Not to Be the Fashion Police, but are Your Scrubs Sexy?

Yep, you read it correctly!  The old adage says “sex” will sell anything and it seems that includes scrubs!  We know all scrubs aren’t created equal, one size doesn’t fit all and we are very glad we have color choices beyond the many shades of teal.  We could even take a step back in time when scrubs were for OR staff only, yet somehow we all had a pair in our closets.  So scrubs are here to stay and are the uniform of today’s health workers.  They occupy a huge market space. However, I am not sure how I feel about the marketing message of “cute scrubs that have an edge of sexy”.  In the age of the #MeToo Movement this seems a counterintuitive message and one that could be a potential hot potato issue in a healthcare environment.

The whole idea of having ‘sexy’ in the same sentence as scrubs makes me cringe.  I guess it is a product of having worked with students for many years where we dictated their attire and did our level best to assure it wasn’t sexy!   I do understand that having options that match your style and make you feel your best are important.  After all, you spend the majority of your waking hours in your scrubs. So finding that balance that allows you to express yourself and perform your job comfortably is the goal. Right?

Believe it or not, the issue is currently under debate in Europe and no doubt has made its way to the US.  Product descriptions tout their scrubs will “show off your sexy side with a print that’s pretty but sophisticated”.  Another says “they’re fitted to hug to your curves while staying comfortable for long days on your feet” and “scrubs with a zipper and a layered front, doesn’t even look like scrubs at all!”  Another says, “If you want to feel your best at a long day at work— and maybe even wear it out after— these scrubs will work for you.”  Really? Do you want to wear your scrubs out on the town after a hard day at work?  Help me out here… Am I over reacting to the message? Sound off!

Author

3 thoughts on “Not to Be the Fashion Police, but are Your Scrubs Sexy?

  1. Sophisticated, Stylish prints & colors, Cute, comfortable
    But in my own opinion, & after being in Dental for years, Sexy shouldn’t be a focus on scrubs in the Medical & Dental field/
    Healthcare .

  2. Studies have shown, how you look affects how you feel, and how you feel affects how you look. If wearing a pair of tastefully ‘fitted’ scrubs makes a person feel good, then I don’t see an issue with sporting a more fitted look. The clothing industry, is merely playing into the emotions of the public by advertising ‘sex’ and ‘scrubs’ in the same breath; making this commodity a more attractive purchase for the consumer. It’s brilliant advertisement! (I mean, common… it has us talking about it in this forum!).
    As a side note: I don’t see anyone who works with infectious patients all day long going out on the town in a pair of 12-hour worn scrubs; be that as it may, I could be wrong on that point ~

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.