I you have ever been to court...

[waterproofmascara]

What did you wear? I have never been to court before (never even been called for jury duty), and was wondering if sleeveless is okay. (It is already hot here.)
Also, do I have to wear pantyhose? I'm a pretty casual dresser, and wear sandals and birks in the spring/summer and boots and birks in the fall/winter. I don't even own a pair of heels.
I was thinking of wearing a sleeveless black turtleneck, long gray skirt, and strappy flat black sandals.
Does that sound too casual? I don't want to put myself at a disadvantage because of a bad clothing choice.
TIA.

[purplegirl]

Hi there. Not sure why you are going to court but in my experience it is always best to go as conservative as possible. This is particularly important is you are a defendant. I provide professional testimony on a regular basis and though in the warm weather, I forego the pantyhose, but you can best believe everything else about me is low key. That doesn't necessarily mean a suit.
HTH
Lisa

[~*max*~]

Yes, definately conservative. Even though it sucks, you gotta dress for the judge. Most judges want "respect" in "their" courtroom, so that often means pantyhose, closed toe shoes, conservative skirt & sleeve lengths.

BTW, good luck in curt.

[anothermama]

Yes, I agree...........as conservative as possible.

Think of it this way........

The lawyers there all wear suits, even the women. You wouldn't find a lawyer there walking into court with no jacket or no tie..........always suited up.

I also have ink so I have to make sure it's covered up.

I DO NOT like dressing up and I LOATHE panyhose, but in the couple times I've had to go to court I have made the exception.

[~*max*~]

Yes, you are there for a purpose. So even if it goes against your grain, keep your purpose in mind.

[Boobs]

I totally agree with everybody else. I've spent far too much time in court battling my ex and we have another date for July in Texas. I always wear something along the lines of a "powersuit". You can handle pantyhose for one day when something so important is on the line. Get some inexpensive closed-toe pumps and carry extra hose in your purse incase you snag them. Make sure your skirt isn't above your knees and you don't show too much cleavage. These things really do matter.



Tracie (who would die happy if she never saw another lawyer or judge again)

[waterproofmascara]

Thanks for your advice ( even thought it's not what I was hoping to hear). I have to go to court becasue my stbx has suddenly decided to pursue joint custody in a last-ditch effort to lower his cs order. I do not expect him to be succesfull. I actually went today and bought a new "divorce court" dress in my best color and a pair of black pumps to wear. I may have hurting feet, but at least I will look good.
Thanks again!

[~*max*~]

Good luck waterproofmascara.
: I'll keep my fingers crossed for you. :

[paloma]

you can wear flatter shoes, which is good to do in a custody thing. The books I read said no suits. Think churchgoing mommy. the judge won't see pantyhose. Keep the skirt below knee. Sleeves. Do not dress like a lawyer.

What color is your dress?

[waterproofmascara]

I am wearing a long (almost to my ankles) sky blue dress (close to the color of a Diet Pepsi can, but it is a muted color and not at all bright). It has a scooped neck (not low enough for a necklace even), and is not at all tight but it fits my body well and hides my lumps.
It has a fake split along the left side about to the knee with shell buttons that are gray, but fade into a darker color (like oyster shells), hence the black pumps. I have nude pantyhose. The shoes are actually low heels, maybe an inch at the most, and the heels are shaped like an hourglass. I also have black pearl earrings to match the dress buttons. The only other jewelry I will wear is a simple silver tank watch and silver band ring that my son gave me years ago for Mother's Day (my good luck charm).
I will wear minimal makeup, and I have very short curly hair. (One of the first things I did after my marriage ended was cut all my hair off. Very liberating. I had had long hair for 15 years.)
I am a newspaper editor/reporter, so I am pretty confident going into unknown situations. I have no idea what kind of crap my stbx is gonna pull, but I am very confident about my evidence going into this, and now, thanks to you all, I am also confident about the way I look.
Thanks again for all your help! You ladies are the best!

[paloma]

Sounds great! Can I borrow it for court?

[Millie Ivy]

You should write clothing catalogue descriptions!

Good luck in court!

[brusselsprout]

When is your court date? Sending you positive thoughts!!

[Boobs]

That sounds like a great outfit! Best of luck! I'm gonna need it too.





Tracie (who is already queasy at just the thought of having to sit in a courtroom with that @#$% again)

[tausborn]

I went to court... and Yes, you should dress nicely. But that covers a wide range of options. Yes, the lawyers and the judges wear suites. I would expect a business man to show up in a suite. But, if you are a homemaker, or work at a casual job, there is no reason to go out and get a suit for civil court. I wore black slacks, black heeled shoes (that I wear with jeans too, not pumps), and a blouse. There were a few women in dresses and hose... but that was clearly what they were wearing for work that day. One woman's dress was above the knee AND sleeveless. No one batted an eye. At least she looked good. There were plenty of people in junky clothes, like jeans and ratty shirts with ratty hair. They "should" have dressed better. It does make an impression.

I think they want to see that you take care of yourself, which shows that you are mentally healthy and competent. Make sure you are comfortable, because the wait might be awhile. Don't wear birks; they send an anti-establishment message... unless you are going to court for that reason. I don't think hose are a requirement, even in a dress. Good Luck!

[Satori]

Its been several years but here they actually have a sign posted outside the court room telling you how to dress and if you don't meet the requirements your not admitted. I'd check with the courthouse.