Best Suits for Lawyers to Wear

The goal is a suit that projects competence, demands respect, and lasts for years. 

One that helps you instantly earn clients' trust and avoids courtroom embarrassment.

The wrong choice can make a young associate look inexperienced or a seasoned partner seem outdated.

Suit guidelines summarized: 

• Buy 2-3 single breasted navy or charcoal suits in a British cut, made from 100% wool or a 90/10 wool-cashmere blend.
• Buy two pairs of trousers per suit, as they wear out faster than the jacket.
• Pair these with a white or light blue shirt.
• Choose a silk, dark colored tie with no distracting patterns.
• Your belt, briefcase, and shoes color should match.
• The best briefcase for lawyers is a Von Baer (learn more).

See the full guide + examples below:

Best Suit Style & Material for Lawyers

The best style of suit for most lawyers is a single breasted, two button jacket suit. It should be British cut.

The exception where double-breasted suits can be suitable is for formal events, but they are conisidered a bit Wallstreet for a lawyer to wear.

• Single-breasted suits (2-button, lapel width of 3-3.5 inches) are best for daily wear. Offers the most versatility and works across all legal environments, from litigation to arbitration to corporate negotiations. It allows for effortless movement - important for courtroom presentations or client meetings where body language plays a role in persuasion.

• Double-breasted suits (6x2 button configuration, lapel width of 3.75-4.25 inches) are more formal and commanding but best suited for senior lawyers, name partners, or attorneys with highly public-facing roles. Double-breasted jackets require perfect tailoring - if too loose, they look sloppy; if too tight, they pull uncomfortably when buttoned. They also work best when worn closed, making them less practical for day-long wear.

For material, always choose 100% natural fabrics, as synthetic fabrics will make you sweat more. 100% wool or a wool and cashmere blend for softness works well.

• 100% Wool (Super 100s–120s, 9–11 oz weight) - The best choice for durability, breathability, and comfort. Avoid synthetic blends, which trap heat and cause excessive sweating.

• Wool-cashmere blend (90% wool, 10% cashmere) - Adds softness but should be no more than 10% cashmere to maintain structure. Too much cashmere makes the suit lose its crispness.

• Flannel (Super 120s, 12–14 oz weight) - A refined choice for winter, but too warm for year-round use. Works well for attorneys in colder climates who want a richer, slightly textured look without going overly casual.

• Avoid lightweight synthetic fabrics (polyester blends, below 8 oz weight) - Wrinkle easily, develop an unnatural shine, and don’t hold their shape well over time.

A heavier wool fabric (Super 100s–120s, 10–12 oz weight) sits better on the body and drapes cleanly, making it a smart investment for trial attorneys who need a suit that maintains its structure after 8+ hours in court.

Best Suit Colors for Commanding Respect

The best colored suit for a lawyer is navy blue or charcoal grey.

Avoid black suits, as they are overly formal and hard to pair with other colors or shirt.

Color determines how a lawyer is perceived before they even speak. The safest, most effective options are:

Navy (Midnight or Deep Navy)

The gold standard for lawyers. Approachable yet authoritative.

Works equally well in litigation, corporate law, and in-house roles.

Looks sharp under artificial lighting in courtrooms and boardrooms, where harsh overhead lights can make lighter colors look washed out.

Here's an example:

Charcoal

Slightly more formal than navy but just as versatile.

Charcoal works particularly well for older attorneys or senior partners - it has a weightier, more traditional feel.

Here's an example:

Colors To Avoid

• Black - Too severe for daily wear, best reserved for evening events, funerals, or highly formal legal proceedings. In bright daylight, black can look overly stark and aggressive, which is why it’s not ideal for regular use.

• Brown & Green - While some shades of brown work in creative industries, they don’t convey the necessary gravitas in legal settings. Green suits, even in deep olive tones, create too much of a fashion-forward statement - best avoided for anyone who isn’t a name partner with the credibility to bend the rules.

Subtle pinstripes can work, but they should be no more than 1/16-inch wide and spaced at least 1/2-inch apart to remain discreet. Bold pinstripes create a “finance-world” look rather than a legal one, which can send the wrong message in corporate law.

Here's a pinstripe example:

How Many Suits Does a Lawyer Actually Need?

This isn’t law school - you can’t just rotate two suits and pray no one notices.

Here’s your baseline:

• 3 Core Suits - A navy, a charcoal, and a backup navy or charcoal.
• 2 Trousers per Suit - Because pants wear out 2–3x faster than jackets.
• 1 Formal Suit - A double-breasted charcoal or navy for high-stakes cases, TV appearances, or partner-track moments.

Pro Tip: Always factor in dry-cleaning frequency - having a rotation prevents over-washing and extends the suit’s lifespan. Courtroom attorneys often need more than corporate lawyers due to heavier wear.

Belts & Briefcases

First, you want your belt and briefcase to match the color of your shoes. This creates consistency throughout your look.

The best material for both belts and briefcases is full-grain vegetable-tanned leather (it'll last for decades with proper care).

Best belt specs:

• Width:1.25” – 1.5” - thin belts are for casual Fridays (which don’t exist in Big Law).

• Buckle: Simple rectangular metal (brushed silver or gold, no oversized cowboy buckles).

• Length: If your belt extends past the third hole, you need a smaller size.

