January’s already over and February’s here which means it’s time for an all new Editor @ Large Contest! As usual the contest will run for the entire month and the winner will be awarded with a $50 gift certificate to Lydia’s Uniforms. Keep reading for all the details.

Speak your mind and win a spot as guest editor at Lydia’s Uniforms. If you win you get a $50 gift certificate to spend on new medical uniforms and your winning entry will be featured on our blog! Each month there will be a different topic, so feel free to enter every month to increase your chances of winning. We’re running the contest wherever you connect with Lydia’s, whether it’s our blog, MySpace or Facebook.

For February, we want to hear all about your favorite brand of medical uniforms. Which brand do you think is best and why? Are you in love with Barco Medical Scrubs and Grey’s Anatomy Uniforms because they’re irresistibly soft? Or do you prefer Cherokee Scrubs and their wide selection of styles and options. Maybe you’re not crazy about either of these brands, but there’s another one that you can’t get enough of. Regardless of which brand is at the top of your list we want to hear about it and why it made the top. So go ahead, leave a comment and tell us about your favorite brand. And don’t forget, doing so will enter you for a chance to win free medical scrubs from Lydia’s!

The important details (there aren’t too many):  
-Comments must be under 200 words.
-The contest will begin on the 1st of each month and end at 11:59 p.m. on the last day of the month
-One winner will be chosen from all of the comments we receive.

P.S. Check back later this week to find out who won January’s Editor @ Large Contest!

Season Five of Grey’s Anatomy is in full swing and I’ve been trying to keep up with all the new developments and the never ending drama (what’s up with Izzie and Denny?!). Since I know that many of you have been watching since September, I thought I would ask what you think of the cast members in their scrubs. Who rocks their medical uniform and who doesn’t? Or do you think that you and your co-workers look better and, of course, more like real medical professionals than anyone on that show when you throw on your Grey’s Anatomy Uniforms. I noticed that these hospital scrubs have 5 star reviews on the site and I think maybe it’s because you do look better than the cast in them.

So tell me what you think about the show, the medical uniforms and whatever else is on your mind! Leave a comment here. 

Barco Medical Uniforms  
Grey's Anatomy Top    

Want something new to freshen up your medical uniforms? If so, you’re visiting Lydia’s Uniforms at the right time. Brand new Barco medical scrubs, the Classic Cord Collection, have just arrived in our warehouse; as of this week they’re available on the web site. What I love most about these designer medical scrubs is their combination of comfort and style. After I felt how soft they were I had a whole new outlook on corduroy. It’s so subtle in these apparel scrubs, yet it still enhances their feel and style.  Plus I love the tiny details like the little buttons on the tops and pants. Check out this video and if you like what you see, head to LydiasUniforms.com and find these new Barco medical uniforms in your size and color.

The colors of fall are here. I spent a few hours in my car driving yesterday and I saw one tree after another with yellows, oranges, browns and reds emerging from the branches; I realized that autumn is upon us. The rich colors of fall are perfect on the trees, but also perfect for apparel. All the clothing web sites I frequently visit are featuring these deep colors on their home pages and I think they have the right idea.

On September 16th I posted a blog about Halloween print scrubs. In that post I mentioned that a great alternative to print apparel scrubs are medical uniforms in fall colors. I didn’t give you any examples of what Lydia’s offers in those colors, so today I’m going to do that. Here are my picks for stylish scrubs in this season’s best colors.

                   
                         
Scrub tops from left to right: Dickies Contrast Mock Wrap Top in Mandarin, Katherine Heigl Woodstock Drawstring Mock Wrap Top in Cafe, Barco Grey’s Anatomy Scrubs Junior Fit V-Neck Top in Merlot

Scrub pants from left to right: Dickies Everyday Ladies’ Flare Leg Pants in Mandarin, Katherine Heigl Woodstock Low Rise Flare Leg Pants in Cafe, Barco Grey’s Anatomy Scrubs Junior Fit Pants in Merlot

What fall colors do you like to incorporate into your wardrobe for work?

