Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s “language of collars”

Have you ever wondered:

- What is fashion, and how does it relate to our self-representation?

- What is fashion, and how does it relate to our professional image?

- What is fashion, and how does it relate to feminism?

- Can political opinions be expressed through fashion?

- Can fashion be a means of communicating meaningful messages to the world? 

Today, many people understand the importance of fashion as something that teaches us a great deal about ourselves, our history, and the social, political, behavioral, and economic structures that existed—and still exist. But have you ever thought about fashion as a symbol: a personal symbol, a group symbol, a professional symbol?

The late Ruth Bader Ginsburg (1933–2020) tells a story that brings all these questions together and offers a unique perspective on a one-of-a-kind woman who became a symbol. Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a woman who dreamed and made her dreams come true—a woman who pursued her goals with a passion for bringing about change.

Bader Ginsburg was born in New York in 1933 to an observant Jewish family. When she was an infant, her only older sister, who was six, died. Several years later, just before Ruth graduated from high school, her mother also died. Ruth was intelligent and talented, and earned high grades in school. She received a scholarship to the prestigious Cornell University, where she met Martin Ginsburg, whom she later married in 1954. They studied law and raised their family. After earning her law degree in 1959, she struggled to find work. No law firm anywhere in New York City would hire her. In an interview, she said she was rejected for three reasons: “I was Jewish, a woman, and a mother.” Thanks to her perseverance and impressive accomplishments, she managed to find work as a law clerk for a New York district court judge.

In the 1970s, she began teaching and writing about equality. She fought for women’s rights and for equality for men who care for their children. In 1980, she became a judge, and in 1993 she was appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court. This was an unusual appointment, as only one woman had been appointed to the Court before her. Until then, the Supreme Court had been an exclusively male stronghold. She consistently ruled in favor of gender equality, workers’ rights, and voting rights, and became known for her forceful dissents from Supreme Court majority decisions.

Bader Ginsburg broke the glass ceiling for many women in her professional advancement as a lawyer. Her legal achievements were also groundbreaking: she supported same-sex marriage, fought discrimination against women, and worked to advance women’s right to abortion as well as the rights of minorities. She worked tirelessly and opposed gender discrimination against women.

A few years ago, in 2020, when she was 87, she died. Shortly after her death, Israeli-born international photographer Elinor Carucci was invited by Time magazine to photograph the pioneering justice’s trademark—the collection of her collars.

Her collars reveal a great deal about her life. The collars she made a point of wearing over her black judicial robe were, of course, a fashion statement, but above all they were a political and feminist statement. Wearing collars over her robe was very important to her. In a 2009 interview with The Washington Post, she explained that the standard black robe worn by judges was designed for men because it allows the shirt and tie they wear underneath to show. Since there was no robe similarly designed for women, she chose to consistently wear a feminine item over her judicial robe to affirm her femininity and strength.

Bader Ginsburg’s collection of collars included embroidered, knitted, and beaded pieces. Photographs of them appeared in a new book, The Collars of RBG: A Portrait of Justice, by Elinor Carucci and Sarah Bader, published by Penguin Random House.

Bader Ginsburg’s collars had both political and feminist significance, and shed light on pivotal moments in her career, such as the collar she wore when making her earliest argument for gender equality, or the one she wore when supporting marriage equality for same-sex couples. But beyond that, her collars served as symbols and a way to communicate with the world. Here’s how to “read” Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s collar language:

- Delicate collars—when she announced a majority opinion

- Ethnic collars from her travels around the world—a tribute to civil rights and economic issues

- Dark collars—when she announced a dissenting opinion

So, Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s collars were her way of communicating with the world and sending it messages. 

“Majority Collar”:

Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s Majority Collar, which she often wore when announcing a majority opinion from the bench. The collar was made by Anthropologie and was a gift from her law clerks in October 2006, Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s Majority Collar. Photo: Smithsonian Museum collection

“Dissent Collar”:

Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Elena Kagan. Photo: Supreme Court of the United States

Bader Ginsburg wearing a lace collar by artist Simi Knox. Wearing a delicate collar like this represents writing a dissenting opinion. It was one of Ginsburg’s original lace jabots, which she often wore on the bench from 1993 to 2008. She also wore it in official Supreme Court portraits in 2001, 2003, 2009, and 2010.  

This shows how fashion can be used to express a position and serve as a symbol. How we can understand hidden messages without words, simply through what we wear. Without saying a word, just by looking at what Bader Ginsburg wore to each hearing, we can understand the message she wanted to convey in the face of injustice.

After a long life spent fighting for equality, Ruth achieved everything she had dreamed of and more, becoming an inspiration to all who believe that fair and equal legislation can change the world. Her passionate defense of equality made her a hero and a beloved symbol around the world. She was a trailblazer: the second woman on the U.S. Supreme Court and the first woman to become a full professor at Columbia Law School. Her collars are visual, feminine messages that defy the dull black robes worn by male judges.

The nine U.S. Supreme Court justices sit for a photograph. Ruth Bader Ginsburg (bottom row, second from right) stands out with the collar she wears over her robe. November 30, 2018. Photo: Fred Schilling ( Fred Schilling), Office of the Curator, Supreme Court of the United States

And finally, a particularly moving collar: 

All of Ginsburg’s former law clerks gave her a collar at a reunion they held in 2018. They approached Japanese designer Miyako Nakamuro of M.M.LaFleur (M.M.LaFleur) and asked her to create a collar that represented Ginsburg and her family’s support for her. Her husband Marty, who supported and admired her, left his job to move with her to Washington. The collar is made up of four layers, each representing a member of the family. For example, a layer of dotted jacquard fabric from a man’s tie represents Marty, while a floral jacquard layer represents their two children, Jane and James. Inside the collar—where others cannot see it—is an embroidered quote from her late husband, Marty Ginsburg: “It’s not sacrifice, it’s family.”

(To see the stunning close-up photograph of the collar and its inner embroidery, take a look at M.M.LaFleur’s official Instagram account).

And now, on a personal note:

I love the world of collars and the way they convey a message to the world. Because a collar sits in such a central place, close to the wearer's face, it becomes a significant item that is immediately noticeable when speaking with someone standing in front of us. In addition, the collar's small size relative to the rest of our clothing elevates it to the status of a true piece of jewelry. Every little detail stands out on a collar; the design is almost miniature, and each and every detail conveys a message. That's why I incorporated collars into my collection. Ruth Bader Ginsburg inspired me in creating this collection. If I could turn back time, I would be more than happy to see her wearing a collar like this, designed by me.  

A collar by Liat Brandel 

Entirely handmade. It echoes the aesthetic of Ruth Bader Ginsburg's collars

And finally, with the hope and firm belief that our world will only continue to become a better place, a quote from Ruth Bader Ginsburg:

To make life a little better for people less fortunate than you, that's what I think a meaningful life is. One lives not just for oneself but for one's community

“To make life a little better for people who are less fortunate than you, that's what I think makes a life meaningful. One lives not just for oneself, but also for one's community.”

The cover image of this post is a photograph of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, official portrait from 2016. Photo: Supreme Court of the United States (Public Domain  (Public Domain) 

Bibliography:

https://www.elle.com/culture/career-politics/interviews/a14788/supreme-court-justice-ruth-bader-ginsburg/?utm_source=Pinterest&utm_medium=organic

https://www.timeforkids.com/g56/honoring-ruth-2/?rl=en-810 

https://www.calcalist.co.il/style/article/b13lzrzht

https://time.com/5914834/ruth-bader-ginsburg-collars/

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For details: Liat Brandel Gilon, liatbrandel@gmail.com