Gowning. Women’s threads. Here is mine. We all have our own relationships to our court robes. When I was called to the bar in 1992, I was dead broke. I bought a used 100% genuine polyester gown that had a fake vest attached with a broad elastic and a clasp in the back.

At the time I was living with another new lawyer in an illegal loft & we tried to spruce up this huge space. I painted the floor of my “room” yellow. That oil based paint got on the gowns somehow & never left. Just a spot at the hem. I wore those gowns for almost 20 years.

Through two full term pregnancies. Wore them the day before each birth. The elastic stretched, and stretched. 20 years in, Crowns started to make fun of the black paper clips holding the elastic band together. “Legal Aid gowns” I would joke. But it wasn’t really that funny.

Then in 2012 I had lost 80 lbs and I finally gave in. Spent $2000 on the full get up. Pinstripe skirt, fancy shirts, cuff-links. I loved the whole ritual, because it was new to me & I finally felt like a real grown-up lawyer. Each item was perfectly fitted to my size 10 body.

Then I quit smoking & went through menopause. Lots of those lost lbs found their way back to me. Had to lose the tailor-made skirt & the fancy tights. Discovered the Court bib! Hung on for dear life to the waist-coat tho. Kept up the ritual in the Lady Barristers’ robing room. I wrote at the time about my views when the Law Society decided to remove this space.

https://anitaszigeti.wordpress.com/2019/03/02/a-robing-room-of-our-own/

Then COVID hit. Now that we’re back in person in the Court of Appeal, I am happy. I am also dressing myself without the comfort of the robing room. I am doing it in about 30 seconds. Current combo: Court Bib and a one piece (beautiful Moreno wool) zip-up gown. Black tights.