<P> Today, generally judges of both state and federal courts are free to select their own courtroom attire, although some jurisdictions do formally require judges to wear robes of some kind when presiding over hearings in court . The most common choice is a plain black robe which covers the torso and legs, with sleeves . Female judges will sometimes add to the robe a plain white collar or lace jabot . Beneath the robes business attire is standard . Typically judges pay for their own custom made judicial robe . </P> <P> Until the tenure of Chief Justice John Marshall, all Supreme Court justices wore red robes with ermine trim and full - bottomed wigs, reminiscent of British court dress . Marshall, however, eschewed this formality and began the practice of only wearing a black silk robe, with no wig . In 1994, Chief Justice William Rehnquist added four gold bars (similar in appearance to captain insignia in the US Navy) to each sleeve of his black robe, but the change in his attire (he had been Chief Justice since 1986) was his own innovation and was inspired by a production of the operetta Iolanthe, rather than any historical precedent . His successor, John G. Roberts, chose to stick with the traditional plain black robe . </P> <P> Some Supreme Court justices (including Clarence Thomas, the late Antonin Scalia, and Stephen Breyer, all of whom are or were balding) maintain the ancient legal practice of wearing large black skullcaps, in their case when wearing their robes outdoors in cold weather (for example, at presidential inaugurations in January .) </P> <P> Many state supreme court justices wear unique styles of robes, the most notable being the Maryland Court of Appeals, where all judges wear red, and British - style tab collars . The judges of the Delaware Superior Court continue to wear the red sashes or baldrics of their British predecessors, albeit now only on ceremonial occasions . </P>

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