# Barrister wigs **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 10, 2008, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barrister-wigs/472005 "2008-11-10T06:19:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2008, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barrister-wigs/472005/1 "2008-11-10T06:19:31Z")
What are barrister wigs called? Those white wigs with curls that are worn in courts in the UK. Both the wiki articles for wigs and court dress mention them but don’t give a name other than just “wigs”. ---
**Author:** ![Szlater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Szlater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Szlater)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2008, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barrister-wigs/472005/2 "2008-11-10T08:12:11Z")
Apparently they’re called “Legal Wigs”. Judges wear “Full Bottom Wigs”, also called “Ceremonial Wigs” (the long wig), or “Undress Wigs”, also called “Tye Wigs” (the short wig) and Barristers wear “Barrister Wigs”. [Cite](http://www.stanley-ley.co.uk/acatalog/Stanley_Ley_Wigs_1.html) ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2008, 8:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barrister-wigs/472005/3 "2008-11-10T08:15:54Z")
I’ll take a stab at this since no one else has. I work in a jurisdiction where these are worn. Within the profession, when you refer to a wig there is no other sort of wig that you would likely be referring to, so there’s no need to be more specific. Outside the profession, I can’t say I’ve heard any more specific term than “lawyer’s wig” or “barrister’s wig” or “judge’s wig” or “judicial wig”, but these are just descriptive names, really. ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2008, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barrister-wigs/472005/4 "2008-11-10T10:12:37Z")
Thanks folks! ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2008, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barrister-wigs/472005/5 "2008-11-10T11:53:10Z")
I am a studying to be a barrister in England and Wales. Barristers wear wigs when appearing in front of higher courts, such as the Crown Court (the old Baily for instance) and the Court of Appeal. Interestingly they are not worn in the House of Lords, and also not worn in many civil cases. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2008, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barrister-wigs/472005/6 "2008-11-10T14:14:22Z")
**Mr AK84** , the issue in this case is _what wigs are called_. I’m not sure I can see where are you \*going _with this, this… \* line of disquisition_ on when wigs are worn. Do you expect to finish before lunch? ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2008, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barrister-wigs/472005/7 "2008-11-10T14:19:01Z")
Perhaps 20 more minutes, then, counsel? ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2008, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barrister-wigs/472005/8 "2008-11-10T15:58:47Z")
Be upstanding! ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2008, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barrister-wigs/472005/9 "2008-11-10T16:05:37Z")
They’re rather silly though, aren’t they? I can’t understand why these are still worn. Yes, tradition, blah, blah, blah… But at some point these really need to be discontinued. How anyone could take these seriously is beyond me. I’d probably break down in laughter confronted by a judge or lawyer wearing one of these. All I can think of is Eric Idle “I banged me gavel!” ---
**Author:** ![Szlater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Szlater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Szlater)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2008, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barrister-wigs/472005/10 "2008-11-10T16:28:18Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > How anyone could take these seriously is beyond me. I’d probably break down in laughter confronted by a judge or lawyer wearing one of these. Yes, it’s all fun and games until the beak puts his black cap on. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2008, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barrister-wigs/472005/11 "2008-11-10T17:19:57Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Be upstanding! I remember reading that a young woman had a “[handsome pair of understandings](http://www.geocities.com/gonzalezgordonjerez/generaljmgordon/ch03.htm)” and it took me a while to get that it meant “legs”. I am also reminded of the young, male lawyer saying to his date: “If you are not here for what I’m here for you’ll be here long after I’m gone”. ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2008, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barrister-wigs/472005/12 "2008-11-10T18:13:03Z")
After visiting a London court, Thomas Jefferson called judges’ wigs “detestable things”, writing: “We must not have men sitting in judgment who look like mice peeping out of oakum.” ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2008, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barrister-wigs/472005/13 "2008-11-10T21:19:24Z")
> [@Nametag](#): > > After visiting a London court, Thomas Jefferson called judges’ wigs “detestable things”, writing: “We must not have men sitting in judgment who look like mice peeping out of oakum.” [He should talk:](http://wiki.monticello.org/mediawiki/index.php/Wig) > [@](#): > > The account books of a Williamsburg wig maker supply evidence that Thomas Jefferson did purchase wigs and hair pieces early in his professional career. The records of Edward Carlton, now in the Colonial Williamsburg Archives, show that between April 15, 1769 and April 25, 1773, Thomas Jefferson purchased a brown “Dress Queue”, a brown “Tye Wig,” two brown “Dress Bob-wigs,” two “pairs of curls” and three pounds of hair powder. ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barrister-wigs/472005/14 "2008-11-11T03:29:06Z")
I have a barrister’s wig. (The’re also used in Australia). They are extremely prickly and irritating if you have a sensitive scalp. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barrister-wigs/472005/15 "2008-11-11T05:59:00Z")
Everything you ever wanted to know about the history of lawyers’ wigs, along with excellent illustrations. Customary warning: the link is to a\*\* PDF file.\*\* [Legal Habits](http://www.edeandravenscroft.co.uk/Legal/images/site/Legal_Habits_book.pdf) ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barrister-wigs/472005/16 "2008-11-11T06:36:52Z")
great link, thanks! just what I need to point my articling students to, when they ask “why do we wear these things?” (robes, not wigs). ---
**Author:** ![Kizarvexius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/da6949/32.png) [@Kizarvexius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kizarvexius)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barrister-wigs/472005/17 "2008-11-11T16:44:17Z")
Another name often applied to wigs of this kind is “peruke” (per-ŪK). > [@](#): > > The chancellor in his peruke > The earl the marquess and the duke > The groom the butler and the cook > They all shall equal be > > _From Gilbert & Sullivan’s “The Gondoliers”_ ---
**Author:** ![Omegaman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e480ec/32.png) [@Omegaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omegaman)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barrister-wigs/472005/18 "2008-11-11T22:03:20Z")
> [@Isamu](#): > > I have a barrister’s wig. (The’re also used in Australia). They are extremely prickly and irritating if you have a sensitive scalp. Wear it a lot? 😃