Bill Cosby and the optics of courtroom apparel
Pulitzer Prize winner Robin Givhan decodes the deeper meaning of Bill Cosby's courtroom sweater, and the role of clothing in influencing public opinion.
Did Bill Cosby wake up the morning of his formal arraignment and arbitrarily decide on his outfit? Pulitzer-Prize-winning fashion critic Robin Givhan seriously doubts that.
In the court of public opinion, Givhan argues that apparel is no trivial matter — and that Cosby's grandfatherly sweater was a very calculated choice.
"When it comes to these kinds of court appearances ... trying to influence public opinion begins from the moment that person is viewed, in public, as the accused."
