‘Fitting for Dissent': RBG's Iconic Collars Were More Than an Accessory
Ginsburg had a collection of statement-making collars in her "jabots" closet, composed of gifts and purchases from around the world
By Danielle Abreu ••
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Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg stylizes the bland SCOTUS robes with statement-making collars and jabots.
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was as well known for her trademark collars as she was for the fiery courtroom dissents she issued while wearing them.
The Banana Republic necklace, which Ginsburg reportedly received in a gift bag at a Glamour "Women of the Year" event in 2012, was frequently worn to show disagreement with the majority opinion on cases before the court.
But she also donned it on other occasions, most notably the day after Donald Trump's election in 2016. Ginsburg raised eyebrows when she took the bench wearing her dissent collar even though the court didn't issue any decisions that day, according to NBC News.
Ginsburg died Friday at age 87. The social media icon, affectionately called the Notorious RBG by her legion of fans, was the second woman to serve on the nation's highest court.
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has died, the Supreme Court said Friday.
Ginsburg had a collection of statement-making collars in her "jabots" closet, comprised of gifts and purchases from around the world. And while they helped bring some style and femininity to the Supreme Court uniform, consisting of an oversized black robe, they also served to telegraph her opinion to the courtroom even before she took a seat.
"You know, the standard robe is made for a man because it has a place for the shirt to show, and the tie," Ginsburg said in a 2009 interview with The Washington Post. "So Sandra Day O'Connor and I thought it would be appropriate if we included as part of our robe something typical of a woman. So I have many, many collars."
There was Ginsburg's "majority" collar, a yellow crochet jabot gifted to her by her law clerks, "for when I'm announcing the opinion for the court," she told Couric. Her favorite collar in her collection was a simple white crochet lace jabot from Cape Town, South Africa. Ginsburg wore it to President Barack Obama's first address to a joint session of Congress in 2009 and then again for his State of the Union addresses in 2010, 2011 and 2012.
When it was time to take the first official group portrait with newly appointed Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who was confirmed in a party-line vote after denying an accusation of sexual assault in high school, Ginsburg wore a spiky necklace made of feathered metal wings that evoked armor. Many on social media speculated the metallic collar was a subtle commentary toward her new bench colleague. But the Stella & Dot Pegasus necklace was actually a gift from a fan, according to Town and Country.
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Portrait of Ruth Ginsburg, filed 1977.
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US Senator Joseph Biden (L), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, whispers on July 20, 1993 to judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg shortly before his committee began Ginsburg’s confirmation hearing for the position of associate justice of the US Supreme Court.
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The only two female Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court, Sandra Day O’Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, pose for a portrait in Statuary Hall March 28, 2001 surrounded by statues of men at the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. The two Justices were preparing to address a meeting of the Congressional Women’s Caucus.
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Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg with husband Martin Ginsburg.
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Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg reads to a group of children from a story book at the 10th Anniversary of TV’s “Reading Rainbow”.
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Sentimental Pres. Bill Clinton applauding Judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg after Supreme Court nominee’s moving acceptance speech, in WH Rose Garden.
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U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg sits in her chambers at the Supreme Court August 7, 2002 in Washington, DC. Ginsburg is the second woman to be appointed to the high court.
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In this March 3, 2006, file photo, Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg joins the members of the Supreme Court for photos during a group portrait session at the Supreme Court Building in Washington.
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Members of the US Supreme Court pose for a group photograph at the Supreme Court building on September 29, 2009 in Washington, DC. Front row (L-R): Associate Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, Associate Justice John Paul Stevens, Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Associate Justice Antonin Scalia, and Associate Justice Clarence Thomas. Back Row (L-R), Associate Justice Samuel Alito Jr., Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Associate Justice Stephen Breyer, and Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor.
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U.S President Barack Obama (C) greets (L-R) Supreme Court Justices Anthony Kennedy, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer before the State of the Union address on Capitol Hill on January 25, 2011 in Washington, DC.
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Supreme Court Justices Elena Kagan, left, Samuel Anthony Alito, Jr., Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Anthony M. Kennedy react during prayers at a private ceremony in the Great Hall of the Supreme Court where late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia lies in repose on February 19, 2016 in Washington, DC.
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Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg holds a copy of her new book ‘My Own Words’ after An Historic Evening with Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg at the Temple Emanu-El Skirball Center on September 21, 2016 in New York City.
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U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (R) waves to students as she arrives at a lecture September 26, 2018 at Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, DC. Justice Ginsburg discussed Supreme Court cases from the 2017-2018 term at the lecture.
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Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg speaks onstage at the Fourth Annual Berggruen Prize Gala celebrating 2019 Laureate Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg In New York City on December 16, 2019 in New York City.
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U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg participates in a discussion at the Georgetown University Law Center on February 10, 2020 in Washington, DC. Justice Ginsburg and U.S. Appeals Court Judge McKeown discussed the 19th Amendment which guaranteed women the right to vote which was passed 100 years ago.
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Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg greets participants at an annual Women’s History Month reception hosted by Pelosi in the U.S. capitol building on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.
Lawyer Susan Hyman told the magazine the piece "reminds me of something a warrior princess like Wonder Woman would wear as armor into battle. It projects strength, confidence, and fearlessness."
Ginsburg's collars didn't always serve to make political opinions. Earlier in her Supreme Court career she was often seen wearing more traditional jabots, like the white bibs of magistrate judges. Her style evolved over the years and her collars became a source of fascination for feminists and fashionistas alike.
Check some of her most famous neckwear below:
The Majority Opinion Collar
In this Feb. 12, 2013 photo, Ruth Bader Ginsburg attends President Barack Obama's State of the Union address wearing her "majority" opinion collar. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
The Favorite Collar
Ginsburg wore her favorite white crochet lace jabot from South Africa to attend President Barack Obama's State of the Union address on Capitol Hill on Jan. 25, 2011. (Photo: Getty Images)
The Original Jabot
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Ginsburg's netted lace collar made frequent appearances in her earlier years as a Supreme Court justice.
The Pegasus Collar
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In this Nov. 30, 2018 file photo, Ginsburg poses for an official Supreme Court portrait, the first following Brett Kavanaugh's nomination.
The Blue Collar
In this Jan. 20, 2015 photo, Ginsburg arrives for President Obama's State of the Union address donning another of her favorite collars, a blue beaded piece that, like her crochet lace collar, was stored laying flat instead of hanging in her closet.(Photo By Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call via Getty Images)
The Tribal Statement Collar
Ginsburg wore a tribal printed statement necklace for an official group photo of Supreme Court justices on June 1, 2017. (Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)
