Many parties preparing to attend court wonder what sort of attire is appropriate for the hearing. The general rule you should follow is you should dress as if you were going to a job interview or business casual/business professional. The attorneys will most likely be the most formal people in the courtroom, however the parties themselves should not fall too far behind. Attorneys will usually be wearing a suit or a blazer, with men wearing ties. The judge will be in a judicial robe. The parties do not need to wear a suit and tie, but they should wear more formal clothes than they usually would to, let’s say, go grocery shopping. They should also wear close-toed shoes if they are able, as that is considered more formal for these purposes. Your objective here is to blend in, not stand out. Below is a list of suggested attire:
- Collared or button-down shirt
- Neutral colored slack/dress pants
- Closed toed shoes (try something a little more formal than tennis shoes/sneakers if you can, and heels are not necessary)
- Optional sport coat, suit jacket, or blazer
- Optional tie
- Non-distracting blouse or more formal top (color is great, but avoid shirts with distracting designs)
- Dresses and skirts (at least knee length)
- Avoid:
- Jeans
- Shorts
- Sandals/flip-flops
- Wrinkled t-shirts
Graphic t-shirts or distracting shirts in general
