A Bigwig is a slang name for somebody in authority. In the England of the 1800s, the fashion was for gentlemen to wear wigs, a custom that lasts to this day in areas such as the law courts and the House of Lords. In those times a gentlemen's wig would also indicate social status – the aristocracy, bishops and High Court judges would all sport full-length wigs which represented their position at the top of society. This class became known as the “bigwigs”. The bigwig custom in the High Court is fading nowadays as judges believe it makes the judiciary look remote and out of touch.