Wigs and Fun

Judges and lawyers in Britain have been wearing wigs for at least 300 years. Originally the wigs were made of human hair: today, however, they are made of horsehair. Barristers also wear gowns in courts. Junior barristers wear gowns of alpaca wool; senior barristers, known formally as the Queen's Counsel, are more commonly called ‘silks’ because their gowns are made of silk. The gown of every barrister has a small pouch sewn into the left shoulder - a reminder of the time when barristers were not allowed to solicit fees, and instead solicitors would simply slip golden guineas into the pouch.