What to Wear to an Oxford Bop

By Cassie Somers-Joce

It's time to combat those 5th week blues by getting into Oxford 'Bop' mode with TOG ambassador, Cassie!

One Oxford tradition which is both novel and exciting is that of the bop. The bop, or ‘Big Open Party’ is a college event which happens frequently throughout the term. Different colleges have differing bop experiences. Many colleges host the bops onsite, in a college bar for example, whereas other colleges host theirs at local nightclubs. Bops often have a theme, which is sometimes tied to the time of year, for instance Halloween, or some have a completely random theme, such as ‘Why Would You Wear That?’ ‘Palindromes’ and ‘Disco.’ The themes of the bop mostly relate to the outfits worn at the bop. The spectrum of outfits really is astonishing, with some members of the JCR community wearing their ordinary clothes, and others going completely all out. Creating bop costumes can be a great way to meet new friends in Freshers' week, as people are always keen to visit local charity shops to find a costume on a budget. Devising a costume as a group was always a particular hit during my first term; I teamed up with my fellow law students and we went to the Halloween bop as a vegetable patch! Whilst the crazy costumes and themes do lend an added dimension of fun to a bop, there is certainly no pressure to come up with an eye-catching new look every bop. The bop themes, and corresponding outfits, are just one part of an event which is inclusive, and ultimately a great way to mix with people in your college community whilst having some well-earned fun!