The ceremonial dress of the University of the South Pacific was designed in light weight materials to be appropriate for tropical conditions and the principal colours reflect the brown of tapa or masi found widely throughout the Pacific, while the blue is derived from the colour of the sea and the sky.

CEREMONIAL DRESS

Chancellor: The gown is made from brown Indian silk with long sleeves lined with cream silk. The facings are six-inch wide strips of specially designed tapa daring motifs representative of all the countries of the University Region. The material is gathered, not pleated, at the yoke. The headgear is a trencher covered with brown Indian silk, with matching braid round the lower edge, and a brown tassel.

Pro-Chancellor: The gown is as for the Chancellor, but with the unlined sleeves. The headgear is as for the Chancellor without the braid.

Vice-Chancellor: The gown is as for the Pro-Chancellor, but the facings are four-inch wide strips of tapa. The headgear is as for the Pro-Chancellor.

Secretary to Council: The gown is as for the Pro-Chancellor without the tapa facings. The headgear is as for the Pro-Chancellor.

ACADEMIC DRESS

Honorary Degree: Light blue is the colour indicating an honorary degree of this University.

Doctor of the University: The gown is in dark blue Indian silk with pleats on each side at the back. The sleeves have a horizontal lower edge and a slit in the front. Facings down the front of the gown are in light blue Indian silk (the degree colour), as are the linings of the sleeves. The hood is a simple cowl twice the size of the Bachelor’s hood with a lining in the light blue. The headgear is a trencher in dark blue Indian silk with a light blue tassel.

Master of the University: A dark brown Master gown, with a light blue (the degree colour) lining for the hood and front V attaching it. The headgear is a dark brown trencher.

Doctor of Philosophy: The gown is as for the Doctor of the University but the sleeves are unlined and the facings are in red (the degree colour). The hood is as for the Doctor of the University hood but the lining is red. The headgear is a trencher in dark blue Indian silk with a red tassel.

Master Degree: Gowns should be of cotton in the dark brown colour of the usual deep shade of tapa cloth patterns, in a simple designed with three pleats on each side at the back. Sleeves come down to knee level. The hood is a simple cowl lined at the rear with the degree colour (forest green for Agriculture, gold for Arts, purple for Business Administration, teal for Commerce, cream for Education, magenta for Engineering, silver grey for Law, brick red for Medicine and palm green for Science), and the front finished in a two-inch wide V which is in the degree colour. The headgear, which is optional, is a trencher in a light weight matching brown fabric.

Master of Philosophy: A dark brown gown and plain dark brown hood.

Postgraduate Certificates and Diplomas: A dark brown gown only, the same colour and designed as the Masters degree.

Bachelors Degree: Gowns are of the same design as the Master gowns, but in a lighter shade of tapa brown. The hood is lined in the discipline colours as defined by the Masters dress. The front V attaching the hood is in plain brown. The headgear, a trencher, in the same light tapa brown of the gown, is optional.