, however, is that those most harmed by our continuing adherence to a nonsensical and, to all outward appearances, bizarre tradition, are those not yet at the university.
While it is easy to argue that a silly uniform alone is not enough to put someone off joining the country’s foremost academic institution, it is just one aspect of an entire way of life for Oxford students designed to make it clear to those unfamiliar to such traditions that this university is not for their sort. The imposing buildings, grand history and glittering alumni of the university are all things of which we should rightly be proud.
However, we must accept that they also contribute to making it an intimidating place for those who may feel alienated by a level of grandeur that speaks very much of the British upper classes. It is therefore our duty to counteract the indirectly negative impact of these things (and that is not to say they should be seen in themselves as negative) by not compounding the image with unnecessary antiquated formalities. Subfusc is one such formality.
Not only does it alienate a certain portion of society, who may not feel part of a very specific part of British society and history, it alienates women also. Not only because, until recently, it demanded that they wear skirts rather than trousers, and blouses, not shirts, but because the person who designed them was clearly a misogynist.
After all, who in their right mind could possibly think that those caps and ribbons could actually look good? The men can only look on smugly, safe in the knowledge that in their dark suits, white bow ties and leather shoes, even computer scientists look good.
19th Jan 2006