Welcome, freshers, to Cambridge. Freshers’ Week is inevitable pretty stressful time of making new friends, trying to describe the geography of your hometown, and navigating a new city overrun by cyclists on every corner. To top it all off, you have to endure matriculation: a day designed to test your inherent ability to master the Cambridge wardrobe. It’s a nightmare waiting to happen for fearful freshers. Fear not, first years, Varsity is here to save your panic-stricken soul with a style guide to make sure you master your matriculation fit.

Ditch the heels

It’s tempting. For me, matriculation was the first real opportunity to get out the fancy heels, and I took it. Matriculation is no short event, though, and I regretted my shoe choice within 20 minutes. Your shoes won’t even be in the photos, so docs, or even an old pair of school shoes that still fit, are perfectly acceptable options at most colleges.

“For all the glamour and tradition it represents, matriculation can end up being slightly boring”

If you are brave enough to go ahead with the heels, then make sure you choose a chunky option. Stilettos leave you at risk of sinking into soggy grass, which isn’t a classy look on anyone.

Don’t be enticed by the business-wear

For all the glamour and tradition it represents, matriculation can end up being slightly boring. Use your fashion sense to make the day more fun; you can dodge anything that resembles business wear in favour of something frillier, more frivolous, and just a bit more fun.

If you’re going for a suit then choose something that doesn’t resemble funeral wear, and instead opt for a patterned or brightly coloured choice. Alternatively, if you’re going for a dress or shirt and skirt, then choose something with a unique shape or trim that can express a bit of personality even from beneath the all-consuming gown.

Enhance any all-black outfit with a generous dose of accessories, be it jewellery, hair adornments, or even the odd idiosyncratic sock. Find the line between personal and tacky; now isn’t the time for novelty sunglasses or Cambridge merchandise.

“If you’re going for a suit then choose something that doesn’t resemble funeral wear”

Timeless > trendy

When dressing on matriculation morning, it’s important to remember that what you chuck on from your wardrobe will probably be hanging on your parents’ wall for the next 20 years (and the walls of everyone else in your year!). It’s best to avoid indulging in any crazy current trends and opt for something classy – something you’d be happy to show your kids in the distant future as you reminisce about your student days.

It won’t be warm!

It gets pretty breezy in October, so if you don’t want to be framing a picture of you blue and shivery then layer up over a dress with a sneaky cardigan under your gown! If you’re looking to stay toasty in the inevitably long wait to be placed in height order, opt for a timeless V-neck knit under a suit, or if you’re looking for a more formal option, then you can’t go wrong with a waistcoat.

Don’t get caught out by crinkles!

When you’ve just lugged all your suitcases of clothes up several flights of stairs, the last thing you want to do is hang up every single item. But you’ll be regretting that decision when you’ve got lines going every which way across your formalwear and no time to iron out those creases (unintentional stripes are so not in).

Plan ahead by keeping your outfit in a suit bag to ward off any moths and dust, and take out shirts from the packet a few days beforehand to avoid any awkward grooves. For silky dresses, it’s time to get steamy! Rather than risking burning a hole in your favourite slip, opt to steam delicate fabrics over reaching for the iron. Finally, keep your new gown in mint condition by spot-fixing any patches of fluff or dirt with a sticky roller or a piece of tape!