Justice Breyer, the fashion maven, makes a colleague swoon

FILE - In this Jan. 21, 2016 file photo, Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer speaks in Washington. A Supreme Court copyright dispute over cheerleading uniforms Monday, Oct. 31, 2016, brought out the fashion maven in Breyer. "The clothes on the hanger do nothing. The clothes on the woman do everything," Breyer said during an argument about whether the design of cheerleading uniforms can be protected under copyright law.(AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File) FILE - In this Jan. 21, 2016 file photo, Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer speaks in Washington. A Supreme Court copyright dispute over cheerleading uniforms Monday, Oct. 31, 2016, brought out the fashion maven in Breyer. "The clothes on the hanger do nothing. The clothes on the woman do everything," Breyer said during an argument about whether the design of cheerleading uniforms can be protected under copyright law.(AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)

By Associated Press October 31, 2016 2 min read

WASHINGTON (AP) – A Supreme Court copyright dispute over cheerleading uniforms Monday brought out the fashion maven in Justice Stephen Breyer.

“The clothes on the hanger do nothing. The clothes on the woman do everything,” Breyer said during an argument about whether the design of cheerleading uniforms can be protected under copyright law.

Justice Elena Kagan chimed in to say Breyer’s words were “so romantic.”

The case pits Varsity Brands, the leading manufacturer of cheerleading uniforms, against Star Athletica.

But the justices and the companies’ lawyers invoked Dutch painter Piet Mondrian, French artist Marcel Duchamp, clothing designer Stella McCartney, actor Kate Winslet and gorilla suits as they tried to figure out whether the design of cheerleading uniforms can be protected under copyright law.