And Now to Judge Winona's Wardrobe

By Stephen M. Silverman

Friday November 08, 2002 10:00 AM EST

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With the verdict in her shoplifting case now in -- in case you didn't hear, Winona Ryder was found guilty of grand theft and felony vandalism -- now comes an even more stern judgment of the "Girl, Interrupted" star: that of her court wardrobe.

Friday's Washington Post asks whether the stylish garb she wore in Beverly Hills Superior Court might have worked against her.

"Throughout her trial," writes The Post's Robin Givhan, "Ryder looked splendid. For all of her courtroom appearances she was outfitted in a perfectly chic, refined and demure ensemble. She may be a shoplifter, but she has impeccable taste."

Givhan suggests that it was Ryder's celebrity that attracted all the prying eyes to the courthouse to begin with, although, she writes, "there was another lure. What might Ryder wear? What fabulous designer goods did she pinch? Would her pitch-perfect sense of style and its subtext help sell her case to the jury?"

In the end, The Post, after decreeing that "the Marc Jacobs dress -- the one from the fall 2001 collection, with the trompe l'oeil contrasting collar -- was particularly well chosen," gives Ryder the thumbs up.

"It's tempting to suggest that other folks who stand accused of criminal conduct take a few cues from Ryder's smart but conservative courtroom attire," says the paper. "How nice to see a defendant rise above the tried-and-true dark suit and opt for a more fashionable facade."