Terms & Conditions

These terms tell you the rules for using our website and what you need to know about renting a graduation gown from us. If something looks off or you spot a mistake, please let us know — we’ll always look at it. We may revise these terms without notice by posting an updated version on our website. The terms posted at the time you place your booking will govern that booking.

By using our website, you confirm that you accept these terms and agree to comply with them. If you do not agree to these terms, you must not use our website or place a booking with us.

These terms refer to the following additional documents, which also apply to your use of our website: our Privacy Policy, which sets out how we use your personal data, and our Cookie Policy, which sets out information about the cookies on our website.

1.1 Who we are.

We are A&F Graduation Gowns. We rent academic dress (gowns, hoods and caps) to graduates and graduation ceremony attendees.

1.2 How to contact us.

All contact is via WeChat or WhatsApp. We share our handles with you after your booking is received.

1.3 How we may contact you.

If we need to contact you, we’ll message you on the WeChat or WhatsApp you provided when placing your booking. Please make sure those details are correct — your collection details and ceremony reminders go there.

2.1 Changes to our website.

We may update and change our website from time to time to reflect changes to our service, our customers’ needs and our business priorities.

2.2 Availability.

Our website is made available free of charge. We do not guarantee that our website, or any content on it, will always be available or be uninterrupted. We may suspend, withdraw or restrict the availability of all or any part of our website for business and operational reasons.

2.3 Your responsibility.

You are responsible for ensuring that anyone who accesses our website through your internet connection is aware of these terms and complies with them.

2.4 Our website is for UK users.

Our website is directed to people in the United Kingdom, primarily university students and graduates. We do not represent that content available on our website is appropriate for use elsewhere.

3.1 How you can place a booking.

Bookings are placed through our website. You’ll choose your gown type (Bachelor’s, Master’s or PhD), your ceremony date, and your size. Please check your booking carefully — gown type, ceremony date, size and contact details — before submitting.

3.2 Acceptance of your booking.

Your booking is an offer from you to us. After you place a booking, we’ll get in touch with you to confirm the details. Our official acceptance — and the formation of a contract — happens when we confirm your booking. Please quote your booking reference whenever you contact us about it.

3.3 Restrictions on placing bookings.

To make a booking, you must be at least 18 years old and authorised to use the payment method you use to pay. If you’re under 18, you may book only with the involvement of a parent or guardian.

3.4 Booking on someone else’s behalf.

You may book a gown for someone else. The contract is between us and the person making the payment, but the gown is for the named graduate listed on the booking. The named graduate is responsible for collection, return, and any damage charges.

4.1 If we cannot fulfil your booking.

In the unlikely event we’re unable to fulfil your booking — for example because the size you selected isn’t available for your ceremony date, we couldn’t verify your details, or there’s a pricing or description error — we’ll let you know and we won’t charge you. If we already have, we’ll refund you in full.

4.2 Unusual or suspicious activity.

We provide our gowns for personal use only. We may cancel a booking if we notice something unusual or suspect that bookings are being made for any commercial, business or re-sale purpose. If this happens to you and you think we’ve made a mistake, please contact us.

4.3 Suspending the service.

We may have to suspend our service to deal with technical problems, make minor technical changes, or update our service to reflect changes in relevant laws and regulatory requirements.

5.1 Our brand.

Our gowns are from our own brand, A&F. They have already been worn by graduates across 6 graduation seasons, so you can book with confidence. They are fully suitable for entering the graduation hall.

5.2 What’s included.

Each booking includes a gown, hood and cap appropriate for the degree level you’ve selected.

5.3 Photos & descriptions.

The photos of our gowns on our website are for illustrative purposes. We work hard to display colours accurately, but we can’t guarantee that a device’s display matches the gown you’ll receive exactly. Minor variations in stitching, hood lining and trim are normal — academic dress is hand-finished and no two are identical.

