Why Do British Lawyers Still Wear Wigs? - People | HowStuffWorks

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Like the robes the lawyers wear, the wigs are worn as a symbol of anonymity, Newton said. The wigs are part of a uniform that create a visual separation between the law and those being brought up before it. Wigs are so much a part of British criminal courts that if a barrister doesn't wear one, it's seen as an insult to the court.

Barrister wigs are curled at the crown, with horizontal curls on the sides and back. Judges' wigs — also called bench wigs — look similar, but are typically more ornate. They're fuller at the top and transition into tight curls that fall just below the shoulders.

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barrister wig
Here you can see the difference between a judge's bench wig (left) and barristers wig. Wikimedia/(CC BY-SA 3.0)

Most are handmade from 100 percent horsehair, though there are synthetic versions available today, too. Horsehair wigs aren't cheap, either, especially when they're handmade and combine an ages-old craft of styling, sewing and gluing. A judge's full-length wig can cost more than $3,000, while the shorter ones worn by barristers cost more than $600.

Wigs may have fallen out of fashion over the centuries, but when they first made their appearance in a courtroom around 1685, they were part and parcel of being a well-dressed professional.

In the 17th century, only the elite wore powdered wigs made of horsehair. Those who couldn't afford the best garb but wanted to look the part wore wigs made of hair from goats, spooled cotton or from the hair of human corpses. There was also a steady trade that involved living people who sold their long hair for wigs, though horsehair remained the ideal.

But why did powdered wigs come on the fashion scene in the first place? Why top one's head with an itchy, sweat-inducing mass of artificial curls? Blame it on syphilis.

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