LITTLE ROCK — Q. I must appear in court as a witness in a fraud case. The lawyer told me to dress conservatively. What do you suggest?
A. To generalize, I suggest you approach it like an interview in your field, but let me be more specific and explain why. Certain areas of dressing - such as interviewing for a job, attending a wedding or funeral, and appearing in court - particularly call for showing respect and deference. That translates as “conservative.”
Anyone who has ever watched crime shows on TV has observed that even the most hardened criminals are dressed like upstanding citizens when they appear in court. Because the world equates conservative dress with seriousness, honesty and trustworthiness, if there is ever a place where dressing conservatively makes sense, it is in court.
What you want to do is project to all who see you that you are a reliable and responsible citizen whose words should be taken as gospel.
What you definitely do not want to do is dress like a too-slick, shady character. On the other hand, it also does not make sense to dress so formally that it seems completely out of character - a teenager wearing a navy blue pinstriped suit would be going too far. A super buttoned up, compulsive Adrian Monk appearance might also be too over-the-top.
That’s why I suggest you wear either a not-too-formal matched suit or a blazer and-tie look. Examples of a not-too-formal suit might be a solid medium- or dark-blue suit or a solid gray suit. Avoid pinstripes as too elegant and formal. On the other hand, if you choose a blazer-and-tie combination, you can wear a navy blazer with preppy brass buttons or one with quiet dark suit buttons. In the same vein as a blazer is a subdued gray tweed sport coat. The blazer and the tweed sport coat looks pair well with dark gray trousers. Khaki pants are a step too informal for court and jeans would be many steps too casual.
Even if your taste runs to slightly more stylish looks, such as wearing a silk pocket square, a tie-clasp, or French cuffs and cuff links, this would be a wise time to skip any and all of them. While it may sound like bending over backward, better to err on the side of boring and bland than to risk possibly coming off as foppish.
Dark shoes (ideally lace ups, but leather loafers are also acceptable) and dark, above the-ankle socks are essential. Absolutely no sneakers for such an occasion.
A tie is a must. Nothing is as effective at projecting a conservative attitude as wearing a tie. These days, wearing an open-at-the-neck business shirt with a suit or sport coat is a very popular look ... but not for court. You want the judge, the jury, and anyone else you can influence to think of you as a guy to be taken seriously.
If you want to kill your case before you open your mouth, dress like a hotshot. I don’t know what Bernie Madoff wore in court, but although nothing that he wore could have helped him, I’m sure that even he was not stupid enough to dress inappropriately. I always thought that Martha Stewart made an arrogant mistake when she carried a several-thousand-dollar Hermes Birkin handbag to her jury trial.
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High Profile, Pages 45 on 11/25/2012