5.4 Sizing.

Our size guide is based on height. Take the suggestion as a starting point and get in touch if you have specific questions about fit.

5.5 Need to change your size?

If you need to change your gown size after submitting a request, please contact us as soon as possible. We will check available stock and do our best to accommodate the change.

6.1 Pick-up options.

Option 1 (Recommended): 20:00–22:30 the evening before your rental day.

Option 2: 09:00–12:00 on your rental day.

6.2 Location.

Pick-up and return is near the university campus. The exact address will be confirmed with you via WeChat or WhatsApp after your booking is received.

6.3 If you’re running late.

Please contact us as soon as you can. We’ll usually be able to accommodate small delays, but we can’t guarantee the gown will still be available if you arrive after your ceremony has begun.

6.4 If you don’t collect.

If you don’t collect your gown by the end of your ceremony day and we haven’t heard from you, your booking will be treated as a no-show.

7.1 Return window.

Gowns must be returned between 17:00 and 19:30 on the same day of your graduation. The drop-off point is the same place you collected from.

7.2 What to return.

Please return everything you collected: gown, hood and cap. Don’t fold the gown — hand it back as-is.

7.3 If you can’t return on the day.

If you can’t return the gown within the return window, please contact us immediately. Bookings without prior arrangement will incur a late return fee (see § 08).

8.1 Late return fee.

All items must be returned by 19:30 on the day of your graduation ceremony. A late return fee applies for each day, or part of a day, that an item is overdue. If you can’t return on time, contact us before the deadline.

8.2 Lost or damaged items.

Minor wear and tear is covered at no extra cost. We don’t take a security deposit. For items that are lost, or damaged beyond repair, the following replacement fees apply:

Replacement fees for a full set are capped at £80. We’ll assess any damage fairly and confirm the fee with you before it is charged.

8.3 Items not returned.

Items not returned within 7 days of the return deadline are treated as lost. Late return fees stop at that point, and the replacement fee applies in addition to the late return fees already due.

9.1 Cancelling 48 hours or more before collection.

You’ll receive a full refund.

9.2 Cancelling less than 48 hours before collection.

We can’t offer a refund, as your gown has been held and prepared for you. We can move your booking to another date at no charge if your size is available.

9.3 If something is wrong with our service.

If we materially fail to provide the service — for example we cancel your booking through no fault of yours, or we don’t have a gown available on the day for you — you’ll receive a full refund. Nothing in these terms affects your statutory rights.

9.4 If your ceremony is rescheduled by the university.

Let us know the new date as soon as you have it and we’ll move your booking at no charge, as long as your size is available on that date.

10.1 Method.

We’ll refund you to the payment method you used to make the booking, as soon as the cancellation is agreed. Refunds usually appear within 5–10 working days.

10.2 Discount codes.

If you used a discount code, the refund amount will reflect what you actually paid, not the pre-discount price.

11.1 Daily rates.

11.2 Paying in full when you book.

You pay the full price online when you book, through our payment processor (Stripe). Your booking is confirmed once payment has gone through. Nothing further is due at collection, other than any late return or replacement fees (see section 8). Your card is saved securely by Stripe when you pay, and any fees under section 8 are charged to it.

11.3 Minimum rental period.

We only offer full-day rentals. We do not offer 2-3 hour short rentals to ensure you have a stress-free experience without rushing.

11.4 If we get the price wrong.

It’s always possible that, despite our best efforts, some prices on our website may be incorrect. If a pricing error is obvious and unmistakeable, and could reasonably have been recognised by you as a mispricing, we may end the booking and refund any sums you’ve paid.

11.5 Payment.

The price of your booking is the price shown on the booking page when you place your order. We accept payment by major credit and debit cards and digital payment methods.

12.1 Use of codes.

Codes may be shared by us or by people who refer you to us. Enter a code in the booking summary, or follow a referral link and it’s applied automatically.

