Is this normal for university?

[kmo0416]

When people go to universities that have a lot of fancy events like formal dinners or balls so Oxford, Durham, Cambridge etc - do the students (especially the boys) rent out those fancy white-collar or black-tie suits that they often wear or do they buy it and bring it with them, knowing that they will wear it for the events?

It’s so confusing because I assume it’s very expensive so not everyone could afford it yet they all seem to wear it.

Is it normal for university students to pack fancy formal clothes like fancy dresses or suits alongside casual clothes or not?

I think the young men mostly rented when I was at uni. But we only had two balls a year. If you have a lot, buying would most likely be most cost effective.

Hire unless you forsee them attending a lot of formal events.

All the men on my course brought theirs with them, but I did study music so they doubled up as orchestra “uniform” for them.

I think men on other courses hired theirs if they didn’t already have them for other reasons. But it wasn’t a formal event-heavy university.

I’d say buying new (out of your student income) is the least good option.

Some inherit or borrow from grandparents or parents. Some are gifted a black tie outfit as an 18th birthday present. Others source what they need pre-owned / vintage. (Some cities are better for this than others.) But it all seems a lot less dressy than it was forty years ago, so New Look probably supplies lots of ball dresses.

When I was at Uni lots of boys had their Dad’s old black tie. Girls got dresses from normal high street shops - and at least one friend took her Laura Ashley ball dress back after the ball.

And on a recent visit to Durham a student regretted that her college wasn’t “gowned “ as you couldn’t just hide normal clothes under a gown for “formals”. When I was at Oxford we had a Ball every two years, formal hall just meant you had to wear a gown (there was also a non-gowned option), and there were on average 2 more dressy dinners a term but they were totally optional. Boys did need something close to Black tie for: matriculation, exams and graduation. In real cases of hardship you might get help purchasing (and charity shops/second hand are quite acceptable- you could even claim it’s from an environmental reason)

It needn’t be expensive- Ds got a dinner suit from Primark which he took with him, mainly for orchestra stuff plus the odd formal. Not the greatest quality but fine and could just chuck in the wash too.

Dinner suits are available cheaply and readily on the high Street including H&M, PrimarK, Next, M&S etc. My DS got his made to measure really cheaply while travelling in Thailand. My other got his in Oxfam for £20.

Neither went to Oxbridge but both had black tie events, Christmas balls, sports dinners and black tie 21st birthdays to go to.

Our YP at uni belong to societies that have a formal event/ball before Christmas and another in the summer. Our DS bought a tux and has worn it several times (hopefully he’s stopped growing so it’ll last now). Our DD brought several gowns with her & has worn them all. I suspect the girls will swap between them next year as they belong to different societies.

We had fortnightly formals so everyone bought as renting would have been more expensive over the long term.

If they are likely to have weekly formal requiring black tie, then they need their own full black tie outfit, including smart comfortable shoes. They might actually want two bow ties - one "real" (untied) and one fake (pre-tied, sewn in place) to swap over at a suitable point if they aren't confident tying their own! The jacket will get a lot of hard wear and might get spilled-on, or the it might be borrowed for part of the night by a girl, so hiring isn't ideal.

If it is just a fancy ball once a year, hiring is fine.

All the girls will have to buy at least one (but probably at least one per year, for variety) of black tie dresses too, whereas the young men can make one jacket last for all three/four years.

One of the housemates had a dinner suit and 4 of the lads borrowed it for their various events. The other two were different sizes and just rented as needed.

The girls wore their 6th for prom dresses, dresses from charity shops and swapped dresses between them.

Rent, buy second hand or new. I bought my dress worn for 3 May Balls.
You certainly don't need to worry about such things before you have even got in.
May Balls aren't until June anyway, so ages.

At Oxford (and probably Cambridge) they tend to buy them as they are worn a lot. Not just balls but formal dinners and drinks a few times a term. That seems to be peculiar to Oxbridge though. Most Universities it would be a couple of times a year if that.

lol at this thread but also feel quite sweet that you as mums know about this stuff! I remember turning up to my top RG uni from a state school south London background and not understanding why we had balls. I didn’t go to a single one as I thought they were wanky however I now realise it was reverse snobbery and I wish someone had told me there would be black tie events and bought me such an outfit for my 18th/21st!!

lol at this thread but also feel quite sweet that you as mums know about this stuff! I remember turning up to my top RG uni from a state school south London background and not understanding why we had balls. I didn’t go to a single one as I thought they were wanky however I now realise it was reverse snobbery and I wish someone had told me there would be black tie events and bought me such an outfit for my 18th/21st!!

One of my dc is at Durham and most of their friend group buys their formal outfits from charity shops!
One of the girls is good at sewing, and often alters or enhances charity shop finds.

DH has a couple of gowns from Cambridge. We've both worn them lots of times at formal prize-givings (we're both in education) but more importantly, they're excellent for fancy dress.

Regarding the formal wear, I think that's easy enough for girls with so much "Prom" stuff on the market.

For boys, I would perhaps consider the portliness of the middle aged men in the family before buying anything expensive. DH had to improvise with a stapler one time...

My DD simply ignored all the formal events.

When I was at university many bought them second hand when they started.

You can sometimes buy them in charity shops.

I know men in their 30s/40s still wearing the same Tux they bought for university for those events they need them every year or so. Obviously only works if they don't put weight on!

If Oxford, then all exams are taken in white tie (as well as some dinners though not formal hall
which actually isn’t very formal except having to wear a gown), so the vast majority bought them.

Most people only do one or two balls/ultraformal events each year so will just hire.

The ones who are going to attend more regularly will buy, but are probably moving in social circles that mean they have been used to going to highly formal events with their parents for several years already and expect to continue to do so for many years after university too.

Hi I would buy it - cheapest place to buy is Matalan!!! Yes I know Matalan. And it’s good quality too. I r just googled formal wear and they don’t have the jackets in yet but trust me they will be there in a few weeks - under £100 for jacket, trousers, shirt and tie and maybe even shoes too