The trend of wearing wigs at court was started by Louis XIV of France. In the mid-17th century, a bald scalp was considered a sign that someone had contracted syphilis. Therefore, the king disguised his scalp with a wig. This trend quickly spread to the upper and middle classes in Europe, including Britain, where Charles II followed. Lawyers in England gave up wigs in the 1820s, followed by civil and family courts in 2007, the UK Supreme Court in 2011 and the Scottish Session Court in 2014. As strange as it may seem now, when the judges started wearing dresses and wigs, they probably wouldn`t have been noticed on the street. Over time, wigs have gone out of fashion with society as a whole. During the reign of the English King George III, from 1760 to 1820, wigs were worn by only a few, namely bishops, coachmen and lawyers. And bishops were allowed to stop wearing them in the 1830s. But the courts have kept wigs for hundreds of years.

Horsehair does not seem to be a particularly valuable material, but combines special hair with an age-old art of styling, sewing and gluing, and the resulting wigs are not cheap. A judge`s full-length wig can cost upwards of $3,000, while shorter wigs worn by lawyers cost more than $500. The costume of a Supreme Court judge, for example – a long robe, a full hood with a hood covering the shoulders and a coat (or cape) – was more or less established in the time of Edward III (1327-77) and was based on appropriate clothing for visiting the royal court. Wigs may have gone out of fashion over the centuries, but when they first appeared in a courtroom around 1685, they belonged to a well-dressed professional. Avocado wigs are rolled up to the crown, with horizontal loops on the sides and back. Judges` wigs – also known as bench wigs – look similar, but are usually more ornate. They are fullest at the top and blend into tight curls that fall just below the shoulders. These judges were allowed to observe the dress code to which they were accustomed, and even today, black silk robes are worn by judges of chancery, estate, admiralty, divorce and family.

Leslie Thomas QC, senior lawyer at Garden Court Chambers in central London, called earlier this year for a ban on wigs after Michael Etienne, a black lawyer with an afro, was told he would face disciplinary action if he did not wear his own in court. The Middle Temple Library`s latest exhibit, «Legal Fashion,» features a history of English court dress from the 14th century to recent times. The exhibition, organized in partnership with the Middle Temple Archive, opened last month, coinciding with London Fashion Biennale. Wigs and dresses worn by judges and lawyers in the former British colonies are among the most blatant symbols of colonial legacy; a legacy so old-fashioned and uncomfortable that even British lawyers have stopped wearing it.t.co/T3aGEDw8yW pic.twitter.com/iqWBRTH8cW When he sat in Westminster Hall – then the court house – the coat was not worn; This has now been lifted for ceremonial clothing. And gray taffeta became increasingly popular as an alternative to pink taffeta, which was used for summer dresses. The drama of a criminal trial has a macabre appeal. In America, strangers line up to enter courtrooms as spectators of high-profile trials. Those unable to attend in person will watch live versions on TVs and tablets. And when there are pauses of actual legal battles, many turn instead to pseudo-fictional prime-time depictions.

The full-bottomed wig was used for criminal trials until the 1840s, but is now reserved for ceremonial clothing; Smaller wigs are used daily Lawyers from different jurisdictions in the UK have been wearing dresses and wigs since at least the 17th century, their use having been formalised in English common law in the 1840s. Wigs made of rigid white horsehair are certainly anachronistic and often confusing to outsiders. But why did powdered wigs enter the fashion scene in the first place? Why cover the head with a mass of artificial curls that itch and transpile? Syphilis is to blame.