20: Trial Style and Courtroom Confidence, with Judith Gaton

In Episode 20 of May the Record Reflect, trial lawyer and wardrobe consultation Judith Gaton joins us to explain why style matters in the courtroom and how to dress for post-pandemic office life at a time when the expected corporate culture—and maybe our bodies—have changed.

Topics

3:05 Why your clothes matter

5:36 But isn’t style frivolous?

13:18 Work clothes that no longer “fit”

16:22 Evaluating your wardrobe after covid

18:45 What pieces to invest in, and what to save on

21:48 Pandemic’s impact on dressing for the law office

25:15 Menswear options for a more casual office environment

27:29 Stanley Tucci’s refined casual style and sprezzatura

30:54 Sleek footwear options

32:40 Style inspo and options for lawyers and other professionals

38:07 Signature signoff question

Quote

“We have to sort of make room to be amused by each other as we find our footing and find out what it’s going to look like for all of us as we re-enter society, as we sort of spend more time with each other, as we come back to the office. It doesn’t have to go back to the way it always was. There’s no requirement. This is a beautiful moment for all of us to rethink ‘Did we even like the way it always was? Did we enjoy wearing suits? Did we enjoy being dressed up all the time?’ or would we all collectively prefer to be a little more on the smart-casual side of things, or business casual of things, than to be so dressed up all the time. Each office culture’s going to have to figure that out for itself. I think every courtroom, almost, is going to decide that for itself.” (Judith Gaton)

Recommended Resources
Judith Gaton (bio)

How COVID-19 has changed what we wear and how we feel about clothing (Seattle Times)

Schedule an Appointment with Those Clothes You Haven’t Worn in a Year (New York Times)

Sprezzatura Do’s and Don’ts

In Praise of Stanley Tucci’s TV Travel Uniform (GQ)

Berluti wingtip sneakers

Berluti double monkstrap sneakers

Next Level Wardrobe (Instagram)

Read NITA’s statement on the important of in-person advocacy in courts, here.