What to wear to court
Thursday, 16 September 2010
Here are some fashion tips for when you next go to court.- Courtrooms are always serious and conservative places which are reserved for the making of important decisions... your clothes should match this mood
- Even if you don't respect the court, others do (and presumably the judge does) so out of your respect for others you should dress respectfully
- Ensure you are dressed comfortably as you will probably already be nervous and having poorly fitted clothes won't help you calm down
- Avoid wearing sports shoes/ sneakers, trendy clothes, excessive jewellery (if in doubt, don't wear any at all), sexy clothes (or lack thereof), outrageous hairstyles and obviously cheap and poor quality clothes
- Polish your shoes
- Don't wear too much cologne/ perfume
- Don't wear jeans
- Don't wear leather
- Don't wear a hat
- Cover up tattoos if possible
- For women: wear a blouse & skirt or business suit if possible, and do not wear spike heels, sandals or open-toe shoes
- For men: wear a suit, jacket and tie and ensure all three go together (ask somebody for advice if in doubt or watch just about any legal drama on TV)
- Make sure your facial expression reflects the gravity of the situation and the seriousness of the environment
- Don't bring anything along that you wouldn't want a group of total strangers to see in public because your bags and pockets will probably be searched by security
- Don't take your pocket-knife, machete or gun to the courtroom no matter how angry you are, as you won't get through security and will probably be arrested for being so stupid