Why Do British Lawyers Still Wear Wigs?
people.howstuffworks.com
In the late 17th century, wearing wigs became a common practice in law. But why has it endured for so long?
      • delirious_owl@discuss.onlineEnglish
        1·
        1 year ago

        Wigs began to catch on in the late 16th century when an increasing number of people in Europe were contracting the STI. Without widespread treatment with antibiotics (Sir Alexander Fleming didn’t discover penicillin, the treatment for syphilis until 1928), people with syphilis were plagued by rashes, blindness, dementia, open sores and hair loss. The hair loss was particularly problematic in social circles.

        This fucking culture, man. People getting dimensia and going blind, but if they loose their hair then their friends abandon them.

  • delirious_owl@discuss.onlineEnglish
    0·
    1 year ago

    Wigs are so much a part of British criminal courts that if a barrister doesn’t wear one, it’s seen as an insult to the court.
    …
    Most are handmade from 100 percent horsehair, though there are synthetic versions available today, too. Horsehair wigs aren’t cheap, either, especially when they’re handmade and combine an ages-old craft of styling, sewing and gluing. A judge’s full-length wig can cost more than $3,000
    …
    Those who couldn’t afford the best garb but wanted to look the part wore wigs made of hair from goats, spooled cotton or from the hair of human corpses

    This is the stupidest and most disgusting thing I’ve read today, thanks.