January 16, 2026

Can I use an alternative gown supplier for London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine ?

London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine graduation gowns made simple

You have made it through assignments, labs, fieldwork, night shifts, maybe even a few time zone juggling acts. Now the big question pops up in the group chat:

"Have you sorted your gown for LSHTM yet?"

If you are comparing suppliers, trying to keep costs sensible and still wanting your London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine graduation gowns to look exactly right on the day, this page is for you. Churchill Gowns gives you a clear way to hire or buy London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine gown without any drama in the run up to your ceremony.

Do you have to use the official gown provider?

Short answer: no.

Your ceremony information for the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine might name an "official" or "recommended" supplier. That can sound like you do not have a choice. In reality, you are free to choose where you get your Graduation gown.

Across the UK, thousands of students each year pick alternative suppliers for their Graduation gowns. Why? Usually because they want:

  • Clear, upfront pricing

  • Delivery to home or halls

  • Time to try everything on before the day

  • Simple returns for hire sets

On stage, what matters is that your LSHTM graduation robes match the correct academic style and are worn properly. Staff are not checking which website you ordered from. So if you prefer flexible options, it is perfectly fine to choose London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine graduation gowns from Churchill Gowns.

What makes these gowns right for LSHTM?

You might think a Graduation gown is just a black robe and a cap. In practice, academic dress at a specialist institution like the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine follows a specific pattern. The cut of the gown, the shape and colour of the hood, and the style of the cap all come together to form your official look.

Churchill Gowns designs London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine graduation gowns to align with that academic style. That means:

  • The gown is tailored to your level of award, so undergraduates, masters graduates and research degrees have styles that look correct

  • The hood completes the appearance of your LSHTM graduation robes when worn over your shoulders

  • Your mortarboard fits as part of a coordinated LSHTM cap and gown set

So you keep the tradition and formality of LSHTM ceremonies, while ordering in the same straightforward way you order anything else online.

Hire or buy: which option fits your situation?

Next decision: do you go for LSHTM gown hire or buy London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine gown?

There is no one right answer here. It depends on how you see graduation and what your life looks like afterwards.

When LSHTM gown hire is the practical choice

LSHTM gown hire is often the best fit if:

  • You want to keep graduation costs under control

  • You are about to move country, change cities or start a placement far from London

  • You do not want to store formal robes in a tiny room or shared flat

  • You see your Graduation gowns as something for this one big day rather than something you will reuse

With hire, you get the full set of London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine graduation gowns, wear them for your ceremony and photos, then send them back. Clean, simple, done.

When to buy London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine gown

Sometimes it feels right to buy London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine gown instead:

  • You want a long-lasting reminder of your LSHTM journey

  • You are planning an academic or professional career where you might attend multiple ceremonies

  • You like the idea of using your LSHTM graduation robes for future events, talks or photoshoots

  • A family member or partner would like to give you a special, degree-related gift

In that case, owning your Graduation gown turns it into part of your story, not just something you rent for a few hours.

What is included in your LSHTM set?

To keep things easy, Churchill Gowns offers full sets of London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine graduation gowns and also individual pieces.

A typical full hire or purchase set will include:

If you already have a suitable gown or cap, or you need a spare, you can order individual items from the LSHTM cap and gown collection to build the exact outfit you need.

Either way, the aim is the same: you open the parcel and everything you require for your formal LSHTM look is there.

Choosing the right size without overthinking it

Fit really matters. A well-sized Graduation gown lets you move naturally, climb steps to the stage and sit through the ceremony without constantly adjusting your robe.

To choose sizes for your Graduation gowns, have these details ready:

  • Your height, so the hem hits around mid calf

  • Your usual clothing size, to make sure the gown sits comfortably over your outfit

  • Your head measurement, so the LSHTM cap and gown set feels secure but not tight

If you are between sizes, going slightly larger usually works better, especially if you plan to wear a blazer, suit jacket or structured dress under the Graduation gown.

When your London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine graduation gowns arrive, do a quick rehearsal:

  1. Put on the outfit you plan to wear on the day.

  2. Layer the Graduation gown over it.

  3. Add your hood and check that your LSHTM graduation robes sit smoothly across your shoulders and back.

  4. Try your cap with your actual hairstyle and move around a little.

If you can walk, sit and smile for photos without fiddling with the outfit every few seconds, you have got the fit right.

What to wear under your LSHTM graduation robes

Let me explain something that often gets forgotten in the rush to sort gowns. The clothes under your LSHTM graduation robes make a big difference to how you feel on the day.

Think about:

  • Formality level
    LSHTM ceremonies sit in that smart but not over the top category. A shirt and trousers, simple dress, jumpsuit or coordinated separates usually work well under your Graduation gowns.

  • Colour contrast
    Dark gowns look great over lighter or mid-tone outfits. If you go all black under a black Graduation gown, add interest with texture or accessories so you do not disappear in photos.

  • Shoes that can handle a long day
    You will be walking between the venue, photos, and celebrations. Choose shoes that look good and feel stable on stairs and pavements.

  • Hair and headwear
    If you wear hijab, a turban, headwrap or certain hairstyles, it can help to experiment with how your mortarboard from the LSHTM cap and gown collection can be positioned comfortably, or whether you prefer to carry it for some photos rather than wearing it throughout.

A little planning here makes your LSHTM graduation robes feel more like an extension of your own style, not a costume you are stuck in.

How to order London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine graduation gowns step by step

To keep things clear, here is a simple flow you can follow when you are ready to sort everything out.

  1. Visit the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine collection page.

  2. Decide whether LSHTM gown hire or the option to buy London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine gown fits your plans better.

  3. Select your level of study so you see the correct London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine graduation gowns for your award.

  4. Use the size guide to choose your Graduation gown length and fit, and your cap size.

  5. Add any extra items you want from the LSHTM cap and gown collection, such as a spare hood or cap for photos.

  6. Check delivery timelines carefully against your ceremony date and any travel plans.

  7. Complete checkout and keep your order confirmation handy alongside your ceremony email from LSHTM.

Once you have done that, your London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine graduation gowns are officially sorted.

Last-minute organiser? You are definitely not alone

Honestly, many students at LSHTM only start looking at Graduation gowns a few weeks before the ceremony. Sometimes it is even closer than that. Public health placements, dissertations and job applications are a lot, so gown logistics naturally fall to the bottom of the list.

If it is getting close to your ceremony date:

You do not need a perfect long-term plan. You just need to choose an option that gets the correct Graduation gowns to you on time and fits around your life.

A quick guide for parents, partners and friends

If you are helping a graduate sort their outfit for the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, here is the short version.

To order London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine graduation gowns, you will usually need:

  • The graduate’s height

  • Their usual clothing size

  • Their head measurement for the cap

  • Their course and award level at LSHTM

With that information, you can:

  1. Decide between LSHTM gown hire and the option to buy London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine gown.

  2. Select the correct set of Graduation gowns on the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine page.

  3. Add extra pieces from LSHTM cap and gown if they want a spare hood or cap.

  4. Choose the most reliable delivery address, whether that is student accommodation, a London flat or a family home.

On the day, seeing them in their LSHTM graduation robes walking across the stage makes that bit of organisation feel completely worth it.

Final pre-ceremony checklist

Before you close the tab and move on to planning where to celebrate afterwards, use this quick checklist to make sure everything to do with your London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine graduation gowns is covered.

If you can say yes to all of that, you are ready. The next time you think about your London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine graduation gowns will not be in a stressed late-night search. It will be as you put them on, adjust your hood, fix your cap and get ready to step onto the stage to celebrate everything you have achieved.



Written by Jeremy Yang