12.2 General rules.

Only one code may be used per booking. Codes cannot be combined with other offers, exchanged for cash, or transferred, and apply only while they are active.

12.3 Cancellations.

If you cancel a booking that used a discount code, the refund will reflect the discounted amount actually paid, not the pre-discount price.

13.1 Our content.

We are the owner or licensee of all intellectual property rights in our website and the material published on it. Those works are protected by copyright laws around the world. All such rights are reserved. You are not permitted to use our trademarks or other intellectual property rights without our written approval.

13.2 How you may use our content.

You may print one copy and download extracts of any page(s) from our website for your personal, non-commercial use, and you may share content from our website with friends and family.

13.3 What you must not do.

You must not modify the paper or digital copies of any materials you’ve printed or downloaded; use any photographs, illustrations or graphics separately from any accompanying text; or use any part of the content on our website for commercial purposes without obtaining a licence from us.

14.1

Where our website contains links to other sites and resources provided by third parties, these links are provided for your information only. Such links should not be interpreted as approval by us of those linked websites or any information you may obtain from them.

14.2

We have no control over the contents of those sites or resources.

15.1 Reviews and photos.

If you submit a review or share a photo with us, you confirm that the content is yours, isn’t defamatory or offensive, doesn’t infringe anyone else’s rights, and complies with applicable law.

15.2 Licence to us.

By submitting a review or photo to us — whether through our website, via WeChat or WhatsApp, or by tagging us on social media in a public post — you grant us a worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive licence to use, reproduce and share that content for marketing purposes. We’ll always credit you where possible. If you’d like a piece of content removed, just let us know.

15.3 Our rights.

We may decline to publish, or remove, any user content that doesn’t meet the standards above.

16.1 Foreseeable loss and damage.

If we fail to comply with these terms, we are responsible for loss or damage you suffer that is a foreseeable result of our breach of contract or our failure to use reasonable care and skill, but we are not responsible for any loss or damage that is not foreseeable. Loss or damage is foreseeable if either it is obvious that it will happen or if, at the time the contract was made, both we and you knew it might happen.

16.2 Where it would be unlawful to limit liability.

This includes liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence; for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation; and for breach of your legal rights in relation to the service we provide.

16.3 Business losses.

We provide gowns for personal use only. If you use a gown for any commercial, business or re-sale purpose, we will have no liability to you for any loss of profit, loss of business, business interruption, or loss of business opportunity.

We will only use your personal information as set out in our Privacy Policy. For privacy enquiries — including data access, correction or deletion requests — please reach us via WeChat or WhatsApp.

18.1 We may transfer this contract.

We may transfer our rights and obligations under these terms to another organisation. We’ll contact you to let you know if we plan to do this. If you’re unhappy with the transfer, you may contact us to end the contract within seven days, and we’ll refund any payments made for services not yet provided.

18.2 You need our consent to transfer your rights.

You may only transfer your rights or obligations under these terms to another person if we agree in writing.

18.3 Nobody else has any rights.

This contract is between you and us. No other person shall have any rights to enforce its terms.

18.4 We may change these terms.

We may make changes to these terms at any time to reflect changes in the law or for other reasons. The most up-to-date version will always be displayed on our website — please have a look before placing a booking.

18.5 Severability.

Each of the paragraphs of these terms operates separately. If any court or relevant authority decides that any of them are unlawful, the remaining paragraphs will remain in full force and effect.

18.6 Delay isn’t waiver.

If we don’t insist immediately that you do anything you’re required to do under these terms, or if we delay in taking steps against you in respect of your breaking this contract, that doesn’t mean you don’t have to do those things or that we can’t take steps against you later.

18.7 Governing law.

These terms are governed by English law and you can bring legal proceedings in respect of the service in the English courts. If you live in Scotland, you can bring proceedings in either the Scottish or the English courts. If you live in Northern Ireland, you can bring proceedings in either the Northern Irish or the English courts.