I’ve been working at Lydia’s for a little over four months now. Even after such a short period of time I feel like I’m basically an expert on medical scrubs. From Barco Nursing Uniforms to Cherokee Scrubs, my brain is bursting with information about Lydia’s. So considering all I know about scrubs and about Lydia’s Professional Uniforms, I can only begin to imagine what kind of information is in the mind of a long term Lydia’s employee.

For today, we’ll hear from one of those long term employees. I didn’t quiz him about the knowledge he has on scrubs (I’ll save that for another time), but I did find out how he wound up working at Lydia’s and why he’s stayed here for the past eight years.

Read on. 

I’m a Lucky Person by Francisco Saenz

Yesterday it was eight years of me being an employee of Professional Uniforms.  On that day I always look back and realize how fortunate I am to be here. 

I used to live in Denver, Colorado. There I worked for a company that sold science fiction toys, and let me tell you, there was no better day than product training day.  On product training day you went into a room full of toys and well, you had to play with our new product line.  It was awesome!

But as years went by and the national economy took a downturn, sales decreased and I decided to look for other employment opportunities.  One day I received a call from my current boss here at Professional Uniforms, he called and said, “Hi I’m Jim with Professional Uniforms, I’m calling you from Grand Rapids, Michigan”.  At that time many thoughts went through my head but mainly…  Where is Michigan?  So we talked for awhile and while he was telling me about his product line, his catalog, etc. I was searching the Internet trying to find Grand Rapids on a map. I agreed to meet with him in person, so a few days later I came to Michigan and we talked for nearly 6 hours.  I met his family (they all work here) and we all shared our views about the industry and the importance of quality customer service.  I was so impressed with this company that as soon as I went back to Denver I sold my house and moved to Michigan (July 2000).  Since then, I can honestly say that the fast pace we experience here at Professional Uniforms sure beats playing with any of the coolest toys we ever had in Denver.  It has truly been a blessing to be able to serve customers whose jobs are so necessary and so important.  Thank you for keeping me here all these years, and thank you to Jim. As always, I look forward to serving you soon.

One look through a Lydia’s catalog will tell you that medical clothing uniforms come in all sorts of styles. Whether traditional hospital scrubs, lab coats and suits, a nursing dress or designer medical scrubs; the many styles of medical clothing uniforms continue to transition with the times. With so many styles of medical clothing uniforms to choose from, it seems that the line between acceptable medical clothing uniforms and unacceptable is extremely blurry. As that line continues to become more blurred, employees must abide by the policies and opinions of their employers when it comes to picking out their medical clothing uniforms or medical scrubs. 

When researching dress codes at different locations around the country I discovered that there’s no uniformity when it comes to uniform dress codes. It seems that the most popular dress code is basic scrubs with a specific color for each position (green for surgeons, blue for RNs, etc.). But even this dress code isn’t uniform. Colors are different for different facilities. Sometimes patterns are acceptable and sometimes they’re not. And then there’s the whole issue of jewelry, nails, hair, etc., and it’s a complicated issue! There are other facilities that seem to be more lax, permitting any style of scrubs, having casual Fridays and some that even permit jeans to be worn with scrub tops.

As I read different forums and posts across the Internet, I discovered that employee’s opinions about dress codes are just as diverse as the dress codes themselves. Since personal care providers are often required to do strenuous and/or messy work and because more facilities are no longer providing medical uniforms, but instead requiring employees to buy medical uniforms; it’s no surprise that there are strong opinions about what can and cannot be worn.  On one site I looked at, more than one individual expressed that they were actually narrowing down their job options based on dress codes. Many individuals stated a dislike for dress codes that require all white scrubs if they’re going to be performing duties that will likely be messy. And some individuals were perfectly fine with dress codes, whatever it may be, as long as they could wear comfortable medical scrubs.

I also discovered an article at American Nurse today that outlined a study on medical scrubs. The study attempted to discover what patients preferred when it came to medical scrubs. Results showed that 64% of patients thought nurses should be allowed to wear any uniform color, 39% said they would like to identify their RN by uniform color and 80% said they would like to identify their RN by a large print “RN” on a name badge. Interesting results considering the number of hospitals that use color as a way to define their employees’ positions.

