A website for elaborately handmade barrister's wigs

I was waiting in line in a coffeeshop recently, when I looked over the shoulder of a guy at a nearby table and saw this website: legaltailor.com. The Hong Kong-based company claims their primary clientele are legal professionals, but Judicial cosplayers and barrister fetishists can also plunk down hundreds to thousands of dollars for handmade wigs stitched from the finest Australian and Mongolian pony hair, with their name embroidered inside. The one shown above on the stand is about $2,500, and looks to me like a big old curly mullet.

• [Dean Putney]

  I don’t mean to judge, but these wigs are way out of order.

• [David Cameron]

  I’m going to order 2 of these fabulous wigs.

• [Funk Daddy]

  Like teardrops on an OG, each row of curls represents a death sentence rendered or a debtor indentured for life. Judge Life!, I dare say!

• [LaylaSV]

  My favorite thing about their website is the section that allows you to compare the quality of LegalWigs’ wigs to those of their competitors. My extreme legal wig ignorance makes deciphering the detailed, close up photos an utter mystery. They all look equally ridiculous, tortuously itchy and totally metal to me.

  • [jerwin]

    They’re required of the legal professions in some countries. The best you can hope for is a wig that looks neat, is constructed to reduce itchiness to the absolute minimum, and contains no metal. The picture showed the wigs in a comparatively good light, though the embroidery looked a bit wonky.
    If you were required to wear a robe everyday, would you prefer polyester, or silk?

• [theophrastvs]

  Do they have a selection of the black handkerchief thing they put on their heads when they declare a death sentence? 

  • [twianto]

     Since they are based in a jurisdiction that doesn’t have the death penalty and probably mostly sell their stuff to civilized countries my guess is that no, death sentences don’t factor into the design of their no doubt excellent wares.

    • [theophrastvs]

       yet well you know… just for parties.  (where one has sensibly invited Stephen Fry)

• [C W]

  I wish there was a cosplay company where I could get I could get wigs similar to Antoinette’s Atelier. This barrister site looks great, but way too pricey.

• [timquinn]

  Just imagine, in some places on earth these are considered dignified and are subject to all sorts of subtle hierarchical distinctions. We are a weird bunch.

• [Halloween_Jack]

  For some reason, I can just imagine a couple of barristers unabashedly stroking each others’ wigs, murmuring, “I tell you, that weave is tight.”

• [Narmitaj]

   Ob MontyPython – the camp judges behind the scenes at a courtroom. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVt1EY896cY

• [BabsonTask]

  The rug on the stand is for a judge. The short ones are for the barristers. The rugs look good compared to the barnets that some beaks sport in real life.

• [awjt]

  If I lived in England, and if I were a barrister, I’d just fold me an origami wig. How lame to be forced to wear this shit to comply with some custom.

  • [Antinous / Moderator]

    It’s not universally required or enforced. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Court_dress#England_and_Wales

    • [awjt]

      I feel so much better now, thank you.

• [Zadaz]

  Wait, the Mongolian ponies get their name embroidered inside of the wig? That beats the hell out of “Inspected by #27″.

  • [Antinous / Moderator]

    You obviously haven’t seen #27.

• [tw1515tw]

  Although it does seem crazy in the 21st Century to be dressing up in 18th Century garb, I did hear one semi-reasonable explanation for putting on a wig  - for anonymity purposes. Previously convicted criminals are meant to be less likely to recognize judges and barristers in the street and attack them. Maybe they should wear Nacho Libro masks instead – it would be cheaper and they’d look less silly.

  • [Matthew Petty]

    Or be lit from below like when General Zod was pronounced, “Guilty!”

  • [Antinous / Moderator]

    Although it does seem crazy in the 21st Century to be dressing up in 18th Century garb

    It doesn’t seem crazy to me. Most people’s costume style now seems to be a race to see who can look the dullest. The 18th century was the height of personal style.

    • [Donald Petersen]

      I can’t get past accidentally landing on Law & Order on BBC America, when the second half of each episode suddenly turns into the end of Pink Floyd–The Wall.

• [Florian Hess]

  Ha, the “judge” is my boss and the shot was done for Getty Images! How funny is that! :D
  Not sure the wig we used is from them though…