When the day of your court case arrives, you’ve got a lot on your mind and what to wear to court is likely not at the top of the list. However, your outfit for trial is more important than you might first think. Remember, first impressions are powerful, and you want the jury and judge’s first impression of you to be a good one. While the courtroom isn’t a fashion show, looking neat and professional has a greater effect than you probably realize. Here are some of our tips on picking an appropriate courtroom outfit:
The first thing to consider when picking your court outfit is presentation. You want to show that you take the proceedings seriously but aren’t trying to draw attention to yourself. That may mean dressing up more than you might on a typical day. However, you don’t need to get a 3-piece suit or formal dress. Instead, think of dressing for court a bit like dressing for an ordinary Sunday at church. For men, that may be a button down shirt and pressed dress pants. For women, it could be a nice blouse and professional pair of pants or a skirt. Court is not the place to wear jeans, tank tops or sneakers. Aim for subdued colors and stay away from anything too flashy.
Now that you’ve selected a few potential outfits for court, the next thing to consider is comfort. Trials can be long, with quite a lot of sitting and waiting, and an uncomfortable outfit can go from annoying to a nuisance over the course of the day. If you’re fidgeting in your seat because your outfit is too loose, tight, itchy or not warm enough, you run the risk of distracting the jury, judge and your attorney. You want everyone’s attention focused on your case, not on you personally.
Finally, you want to consider how any nervous habits you have can be minimized by how you accessorize and style what you wear. It’s completely normal to be a bit nervous in a courtroom. However, nervous habits that you don’t always realize can be extremely distracting to other parties. If you tend to twirl your hair when anxious, wear it up instead of down. If you tap your leg, make sure you aren’t wearing shoes with loud soles. If you tap your nails on surfaces when nervous, remember to trim them down ahead of time. The less distractions there are in the courtroom, the better the chance that the jury will pay attention to your case as presented by your attorney.
When it comes to what to wear to court, it all boils down to common sense and seriousness. Dressing appropriately for your trial is one simple action you can take to help your attorney and your personal injury case succeed.
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