In my opinion, both the more modern stylish medical scrubs and the traditional basic scrubs look professional as long as they are worn in a neat and clean matter. What's your dress code and what do you think?

And as someone who wears medical scrubs, which look do you like best? The first look is a dress by L.A. Rose. The second look consists of Barco Medical Scrubs. And the third look is a scrub top by L.A. Rose with a pair of flare scrub pants by Dickies.

           

Uniforms can be good, uniforms can be bad and uniforms can be downright ugly. After putting some serious thought into it I decided that medical scrubs fall into the good uniform category. Now I know you might be thinking that my opinion is biased and of course I would think scrubs are good, but hear me out on this one. 

Before working at Lydia’s I spent four long years working in a restaurant and wearing a uniform that easily falls into the category of ugly. Think non-fitted, faux denim button down shirt, accompanied by a pair of unflattering khaki pants, topped off by a men’s tie. If the scratchy fake denim shirt didn’t send that outfit straight into the ugly category, then accessorizing it with a men’s tie certainly did. And that’s not really the worst part about this uniform. The worst, most obnoxious thing about this uniform is that it was replaced with a much more flattering uniform the exact same week that I put in my two weeks notice.

Prior to that I had a job which required me to wear a blue polo with black pants. Alright, there’s nothing horrible about that, right? Wrong. The shirt was only available in sizes that were twice the width and length of any normal shirt I would wear. Trying to tuck it in, as was required, resulted in me trying to shove yards of fabric into the waist of my pants. Needless to say this was not a good look or feel, and that is why this uniform falls into the bad category.

On the contrary to my old uniforms, medical scrubs come in a variety of colors and prints and there are more and more stylish medical scrubs each season. Although some of you may not get to choose the scrubs that you wear, you do get the reassurance that at the very least your medical clothing uniforms will be comfortable. For those of you that do get to choose, you’re lucky. Designer medical scrubs from brands like Koi, Urbane and Katherine Heigl follow all the latest fashion trends and come in a variety of styles and sizes. Your options are endless.

Bearing all this info in mind, you have to believe me when I say I browse through the racks of Barco Medical Scrubs, Landau Scrubs or stylish medical scrubs by Katherine Heigl with a slight feeling of envy. I would be elated to wear any uniform that was a nice color and didn’t feel like cardboard, not to mention any uniform with a pretty pattern, shape or fashion forward style. So for all those reasons, I feel completely justified placing medical scrubs in the category of good uniforms, even if I am biased.

Plus, as long as your uniform consists of scrubs, you can be reassured that you’ll never have to dress like this (unless you want to):

To see uniforms that fit into the good category, including restaurant uniforms, check out our sister company Uniform Warehouse. Or of course you can head to  Lydia's Uniforms. And please feel free to comment and share any stories that you have about the uniforms you wore before you wore scrubs.

I don’t think I’m alone when I say that I’m impatiently waiting for April 24^th to come; the day that Grey’s Anatomy finally returns to the air after what seemed like decades of no new episodes! Hopefully I’m not the only Grey’s geek who has been counting down the days since the last new episode aired in January. I can’t help it; there’s something irresistible about watching McDreamy saunter around in his lab coat and scrubs.

In the last episode that aired Meredith and Derek’s on again off again relationship was once again off and the episode has left us wondering (for the last 3 months!) whether or not the two will stay apart. Plus there’s the turmoil between Miranda and her husband, the possibility that Lexie and George might move in together and the fact that Erica admitted that she might actually be interested in Mark if they weren’t colleagues.

So what do you think is going to happen when April 24^th finally comes around? Is there a possibility that Derek and Meredith will get back together, or that Miranda and her husband will separate?

And who do you think wears their hospital scrubs the best? I think Izzie is required to look amazing in them since she does have her own line (see our Katherine Heigl scrubs here), but I’m personally a fan of McDreamy myself.

(Also, have you seen our full line of Grey's Anatomy scrubs by Barco? If not, check them out.)

I had the opportunity to have a great conversation with Kathy Peterson, the designer of Koi Scrubs the other day.  She and I really see eye-to-eye, probably because we both love to show off the fashion side of medical scrubs.  Here’s what she had to say…

Can you talk a little bit about your background?  Why scrubs?

