Dress Code Protocol for Court Appearances
As a general rule, your clothing in court should be conservative and of high quality. Your garments do not need to be brand name or designer pieces; they just need to be neat, clean, and free of discernible holes or stains, assuring that you’re the most professional-looking person in the room. Any accessories – such as jewelry, eyeglasses, or handbags – should be minimal and understated. If you’re unsure whether an accessory is appropriate or not, it’s better to choose something more conservative, or to skip it altogether if you believe it could be potentially offensive or distracting to the judge or courtroom personnel. Generally speaking , ladies’ clothing should be modest in nature, meaning that short hemlines or low-cut necklines should be avoided. Although courtrooms are not churches, they are still governed by a general set of decorum rules and standards. In this case, your goal is to go above and beyond. If you are ever in doubt about your courtroom attire, always err on the side of safety and leave anything that may be deemed inappropriate at home. It is for this reason that we do not recommend skirts with high splits or other fashions that reveal too much skin.
Choosing Appropriate Clothes to Wear in Court
The next step is to choose an outfit that fits the event, your style and that you’re comfortable wearing. Generally speaking you should expect to wear a suit or conservative dress, either of which with a conservative blouse or beneath a blazer or suit jacket. Many women, including myself, find that getting ‘dressed up’ means wearing a dress over slacks. Slacks are actually appropriate as long as they are not jeans, shorts or khakis in the court basement; but many women find dress pants to be more ‘comfortable,’ not to mention fashionable.
Depending on where you are, wearing something more formal may be considered appropriate. But generally speaking, if you show up to court hoping for the best and dressed to impress, you will be winning!
Considering Color and Prints When Dressing For Court
Color and pattern are essential to the courtroom as part of your overall visual presentation. Even if you are not particularly fashion savvy, it is helpful to understand the general perception and appropriateness of colors and patterns when making your selections.
Safe Colors
Black: Black is a safe bet, particularly for suits and blouses. It is formal, sophisticated and appropriate in almost any courtroom setting.
White: White and light colors are okay for shirts and blouses, but because classrooms also feel like a courtroom, it is generally not appropriate for women to wear white or cream colored blouses. Stick to pastel colors when selecting blouses.
Blue: A safe color for blouses and suits, blue is generally thought of as a color of authority, serenity with a touch of confidence.
Brown: Brown can be tricky. It can come off as conservative or relaxed, depending on the shade and type of fabric. Brown possesses an overall warmth and neutrality. Stick to dark brown for a suit, pants, dress or skirt.
Cream: I often recommend cream colored jackets or blazers for women. It provides a softness and warmth without being too overpowering.
Purple: A safe color for blouses, purple is generally considered respectable, authoritative and sophisticated.
Unsafe Colors
Yellow: Do not wear yellow anywhere in the courtroom. It is a bright, strong color that is overpowering and distracting to judges and juries. I am often surprised by the amount of young women that still select yellow for the courtroom.
Green: A very nontraditional color, green represents harmony, freshness and has the same relaxing effect as the color blue. Green can also represent transience and lack of commitment. Avoid bright green colors.
Pink: Pink is also on the "do not wear" list for the courtroom. The color is associated universally with femininity, softness, sweetness and youth. Pink is just not taken as seriously as a color in the courtroom.
Orange: Much like pink, orange is another color that simply is not taken seriously in the courtroom. It represents an easy going, laid back, yet decidedly warm spirit, which is counter to a courtroom demeanor. Avoid bright, loud oranges.
Red: Red has a raw and uncontrollable energy. This fact places it firmly on the "no can do" list for court. However, if you are facing a jury, a positive shade of red can signal respect, prestige and confidence. Dull red shades are safer for the courtroom, but avoid bright red.
Patterns
If we all lived in an ideal courtroom world, we could wear two-piece plaid suits to the courtroom like eighties medical drama stars and legal professionals. However, we do not. So, unless you are looking to ask the Judge to pass judgment on your judgment, avoid plaid and other strongly patterned clothing.
Many strong patterns are distracting. Because of this, it is best to avoid busy patterns altogether. Excepting a subtle pin stripe, which can be considered a neutral, the patterns you should be avoiding are too big, too bold and too much.
