Many lawyers begin thinking critically about their professional style and presentation in law school. Gone are the experimental days of undergrad and the structured grind of hybrid work; suddenly, you're thrown into a chaotic and fast-paced environment where you’re switching between studying, networking, and striving for a spot in a clinic or a summer internship. Becoming a lawyer also means cultivating an image of credibility, solemnity, and poise, adding another layer of complexity to building your professional wardrobe.
Recently, a visiting trial attorney who spoke to our advocacy program told us about the importance of developing a signature courtroom style. Crafting a professional image is not about conforming to a particular culture or look, like wearing your hair a certain way, she emphasized. It’s finding a consistent, presentable version of your personal style that feels natural and comfortable to you. A good way to start developing a consistent style is to start thinking strategically about cuts, colors, and fabrics. Exploring styling systems like the Kibbe Body Types and color seasons, embracing natural fabrics, and adopting certain style habits are some ways you can feel more comfortable and polished in your presentation as a future attorney.
Starting with basics: natural fibers
As the daughter of an apparel sourcer—a professional who finds and vets clothing suppliers for brands—I learned the importance of fabric quality and composition from a young age. My mom could brush her fingers over my shirt or bag and tell me the exact makeup of the material. This was also the secret to her effortlessly refined style: an eye for pieces that fit and draped just right. I learned early on that choosing quality fabrics is a crucial part of styling.
What makes a fabric high quality? As a general rule, the materials in your professional wardrobe should lean toward natural fibers. Think wool, silk, cotton, cashmere, and linen. Not only do these fabrics tend to flatter a wide range of body types, they feel better against the skin and drape more fluidly than synthetic materials. Natural fibers like wool have been proven to regulate body temperature, adjusting to your body temperature to keep you warm in winter and cool in summer. A well-tailored wool suit can carry you through many seasons of internships, interviews, and career firsts.
In a consumer landscape dominated by fast fashion, apparel made of natural fibers is neither easy to find nor especially affordable. That’s where thrifting comes in. While pieces made from natural fibers can be rare to find in retail stores, they are abundant at secondhand and vintage shops. eBay, Depop and Poshmark are online resale platforms where I’ve had great success finding gently worn pieces made from natural fibers. When searching for quality pieces, look up top workwear brands like Theory, Massimo Dutti, and Vince, which often use natural fibers in their designs. These brands also host major sales several times a year, presenting good opportunities to invest in new suits and other high-cost pieces directly from the source. If you’re looking for year-round bargains, Quince offers affordable basics in silk, wool, and cashmere.
Understanding silhouette: the Kibbe system
Once you have a foundation of quality fabrics, the next step is understanding cut. One of the most helpful frameworks for thinking about clothing shapes is the Kibbe Body Type system, which categorizes bodies based on the balance of softness (“yin”) and angularity (“yang”). While the system has been criticized as outdated and rigid, its practical takeaway is simple: clothing looks most harmonious when its lines echo the lines of your body.
Do you have certain pieces, accessories, and outfits that instantly make you feel more confident? The Kibbe system attempts to explain why some looks may suit you better than others. People with softer features and curves may look best in draped fabrics, rounded necklines, and gentle tailoring, while those with sharper or more angular features shine in crisp structure and clean geometric lines. When clothing mirrors your inherent proportions, it looks polished and natural, helping you form that authentic and presentable “signature” style.
Finding your palette: color seasons
Color plays a subtle yet essential role in creating a cohesive image. Color analysis can help you identify colors that harmonize with your natural skin, hair, and eye color. A practical way to think about your colors is through the color seasons. Seasonal color analysis divides coloring into four broad palettes—Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter—based on undertone, contrast, and depth. For example, someone with a warm undertone, low contrast, and low depth would typically fall into the Autumn palette, which is characterized by soft, muted, and earthy tones.
Wearing colors that harmonize with your natural coloring can make your outfits look more intentional and polished while highlighting your best qualities. It also makes it easier to identify your authentic, signature style while giving you the freedom to explore new colors. Give the black and white a rest and embrace the muted blues, warm greys, milky creams, deep greens, and rich browns–these tones can be equally as professional while adding a layer of depth and charisma to your outfit.
In a formal, legal environment where attorneys are expected to have a physical presence, such as the courtroom, color harmony is especially valuable. Colors that are too stark, bright, or otherwise unsuitable to the wearer can unintentionally drain the complexion and compete for attention, making your clothes wear you instead the other way around. When you wear your colors, the focus stays on your face and your words rather than your clothing. Identifying a general palette also helps streamline shopping and ensures that pieces in your wardrobe mix and match effortlessly, creating the visual consistency that defines your natural, signature professional style.
Triple A: All About Accessories
I love accessorizing, and it’s often the most whimsical part of my daily routine. I like a chic beret, a statement ring, layered necklaces, and all that good stuff. But while maximalism and over-accessorizing is in right now, try to avoid wearing stacked bracelets, layered necklaces and more than one pair of earrings at work settings. Limit rings to one or two on alternating hands. Remove facial piercings during client meetings and formal appearances, and keep your hair a natural color and style. While social attitudes around personal appearance and expression are progressing, keep in mind that law remains a conservative and traditional space. A lawyer’s appearance should reflect solemnity, credibility, and poise, and conforming to these ideals ultimately serve your client. Therefore, choosing an understated look is the safest accessorizing strategy.
If you own a watch, I recommend wearing it to work events, such as interviews and court appearances. While many lawyers and law students wear smart watches, preferences can vary by generation. A timeless option, like a silver watch with a white face, is the safest first investment. Durable materials like gold, platinum, sterling silver, stainless steel, or titanium tend to hold up best over time.
How many accessories are too many in the workplace? Well, that depends (heard that one before!). One way to approach accessories is to honor the wisdom of Coco Chanel, who advised women to look at themselves in the mirror and remove one accessory before leaving the house. Another rule is to limit yourself to 2 pieces. Ultimately, the accessories you choose to adorn yourself with should highlight your natural qualities, adding just a touch of refinement. So, if you’re questioning whether you’re wearing too many accessories, you probably are.
Conclusion
Crafting your professional style in law school is not about conforming to a certain look or culture. Your signature style should honor and complement your natural qualities, incorporating pieces that work for you, rather than against you. Established methods like the Kibbe system and color seasons analysis can help you approach your professional wardrobe objectively and intentionally, discerning which cuts and colors suit your natural features. Limiting your purchases to items made of natural fibers and quality materials and shopping sustainably can help you build a professional wardrobe that’s long-lasting, affordable, and environmentally friendly.
In a world where first impressions and presentation influence our judgments, paying attention to proper styling is a worthy investment of your time. As you build your professional wardrobe, keep in mind the core values of the legal profession: trust, credibility, and poise. Ultimately, the way you dress and carry yourself should reflect these ideals while staying authentic to you.
Su Aray is a first-generation Turkish-American and law student at Cardozo School of Law, where she serves as a Student Fellow at the Cardozo Law Institute in Holocaust and Human Rights. She received her undergraduate degree in Social Sciences at University College London where she participated in competitive debating, representing UCL at the 2020 World Universities Debating Championship. Born and raised in Turkey, then Germany, Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom, Su identifies as a “third-culture kid,” relating to many different cultures and perspectives.
