Evolution of Medical Scrubs

October 8th, 2009 |

Ancient civilizations have left behind the earliest records of the practice of medicine. The treatment of diseases has been practices for ages, evolving and developing to the highly technological, precise science that it is today. With the progress in medical science came changes in clothing as well. Healers in the past wore natural materials while doctors from a more recent past wore standard uniforms like white hospital scrubs and lab coats. Of late, fashion has entered the picture. health

Hit TV dramas such as SCRUBS. and Grey’s Anatomy have spawned the notion that hospital scrubs are the ultimate apparel for comfort and fashion. The stars of the popular shows have made nursing scrubs fashionable. But before Katherine Heigl launched her scrubs collection or Urbane nursing scrubs became a leading choice for modern nurses and other medical professionals, scrubs were only worn by surgeons and only during surgeries.

In the 19th century, surgeons performed surgeries in their everyday street clothes. You might ask, “Who would want blood stains on their clothes?”

The stain issue eventually made 19th century doctors wear aprons to protect their clothing from bodily fluids. Eventually, surgical uniforms, the earliest version of hospital scrubs, were designed to replace the aprons in the 1940s. The standard color of these medical uniforms was white. White was chosen because it facilitates a crisp and clean appearance.

However, white surgical apparel has some setbacks. White can cause eye strain and fatigue. In addition, white surgical uniforms with blood stains can be an unpleasant, even repulsive sight for almost anyone.