In November 2023, Ivanka Trump was summonsed to the New York State Supreme Court to testify against her father, Donald Trump, in a civil real estate fraud trial. After futile attempts by lawyers to spare Ivanka from taking the stand, she strolled into court in a shoulder-padded black blazer and matching trousers with black pointy-toed pump, where she proceeded to not recall many of the events she was asked about. While the embattled former president’s daughter opted not to make a loud fashion statement, her outfit raises a question: What do you wear when you’re subpoenaed to testify against your father in one of his many upcoming trials?
It wasn’t the first time the public has wondered—grimly or voyeuristically—what celebrities and people in the public eye wears to court, and it certainly wasn’t the last. Today, Justin Timberlake arrived at the Sag Harbor municipal court to plead guilty to driving while impaired, for which he was arrested in June. (The noncriminal charge comes with a 90-day license suspension, 25 hours of community service, and a $500 fine.) The incident has already been heavily memed thanks to reports that the arresting officer didn’t know who the singer was, which came to light mid-arrest when Timberlake muttered, “This is going to ruin the tour.” When asked what tour, he said, “The world tour.”
With so much public attention on the case, Timberlake and his stylist, Jason Bolden, surely put consideration into his court attire. He wore a black crewneck T-shirt underneath a black V-neck cardigan with brown trousers, and leather shoes. But most surprising was his choice of accessory: a double strand of pearls. Timberlake has been wearing traditionally feminine jewelry lately, as have the likes of Harry Styles, Usher, Shawn Mendes, A$AP Rocky, and Pharrell Williams—a growing trend among male actors and musicians. The pearl necklace in particular has become a softboy-coded accessory. It’s also a relatively new symbol of Timberlake’s onstage persona. But is court really the place for an emblem of his popstar style?
Other have taken different approaches to court style. In November, the writer E. Jean Carroll was awarded $83.3 million after a jury found Donald Trump liable of defamation for disparaging statements he made in 2019, following claims that he sexually assaulted her. For her final day in court, Carroll stuck to her longtime outfit formula: a black turtleneck paired with a black pleated skirt; a white brocade blazer cinched with a black belt; opaque black stockings; and a cream overcoat. She carried with her a chestnut colored briefcase. On this day of victory, Carroll opted for an eye-catching pair of black and white heeled Oxfords. The last time she wore this outfit was during her May 2023 trial against the former president, where he was also found liable for sexually assaulting and defaming her.