My background is actually in fashion. I’ve been in the fashion industry for 15 years and started off working for Carole Little and have also worked for companies like Guess. I’ve done Disney product and really, I’ve just run the whole gamut of fashion design. I ended up at a uniform company called Barco and designed for companies like McDonald’s and KFC.  I had an opportunity to do some designs in the medical field and just loved it. It was the best happy medium between doing fashion and doing something that was functional. I really enjoyed the fashion element.  I love creating something that has a purpose… so that was the best opportunity to do something in fashion that was practical.

I started Koi because when you work for someone you don’t have control over the image of a product.  You have to turn it over to a marketing department and it wasn’t a complete vision for me. I wanted to control my product from beginning to end and have a unified vision. This was the next step because I was at the maximum I could grow.  This gave me an opportunity to share my vision and hope that people liked it.

What is Koi Happiness?

How we qualify a garment is that we look for something that is cheerful and happy, but functional.  We want to take the current trends and infuse the two. We interpret from fashion because we feel like a lot of the customers that are shopping for scrubs are the same ones shopping at Macy’s Bloomingdale’s or other stores. It’s important for me to have scrubs look like they’re viable in that same marketplace.  I think that the scrub market had existed for a long time on scrubs that did not have a fashion component.  Scrubs used to have fashion as a secondary component, and people focused on how practical it was, just the function.  We looked for things that married the two.  It’s great to create a product that people appreciate and helps them to feel good about themselves. 

What is the one thing you want customers to feel from your designs?

If we could in a small way help someone to feel better about themselves, that is the great reward for us. They work so hard and have such long shifts- anything we could do to make their lives easier or better is what we strive for.

I have to say that the road test of our scrubs was a success- not just because of what Leesa and I found, but because of YOUR comments.  What we found was that you are looking for sizing options and comfortable fit (kind of like us!).  I agree that everyone should feel like they look their best, whether at work or not, in scrubs or out of them.  So, without further ado, here are my top suggestions for medical uniform brands to try based on body type.

If you are petite or slender, try…

Urbane Scrubs - These designer medical scrubs are junior fit and flatter petite types most.

Baby Phat Medical Uniforms – Choose Baby Phat scrubs for a fun and funky alternative in scrub fashion.

Dickies Hip Flip – Popular “hip flip” scrub pant styling, and you’ll love the color palette.

Grey’s Anatomy – More celebrity uniform style comes to you in the form of quotes from the show and super soft fabrics. Made by Barco medical scrubs.

Our Own Signature Collections – Our Lydia's Signature Scrubs as low as $5.99.  Starting at XS and featuring petite and tall options as well as a variety of fabrics and prints galore. Great option for offices and hospital teams!

If you are average, try…

Dickies Sandwashed Scrubs– This line is missy fit and is sized like the misses section of your favorite department store. Lots of cute options!

Cherokee Authentic Workwear – The “hip flip” styling on their pants makes for a comfy fit and avoids “baggage”.

Katherine Heigl Medical Uniforms – She created this line after working in scrubs on “Grey’s Anatomy”, and trust us, she knows what you need in a stylish medical scrub!

Koi Nursing Scrubs – Youthful tailoring and girly details make everyone feel great.

Cherokee Flex-i-bles – This yoga-inspired line keeps you ready for action.

LA Rose – Cool basics & prints with extra detail in the styling.

White Cross – Your own style expressed in artistic designs.

Our Own Signature Collections – Our Lydia's Signature Scrubs as low as $5.99.  Looking for options?  Check here first!  Our hospital uniforms feature the most color choices you’ll find anywhere.

If you are curvaceous, try…

Dickies W – These scrubs are designed to fit all of your curves. 

Cherokee Basic Uniforms – One of the world’s most recognizable brands features specializes in super soft fabric. 

Landau Medical Scrubs – Top notch comfort with lots of options up to size 5X.

Our Own Signature Collections – Our Lydia's Signature Scrubs as low as $5.99. As always, our own line has options for EVERYONE up to 5X.

If you are tall, click here to see our full selection of uniform pants for tall sizes.