If I am called to court as a witness, what is my dress code?

Talk to the lawyer. There are programs that can help get you proper attire.

Dressing formally will help the cause for which you are a witness. Can yu borrow some clothing?

Well if the lawyer wants you in something else I would ask for help to get it.

You aren’t required to do anything but wear clothes. If you want to have a positive impact, then you should dress nicely. Jeans and a polo can be OK in this day and age, but they should be clean, pressed, not ripped, not too tight, and not displaying any flesh between the shirt and the pants. If you don’t really care about the case and how it is decided, then wear whatever you want.

I just emailed my mom, who is a court stenographer. She said that the usual preferred attire is not necessarily formal, but you should shoot for at least business casual.

Thanks, I didn’t know there were programs to help.

go to the good will and buy a polyester blouse and some dark slacks. would cost about $3.00.

Go to salvation army/good will. They have tons of blouses and dress pants for $3!

It depends completely on the case, the circumstances you were asked as a witness, and what your added value is to the representing lawywer’s case. Could be business casual, as my friends are recommending here, to complete slut-wear. Best idea is to check with your lawyer so that you are an asset to the case he’s trying to make instead of a debit.

This is acceptable clothing for court: if you only have blue jeans that fit, try to find a dressy blouse and dressy shoes. your appearance is vital and important, so attempt to dress the part. no heavy makeup, no metal, or flashy gold. sorry to say this, but if you have tattoos on your arms, try to wear a long sleeve shirt. tattoos are sometimes considered taboo for the witness stand. you want the judge and jury to believe you. your appearance really does matter. here is an example: if you were on a jury, how much faith would you put into a witness that testified, wearing a motorcycle jacket, tattoos and metal all over his/her face? i can just hear everyones complaints here with my answer. but its the truth. been there done that many, many times. john

Just out of curiosity, do you want to be an asset to the case, or are you just stuck there because you’ve been subpoenaed?

@Snarp I do want to be an asset, but I just honestly don’t have decent clothes or money right now. I have $10 to last me, my girlfriend, and my daughter until thursday, then we have $50 to last us for another week.

Hard times.

Do you have decent (not ripped, not surgical-gloves tight) black jeans and plain black flats? If so, can you rustle up a fairly conservative long-sleeved blouse or top from somewhere, preferably in trust-me light blue rather than f***-me hot pink or I-dare-you neon yellow?

As conservative as possible-you can be dismissed, fined, or held in contempt for improper attire. Perhaps, dress as if you’re going to be interviewed for a job.

No T-shirts, or clothing with silkscreen or graphics. No “gang” colors or attire/accessories. No trainers, hats, bandanas, or team jerseys. Your attire should not be a distraction to the interrogation process. No skin-revealing attire; if you have tatoos, they should be covered up as much as possible.

Remember, you’ll have to go through a metal detector and search process, so don’t bring a bunch of stuff (accessories) as you’ll need to pass that through the detectors, which can be cumbersome.

As the other posters have indicated, no flashy jewelry or accessories. Hair, makeup should be toned down, so as not to distract from the hearing of the case. Your character and appearance are scrutinized by the jury even though they’re instructed not to take that into account.

@Jeruba Lurve.

Nice no-hole pair of pants preferably not jeans and a shirt not revaling, trim your hair and some flats- you might be there for a while. like something you would wear to a family gathering of a family you are meeting for the first time.

You can go to a salvation army store buy a pair of dress slacks and a button shirt and plain matching jacket. Hair wash and tied back if its long. Appear as plain as possible. Avoid black because it can make you appear to severe. Plain flat dress shoe is fine. The idea is to look neat and clean so you appear a responsible adult and not a thug or a bum or a flake.

like @gemiwing said, If it is a civil matter, the attorney that has supponed you has a stake in the impression you make. If you mention that all you have is jeans and a polo he (or she) might offer to give you some sort of clothing voucher.

Lawyers have all kinds of resources and it never hurts to ask.

Tell him the financial situation as straightforwardly as you have for us here and see what they can come up with.

Believe me, they have more resources than all of us regular folks could ever dream about.