Ordering your gown

If you want to attend an in-person ceremony you must wear the official University of Leeds academic dress from Ede and Ravenscroft.

Our gowns are specific to the University and you will not be allowed entry to the ceremony if you order from a different provider or source an unofficial gown online.

You should pre-order your gown for your graduation day. You can save money by doing this.

Pre-ordering your gown

For winter 2025, the deadline for pre-ordering your gown is Friday 21 November.

Register to attend your graduation ceremony if you haven’t already done so. We will then send you a confirmation email, usually within five working days. Your confirmation email will include an access code to the website of our official gown supplier, Ede and Ravenscroft. 

Go to the Ede and Ravenscroft website and register for an account to place your gown order.

When you hire your gown on the Ede and Ravenscroft website, you may be asked to enter a delivery address. Regardless of the address you enter, all gowns are delivered to campus for collection on the day of your ceremony. The delivery address is only used for purchased items, such as photography products.

During the online gown ordering process, you'll have the opportunity to pre-book official photography, which gives you access to the photography studios in the Parkinson Building on your ceremony day. If you don’t pre-order photography products, you can still decide on the day and queue for official photography. Pre-booking can help to avoid long waits and ensures a smoother experience.

How to collect your gown

On graduation day, collect your ceremony tickets from the Parkinson building at least 90 minutes before your ceremony starts.

Then, collect your gown:

• In-person ceremonies: collect your gown from the same building. 
• Relaxed graduation ceremonies: you’ll be sent an email with the location of a check-in area. Collect your gown from the check-in area. 

Ticket collection opens at 8am, and you can collect your gown any time after that, regardless of your ceremony time. This gives you flexibility to arrive earlier in the day.

If you didn’t pre-order a gown 

Subject to availability, you can pay to hire a gown on graduation day. Pay Ede and Ravenscroft directly at the gown collection area in the Parkinson building. 

Gown hire costs

These prices are set by Ede and Ravenscroft, not the University, and may be subject to change.

Gown contacts

If you need advice about hiring gowns, contact Ede and Ravenscroft using their online form.

You can also phone Ede and Ravenscroft on 01223 861854 (opening hours: Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm).

What to wear under your gown

We recommend that you wear smart dress such as a dark suit, dress, or other formal attire relating to your cultural tradition or national costume.  

Wearing a cap (mortarboard)

Through long established University custom and practice, caps (mortarboards) aren’t part of the University of Leeds academic dress for ceremonies for diplomas, undergraduate and Masters degrees.

Postgraduate researchers wear a soft bonnet.

Caps are available for the official photography studios.

Returning your gown

When you’re finished, you can return your gown to the same place you collected it. Gown return usually closes around one hour after the last ceremony of the day.