Shoes: The Good, the Bad and the Accepted
Your choice of footwear is another important component of the message you wish to send to the decision maker in the case. Again, your choice of footwear should be comfortable, since you may be doing some serious standing and sitting as witnesses, jurors and lawyers do. However, you also want to give the impression that you have thought through your choice of footwear. You can do this by choosing shoes which are of an appropriate style and which appear to be comfortable. Conversely, worn out shoes can give the wrong impression, as can any shoes which seem to be inappropriate for a courtroom setting. Your choice of shoes should always be for something that choices for business professional dress rather than for casual dress—we’ll leave what type of shoe is appropriate for court settings involving relatives or casual types of cases for another day.
Accessories: What Women Should and Should Not Wear to Court
Joan Rivers once said that "the first time someone told me I was pretty, I thought I was dying." While a compliment like that may make you feel good on a regular day, such sentiments are not appropriate in the courtroom. Accessorizing, like clothing, should be understated, mostly unnoticeable and devoid of bright colors. A few similarly-hued bracelets or a single necklace may add a little bit of bling to your otherwise understated look, but large cuffs and necklaces or dangling earrings are not appreciated by a judge that is supposed to be focusing on your argument, not how much flash you are sporting. Jewelry should be of metallic tones, like gold and silver, or in clear stone . Green or orange stones, bright red jewelry, and plastic in bright colors do not make for an appropriate accessory. The same can be said of rings – while not all judges will take offense to extra-large stones, there is a good chance you will find one that does not appreciate such ostentatious jewelry and is turned off by the experience. Bags should be plain, leather or canvas. Hand bags should not be so large that they appear overstuffed with papers, and clutches should not be so small that they look like they have just come from a children’s dress-up chest. The courthouse is not a place for you to show off the latest fashions. For a successful court appearance, you should keep your accessories to a minimum.
Hair and Makeup Choices Before Facing the Judge
While there is a time and place for a dramatic up-do, many women find that the viewer may have a hard time concentrating on what they say when their hair is too far out of their uniform policy. The same goes for makeup. While a bright lip or smoky eye is perfectly appropriate for a night out, it is not for court (unless you happen to be applying for a position as judge of course).
A small amount of hairspray on dry hair will give a nice, clean look. Neatly pulled back hair (in an updo if possible) is recommended. If that is not possible, hair should be neat. For longer or looser hairstyles, hair goes no further than shoulder length. If you have bangs, they should be pinned neatly back or otherwise secured. If you have long hair, consider tucking it behind your ears. Unkempt bangs (okay, bunny hairs) or fly-aways do not convey the professional image you want to project.
Makeup is best in natural hues. Neutral palettes are best for eyes. Eyeliner should be swept easily across the upper lids. Lipstick should not be an extreme color such as fuchsia. Highly pigmented lip stains, seen all over Instagram, may not be the best choice for court attendance. Stick with shades that are muted, with a blast of shine, and apply them lightly.
Weather: Consider the Season and Dress Accordingly
The last thing you want to have happen to you at court is for the judge’s eyes to roll towards your attire and to have him expect the most from you when you are far from appropriate in appearance. Even if you didn’t notice that your pants are too short and your sleeves are too long, your case will become about correcting your fashion error rather than deciding your litigation issue. Or worse yet, the court may think that you are careless in your litigation and decide that there is no need for any more time to be wasted on you and your case.
So here are some tips on dressing for the season:
- Spring Always come with an open collar for the ladies. It warms up quickly and you can add a nice, lightweight cardigan or blazer as needed. Try to select fabrics that reflect spring colors, but stay away from white. 3/4 sleeves work great in spring, too, since the weather can start hot and then turn chilly quite quickly.
- Summer This is where people do dress a bit more casually . Make sure your attire is business casual, which means it really is more business than casual, so avoid shorts, t-shirts, flip-flops, etc. You can get away with wearing sandals, but avoid anything that could be seen as beach wear.
- Fall I still choose the same type of clothing in fall that I choose in spring. The only difference is usually that it is a heavier fabric. Again, nothing white or anything that is too sheer. (I do think it is acceptable to wear white after Memorial Day, but it is probably not preferred by most people.)
- Winter This is when you can do the most in terms of color. Dress in bright colors because it is dark and dreary outside. I try to stick to my fall/spring dress code for court in the winter, but I sometimes just add more color by wearing brighter clothes.
Dressing well for court gives the judge and the court staff the impression that you take the proceedings seriously. When you show that you are taking the case seriously, you encourage the court to take your case seriously, too.