What to wear to court

cas74

Next month I'll be speaking on behalf of my best friend (she's going through a messy divorce) in court. It's in a small southern town where the dress is generally very casual. I want to look respectable, but also likeable.
Due to weight loss (3 sizes), my wardrobe is pretty small. I've been slowly building a new one that focuses on quality over quantity. I'm a work at home mom, and I don't currently own any trousers. Would it be appropriate to wear a pair of dark wash trouser style jeans (which I do have) with a white button down and cardigan? Although I plan to buy a nice pair when I find the perfect ones, I'm on a budget and hate to spend on a pair of dress pants that I'll probably only wear once or twice.

17 years ago

Dressing

11 replies

Latest reply was from cas74

Ellen

Active Member

Sounds ok to me... I wore a denim pencil skirt to court for my sister (traffic violation and she was out of the country). However, divorce court may be more formal, I'm not sure. Have you asked your sister what she's been wearing to anything she's had to attend?

17 years ago

Nicole

Veteran

Rule of thumb is to dress respectfully. Court is considered a somber serious institution. They wont kick you out for dressing casually, but to best impress the judge or magistrate, dress your best. Dressing seriously shows him or her that you take his/her courtroom seriously and respect him/her. In the best interest of your sister--the nicer you dress, the better the judge will think of her and you.

My first choice as a witness, would be a skirt or dress. If you have neither, and no dress slacks either--if all you have are trouser style denim jeans, then make sure they are clean, and neat and not faded, ripped or wrinkled. And wear a collared shirt and cardigan or jacket to ramp up the rest of the outfit. I suggest you wear shoes or boots (no sneakers).

17 years ago

cas74

Active Member

I thought about wearing a dress, but the only winter dress I have is a jersey wrap dress and not really appropriate for a court appearance. I have a LBD, but I think it's too dressy. My friend has worn dress slacks and blouses on previous appearances, and I certainly do not want to look like I'm trying to "out-do" anyone.
My trouser jeans are a uniform dark wash, and I would wear a pair of simple, black heels.

I think I'll take photos of a couple of possible outfits and post them for review.

17 years ago

cas74

Active Member

Ok, this is the jeans and cardi outfit.

And this is the black dress.

Here's a close-up of the front of the dress

What do you think about the dress...is it too dressy for a court appearance or would it be appropriate? When I wear it out, I usually wear black hose and a 16" string of pearls.

17 years ago

shell

Active Member

i prefer the first outfit. the dress may work, but only with a cardigan over it. not having any courthouse experience, i can't say what the norm is. but i do think a tasteful blouse and cardigan is just fine.

17 years ago

Ana

(website)

Veteran

I agree with what Shell said. I like the first outfit.

17 years ago

Nicole

Veteran

Oh, those are nice jeans, I'd say you can wear them to court.

17 years ago

jwomack

Active Member

I am an attorney and would error on the side of dressing up a little as opposed to wearing denim. While the jeans are very nice, I think the dress with a cardigan (probably closed over the bust line to make it more demure) is a better option. Or I would purchase a pair of nicer trousers with the cardigan. The judge is weighing your credibility based not only what you say but how you present yourself, and that includes how you look. First impressions do mean something. I feel that dressing up a little shows that you take the court process seriously and recognize the importance of why you are there.

17 years ago

Alecia

Veteran

I'm with jwomack. I'm probably old-fashioned in this regard, but I don't think jeans are appropriate for court. If you have a cardigan for the dress, it is better.

17 years ago

Debbie

Active Member

what brand are the jeans? Those look really nice on you!

17 years ago

cas74

Active Member

Thanks everyone. While the jeans would probably work, I really should do a little better...deep down I already knew that. This is very important to my friend; she's fighting her husband for full custody of their children, child support, and her share of their businesses. As the only person there to speak for her, I have to make the best impression possible.
If I wore that dress, I'd definitely be the most dressed up person there. I'll go shopping for a pair of nice trousers this weekend...probably black. Any suggestions on tops? Is a cardi with a collared shirt ok?

happylife, the jeans are actually St John's Bay. I usually don't buy clothing from JCP, but these are the only jeans I've found that don't have any strecth, and I needed something to hold in a post c-section tummy!

17 years ago

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