gwyneth paltrow court looks

The question of what Paltrow would wear to Utah’s Park City Court was never going to be fatuous, but an intriguing consequence of visual culture.

The question of what Paltrow would wear to Utah’s Park City Court was never going to be fatuous, but an intriguing consequence of visual culture.

Gwyneth Paltrow appeared in court this week, attending a civil trial for a ski accident that occurred in 2016. Retired optometrist Terry Sanderson filed a claim in 2019 accusing Paltrow of causing a collision at Deer Valley Ski Resort in Utah that left him “seriously injured” and without “the ability to function at a high level”. 

According to Sanderson’s original claim, Paltrow “skied out of control… knocking him out, and causing a brain injury, four broken ribs and other serious injuries.” Sanderson amended his complaint a month later, adjusting the value of sought damages from US$3.1 million to US$300,000.

Paltrow has chosen to counter the suit, alleging that it was Sanderson who “[ploughed] into her from the back”. “Ms. Paltrow was angry with Plaintiff, and said so,” reads her counterclaim. “Plaintiff apologised. She was shaken and upset, and quit skiing for the day even though it was still morning.” 

Paltrow is seeking “symbolic damages” of US$1 as well as costs to cover her legal fees.

Sign up to the Vogue newsletter

Celebrity lawsuits—or trials involving high-profile industry figures—aren’t commonplace, but they’re by no means anomalous. Recall when Meghan Markle sued Associated Newspapers Limited for copyright infringement and breach of privacy in 2019, or Amber Heard and Johnny Depp’s infamous trial in April last year, involving claims of domestic abuse from Heard and defamation from Depp. 

What inevitably emerges from these events is a coalescence of commentary—discourse traditionally reserved for celebrities, like style or beauty, taking place in an unwonted context. It’s a fact which these celebrities are also aware of, and attempt to harness in varying degrees. Infamously, conwoman Anna Delvey hired former Glamour staffer Anastasia Walker as a courtroom stylist, and would appear on the stand in Victoria Beckham, Saint Laurent and Céline (yes, with that Philo ‘e’ acute) glasses. 

Said Walker to Elle of the conscious decision to dress Delvey in black: “People have made comments that she doesn't take life seriously, but to me black is just a strong and powerful colour. It’s serious.”

Image credit: Getty Images

The question of what Paltrow would wear to Utah’s Park City Court, therefore, was never going to be fatuous, but an intriguing consequence of visual culture. So far, the answer has been high-end neutrals and knits. Paltrow began the trial in a high-necked jumper and olive green overcoat from The Row, and opted the following day for a belted cardigan from her own brand, G. Label by Goop and a pair of brown Celine lace-up boots. Most recently Paltrow wore a double-breasted grey suit, accessorised with the same gold chains she’d sported each day prior.

Image credit: Getty Images

That Paltrow is consistently wearing lighter colours, as stylist Alexandra Wood told the Evening Standard, is likely intentional. If Delvey’s decision to wear black came from a place of “seriousness” or atonement, Paltrow’s, Wood explains, could communicate innocence, or least temperance. “I thought it was interesting that she’s in cream all the time,” said Wood. “It’s notably quite angelic, it brings out a softer side in her. And then it’s all knitwear too—again, very soft. So it represents that she’s like ‘I’m cool about this, I’m chilled, I don’t need to over-impress.’”

Another detail to note is that Paltrow has, for the time being, stayed away from sharper silhouettes. Though her pieces are polished—jackets, coats and roomy pants that fall into the realm of workwear—they’re softened by the fabric and palette. Where a black blazer might read coldly, a cream jumper comes across as unthreatening. These are pieces that make the wearer seem relaxed, grounded—before, of course, you uncover the price tag.

Image credit: Getty Images

Unsurprisingly, comments from the public have come in thick and fast. Some compared Paltrow’s gold aviators to Jeffrey Dahmer’s glasses, while others have noted the irony of Paltrow’s ‘stealth wealth’—the optics of a star, often criticised for being out of touch, wearing luxury designers and carrying a US$250 Smythson notebook to a civil trial.

Paltrow’s trial is slated to end on March 30, 2023.

Sign up to the Vogue newsletter

Subscribe to become a Vogue VIP and receive monthly magazine delivery, digital edition access, VIP event invitations, insider content, exclusive offers from our luxury partners and more. Subscribe today

Originally published as gwyneth paltrow court looks