Here's a great example of a reversible full-grain leather belt you can pair with multiple suits:

Briefcase specs:

• Design: semi-structured or hard-sided briefcases are best for most settings (learn more).
  
• Colors: Black, brown or oxblood red, matching your other accessories (learn more).
  
• Top Handles - shoulder straps are fine for your commute or between meetings, but you should walk into client-facing situations holding your briefcase by the main top handle.
• Dedicated Laptop Compartment (Padded, at least 15.6” wide) – The WSJ is digital now, and so are your case files.

• Lockable Compartments – Because SEC compliance and client confidentiality exist.

• Structured Shape – A sagging briefcase is the legal-world equivalent of an unpressed suit.

Our favorite lawyer briefcase, the No.1:

Best Shirt Color & Material

It's best to go with a white or light blue shirt, as these will match your suits well.

Avoid any fancy, flashy colors or collar types.

A perfect suit can be instantly ruined by the wrong shirt, whether it’s an off-color choice, an ill-fitting collar, or fabric so thin it turns transparent under courthouse fluorescents (not a good look when cross-examining a witness).

Here's what to choose:

• White - The undefeated heavyweight champion of dress shirts. There’s a reason Supreme Court justices, CEOs, and the entire editorial staff of The Wall Street Journal stick with it. White is sharp, authoritative, and projects clarity.

• Light Blue - If white is the power move, light blue is the approachable alternative. A little softer, a little friendlier - think Neal Katyal in a corporate arbitration.

Risky colors:

• Pink, Lavender, or Anything with Personality - Sure, Jamie Dimon pulls off a pink shirt, but he’s a billionaire banker who doesn’t need to argue in front of a judge. Lawyers, stick to the fundamentals.

• Patterns (Stripes, Checks, Windowpane, Herringbone) - Faint twill? Fine. But anything more? Save it for the weekends.

• Bold Colors (Red, Green, Purple, Yellow) - You’re a litigator, not a talk show host.

Shirt fabrics and collar types:

• Fabric: 100% Cotton (Poplin, Twill, or Broadcloth). Anything under 120gsm (grams per square meter) risks turning sheer.

• Collar Type: Spread or Semi-Spread. Button-down collars are too “business casual” for a serious courtroom setting.

• Cuff Type: Barrel cuffs for daily wear, French cuffs only when paired with subtle, classic cufflinks (think Tom Ford-level understatement).

• Opacity: No one should see your undershirt through your dress shirt. If you hold it up to the light and can read Harvard Law Review through it, it’s too thin.

Shoes: The Final Detail That Defines a Lawyer’s Look

You wouldn’t draft a contract with Comic Sans. So why ruin a $3,000 suit with cheap shoes? And trust me, your senior colleagues will notice.

Here's what to choose:

• Black cap-toe Oxfords (Goodyear-welted, full-grain leather, 5-6 eyelets) - The most formal and versatile option. The only acceptable choice for courtroom wear.
• Dark Brown Oxfords or Derbies - Works for corporate law, arbitration, and in-house roles.
• Oxblood (burgundy) - A power move. Pairs well with navy and charcoal suits.
• Avoid:
  • Square-toed shoes - Cheap and outdated. Like showing up to court with a briefcase from Walmart.
  • Full brogues - Casual. A little too “weekend in the Hamptons.”
  • Exotic leathers - Are you trying to win a case or audition for a mafia movie?

If you’re arguing a $1.2 billion merger case, black cap-toe Oxfords. If you’re handling a high-profile media negotiation, you might flex oxblood.

Know a law graduate?Here are our top gifts.

Best Ties

Done wrong, and you might as well be wearing a novelty tie from Above the Law’s “What Not to Wear” list.

Here's how to choose:

• Dark Red / Burgundy - The legal-world equivalent of a royal seal. Red is power, but toned-down burgundy keeps it sophisticated.

• Navy - Think Daniel Craig’s James Bond in a boardroom. Serious, sharp, and undeniably professional.

• Material: 100% Silk. Always. Polyester ties? That’s fresh-out-of-law-school energy.

• Texture: Smooth satin or grenadine (the same fabric favored by Italian litigators). No knits, no rough textures.

• Width:3.25 to 3.75 inches - anything skinnier looks junior, anything wider looks dated.

• Length: Should end exactly above the belt buckle - not below, not floating awkwardly mid-torso.

• Knot: Four-in-Hand. Windsor knots are too bulky unless you’re defending a Fortune 500 CEO on Bloomberg TV.

Do I Even Need To Care About My Suit?

Short answer: Yes, if you plan on progressing in your career. If you're already successful and experienced, then you'll likely get away with more flamboyant choices (but don't test that infront of a jury).

Picture your Monday morning. Walking into court to argue a tight case worth eight figures. The judge glances up, the opposing counsel sizes you up, and before you even say a word, their brains make snap judgments:

Are you trustworthy? Are you confident? Do you look like someone who wins?

Your perfectly tailored suit will ensure clients, judges, and juries believe you. The wrong one? At best, forgettable. At worst, you look like the intern sent to take notes.

In law, every detail carries weight - how you argue a case, how you phrase an email, and yes, how you dress. You already know you can’t afford a weak cross-examination - so why would you risk a weak first impression?

And here’s the thing: The best-dressed lawyers don’t waste time figuring it out as they go. They follow rules that work.

Looking for a gift for a lawyer in your life? We have a full range here.