Past to Present: Bridging Generations in Fashion is a Women’s History Month series focusing on disruptors who have made significant contributions to fashion and the culture at large.
Yodit Tewolde, the stylish lawyer-turned-judge, is beginning to embrace color in her wardrobe. She is admittedly a minimalist, though you wouldn’t know it from the bold red hat and On Running track jacket she wore during our video call. Inspired by her mother, this “less is more” approach to dressing gives way to the impeccable cut and fit that Tewolde prefers in her clothes; tailoring is critical. She tells me, too, that she prioritizes getting the most wear out of her purchases. Tewolde shops and dresses with intention. I immediately picked up on the level of precision she dedicates to getting dressed when I was scrolling through her Instagram in preparation for this story.
Her style, like her judgment, is sharp, assured, a near given having spent a portion of her career taking on cases for her private practice and the Dallas County District Attorney’s office. Eventually, Tewolde, who was born in Sudan and attended Texas A&M University in addition to Southern University for law school, took her talents to television to show defendants how to finesse the courtroom and lessen one’s chances of prosecution. Now a judge on the hit court show Hot Bench, she spends time on screen wearing a judicial robe. But that’s as standard as it gets for her.
Day to day, she sports labels that are distinct in their simplicity: Fear of God, Maison Margiela, and Dries Van Noten, to name only a few. And as Tewolde is warming up to color, she’s naturally gravitated to Christopher John Rogers, whose runway show she attended some years back. When I asked her if she’s looking to step into the fashion space, she unhesitatingly said, “I’ve always been there. I’m just accepting of the fact that people have been fascinated by and had this idea of how lawyers should present themselves,” adding that she’s “always gone against the grain.”
For her, getting dressed is foremost a pleasure pursuit. But it’s also a kind of image and political statement-making that is subtle in its intent yet powerful in effect.
Below ESSENCE.com speaks with Yodit Tewolde about her love of fashion, where her fixation on clothes began, and the role it plays in her life.
ESSENCE.com: How does your background factor into your style? Is it linked to your Eritrean heritage at all?
My mom. I have a picture [of her] on my Instagram from the 1990s. I love the 1990s, the style back then—the fashion, the music, the culture. She embodied that style, just super laid-back. She is the one who taught me less is more, so I have a very minimalistic style. My mom taught me to focus on one thing. It could be your hair, it could be jeans. And her suits were impeccable.
In what ways has it overlapped with your life and career?
As a young lawyer, I was told that anytime you go into the courtroom, you’ve got to wear stockings, and I was [not a fan]. I was the young lawyer who was always in pantsuits and very mindful of how I dressed to address a certain audience, a jury, for example. Being mindful of the way I dress has always been a part of the job, but I’ve pushed the envelope just a little bit.
Whenever I was outside the courtroom, I would get creative because I wanted to express myself. Now that I’m a judge and people see me on television in this black robe, they do not recognize me outside of that robe. But now it’s fun. There’s a comfort level for me to allow others to see the different layers and the different passions [of me]. I want to embrace them.
Can you trace a shift in your style as you’ve progressed?
The older I’ve gotten and the more established I’ve gotten, it’s almost as if I have nothing else to prove. I don’t care about what people expect me to look like because I’m wiser and I’ve experienced more. I feel like everyone should want to evolve not only their thinking, but their approach to life and how they dress. I’m more confident in my attire. It’s freeing. I’m more creative. I benefit from being able to create my own rules.
It’s tied to your work as an activist.
Oh, it always is. And when I had braids, for sure. It didn’t start out as activism, even though I see myself as an activist. It was more about protecting myself, my hair and my health. But people appreciate seeing you authentically on TV. It’s so important to see us in spaces that.
Who are the women whose fashion inspires you?
Naomi Ackie. She just gets it. Ryan Destiny. Zendaya—I don’t think there’s an assignment she ever misunderstood. I’m constantly inspired by them and saving their looks. For me, it’s more individuals who put things together who aren’t safe. There are so many safe looks nowadays; I love people who love to explore fashion.
I do, too. Are there any other stylish women you’ve been energized by lately?
Tulie Yaito had an article in The Cut recently; she’s more of an influencer. Her fashion is crazy. What she inspires me to do is to [have] fun with it. This stuff is effortless for her. She rolls out of bed and is just dressing for her mood. I love what she’s doing with her style. So, it’s not necessarily the people that are famous that I’m looking for inspiration from, but it’s [also] people like her. She’s not famous, but she should be.
Do you have a style motto or rule you live by?
You have to be comfortable. Other than my shoes, I’m pretty comfortable in everything that I wear because I feel like the best shoes hurt. But when you’re comfortable in your skin, comfortable in the clothing, it exudes confidence.
