Black & Cream Shift

Dress: Banana Republic - similar here and with leather; Blazer: Express; Pumps: Calvin Klein;
Earrings: NY and Co. - similar; Watch: Michael Kors

First, please pardon my wrinkles. All of my photos are taken after a full work day, so this is what I look like and how my clothes wear after 10 hours (or more!).  Getting home to iron and get dressed again just doesn't seem realistic!  

This shift dress is one of my favorites (despite the wrinkles). It's classic and polished all on its own. As usual, I threw on a basic black blazer for court to pull it all together. Any color blazer (orange, red, blue, purple) could have been a great addition though. 

Speaking of court, I am of the mindset that a blazer or full suit should always be worn when appearing before a judge.  I've noticed a lot of sweaters or even sleeveless shift dresses floating around the courtroom, and while these women look great and still fully pulled together, it seems a little too casual for my liking. In my opinion, if men are wearing suits (though, ill-fitting suits) with ties, women should at a minimum throw on a blazer. Granted, this might depend on the division you practice in - small claims court might not warrant a suit every time. But, I think there has been a general trend toward more casual dress even in just the few years I've been in practice, and I think it lends to less respect and less civility among the parties. I'm not sure it's all really tied together, but I feel like people just behave better when they are more professionally attired. For some, I unfortunately don't see attire making an ounce of difference in their behavior ;)

What do you think about courtroom/professional attire?  What do you expect to see among attorneys walking around a courthouse?

Thanks for reading!
-Tiffany