From day one. Judges were wearing black robes long before there was a US Supreme Court.
Judges typically wear their robes only while presiding over court proceedings to signify their authority and impartiality. It is not common practice for judges to wear their robes outside of the courtroom, as they may prefer to dress in regular attire when not performing their official duties.
Robes
Judges typically wear (judicial) robes.
Judges typically wear a formal black robe in the courtroom as a symbol of their authority and impartiality. They may also wear a white collar, depending on the court's tradition or the type of case being heard.
Not all judges wear black robes. Judges technically do not have to wear robes at all. The robe and it's color is traditional and customary only.Some judges now wear dark blue or navy robes. Chief Justice Rhenquist wore black robes with gold stripes, a fashion he took up after playing the role of a judge in a Gilbert and Sullivan performance.Depending on the court or the calendar, a judge may wear no robe at all. In some states magistrates sit without robes.It is a tradition that judges wear black robes only in the United States. Judges in Great Britain wear scarlet robes, as anyone who watches PBS would know. There has been controversy in the last few years in England as to whether some of these traditions (including the wigs for both judges and attorneys) should be maintained.The tradition of wearing black robes dates back to c. 1635, England.
The color scheme of red, white, and black for judges' robes is traditional and symbolizes authority, impartiality, and justice. The colors also provide a sense of formality and seriousness to the courtroom proceedings.
brown and black
"Politicians in black robes" is just one definition of an elected judge. While judges often encourage voters to believe that judges are above the political fray, this saying succinctly disputes that self-serving perspective.
In olden times they wore wigs because it was a sign of nobility ( now they don`t )I think the robes are just uniform
Rogues in Robes - 2012 Clerk of Court 2-30 was released on: USA: 25 February 2013
Rogues in Robes - 2012 Officer of the Court 2-55 was released on: USA: 12 August 2013