Where Do Supreme Court Justices Get Their Fashion Inspiration?

Looking judicial and fashionable isn't always straightforward.

Ed. note: Indulge your inner nerd! Welcome to our daily legal trivia question. Lawyerly types are, at heart, type-A personalities that thrive on learning random bits of (mostly) useless trivia. Enjoy!

There is no requirement for what Supreme Court justices wear on the bench, and the late Chief Justice William Rehnquist frequently sported robes with gold stripes on the sleeves. What inspired the Chief Justice’s look?

Hint: He added the 4 gold stripes to each sleeve in 1995 and some saw the move as an exhibition of Justice Rehnquist’s sense of humor.

Highlight the below text with your mouse for the answer.

Answer: He was inspired by a Gilbert and Sullivan operetta, “Iolanthe.” The stripes mirror the costume for the Lord Chancellor.

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