Why Don’t American Lawyers Wear Wigs?
Wigs are still a common sight in British courtrooms, but for Americans, the idea of a lawyer in a wig is almost comical.
Wigs in English Courtrooms
Wigs became a common sight in English courtrooms in the 17th century. Interestingly, wigs weren’t originally a British trend. Instead, they first became fashionable in France. Eventually, what had once been just a part of fashion became commonplace in English courtrooms.
Of course, wigs as a fashion trend eventually died out, as all trends do. Yet somehow, even as people stopped wearing them in their everyday lives, wigs continued to be a mainstay among lawyers, barristers, and judges. Now, they’re tradition. In 2007, wigs became optional in family and civil court cases, but they definitely haven’t disappeared entirely.
Why Aren’t Wigs Common in American Courtrooms?
In the 17th century, while wigs were in fashion, the US was still a British colony, so its court system was connected to the English court system. Wigs became fashionable among the elites of American society just like they did back in Europe. Hairstyles that emulated the wigs were also popular. While George Washington didn’t wear a wig, he did powder his hair to get a similar look, but many other Founding Fathers were wig wearers, including Thomas Jefferson and James Maddison.
Eventually, though, wigs fell out of style in the US, and unlike in England, American judges and lawyers decided not to keep them.
