WASHINGTON — Our Verify exists to fact-check the things you read online. All over the internet, people are paying homage to Justice Ruth Ginsburg by donning a jabot, a specific type of collar, to commemorate her iconic look.
By rocking the look, some are also curious as to when and why Justice Ginsburg wore them in the first place. Some have dropped a wide range of theories, including this one:
QUESTION: Did Justice Ginsburg wear different collars depending on whether she agreed or disagreed with the court decision?
So let’s Verify, is that true?
ANSWER: Yes, she did have specific collars for specific court decisions.
SOURCES:
- A 2014 Yahoo News interview with Katie Couric and Justice Ginsburg
- A 2009 C-SPAN interview
PROCESS:
When asked about her fashion, Justice Ginsburg held up a black collar and said quote “Well this is my dissenting collar."
When Couric asked her why, Ginsburg said “It looks fitting for dissents.”
Next, she held up what she called her majority opinion collar, saying: “So when I’m announcing an opinion for the court, this is the collar I wear.”
During a 2009 C-SPAN interview, Ginsburg showed off one of her favorite collars and explained that since the standard robe is made to show a man’s shirt and tie, she and Sandra Day O’Connor decided they should include something feminine for their robes.
So we can Verify, yes, RBG said she had different collars she wore depending on whether she had a dissenting opinion or delivered the majority opinion.
Here's just a handful of pictures from those rocking RBG's signature look: