How to Properly Dress for a Court Hearing

The courtroom is a serious and formal place, and being called in for a court hearing means that you will want to look your best. You will want to dress as appropriately as possible in order to show a sign of respect for the court and the judicial system. Whether you are a witness, a defendant, a juror, or simply a bystander called for a hearing, you will want to dress appropriately and go the extra mile to look more presentable.

What Not to Wear

As mentioned earlier, the courtroom is a serious and formal place, so you will want to look the part. With that said, avoid any printed T-shirts, overly short skirts, sleeveless shirts, strapless dresses, jeans, baseball caps, spaghetti-strapped clothing, shorts, and so on. In regards to footwear, avoid wearing sneakers, flip-flops, open-toed shoes, and the like. You also need to remember not to wear sunglasses and too much jewelry, as these attract too much attention from other people.

You need to make sure that you are groomed appropriately as well. Don’t go to court with a highly unusual hairstyle, and don’t put on any bright-colored hair dyes. Aside from this, you also need to shave before you go to court as well. If you have tattoos, you can cover them up, and if you have any piercings, you can hide them as well.

These are some of the things that you must keep in mind when appearing in court. You don’t want attract too much attention, and you don’t want them to get the wrong impression about you.

What to Wear

At a court hearing, all you have to do to look presentable is to wear formal attire. Even if it is not required, you will want to go for the right appearance nevertheless. You will find that wearing the appropriate clothing to court can be very beneficial for you, especially if you want to make the right impression.

Men should wear a suit with a tie, or perhaps a long-sleeved, button-down shirt and a pair of long pants. Please do not go to court with your underwear showing, so wear a belt to keep your pants up. Looking “hip” is not at all the best idea here.

Women should be focused more on looking conservative, so a business attire will be a good choice. You can also choose a conservative top with a pair of slacks as well. As mentioned earlier, wearing jewelry to court is not advised, more so if you are claiming that you don’t have much money. It is also advisable that you fix your hairstyle properly. It is ideal that you get your haircut a week before your court appearance, for you to look more natural yet maintaining a groomed appearance as well.

If you don’t have the money to buy nice clothes to wear for your court hearing, remember that you can rent some. It is not at all that difficult for you to look presentable when you go to court. Keep in mind that looking your best in court is a very crucial thing on your part, and it can give you some benefits in the long run.

Gerard Callaway is a freelance article writer who writes articles regarding proper court attire, etiquette, and how to prepare for a court appearance. He mainly writes for Elliot Savitz Law, owned by Elliot Savitz, a Massachusetts criminal defense attorney.