Here’s one more way to make shopping at Lydia’s quicker and more convenient. Check out our Narrow Your Results Feature.

Some of you may already use or be aware of the Narrow Your Results feature, but others may not have noticed it. Here’s how it works. When searching for a product you can use the sidebar to search by gender, brand, style, color, size, price and item number.
(See picture below)

Now go ahead, try it. See what you can find

I don’t wear medical scrubs on a daily basis (very rarely, actually) which might make some of you wonder what makes me qualified to write about apparel, scrubs and medical clothing uniforms on a daily basis. Even though I don’t wear them, take my word; I do know a little bit about scrubs.

Lydia’s Uniforms knows it’s important that all of its employees are educated about the products that we sell. Last week I attended a product training session to learn about the new designer medical scrubs that are in for the summer season. Some of our lovely ladies and gentleman from the customer service department put on a fashion show and I learned tons of information about the new medical scrubs. I learned about the sizing, materials, colors, patterns and styles. There was so much information that I had to take notes!

Check out these pictures of our employees modeling some of the brand new designer medical scrubs.

See what our models are wearing.
Group Picture: In front Lori is wearing the Drawstring Top from L.A. Rose in the LeDot pattern and from left to right Melinda is wearing the Kimono Print Top from L.A. Rose in the Floral Kitchy pattern, Mandy is wearing the Mock Wrap Ruffle Print Top from White Cross in Citron/Lime, Jose is wearing the Men’s Warm-Up Jacket and Unisex Three Pocket Scrub Top from Lydia’s Pro Series, Erika is wearing the Emily Top from Koi in the Stardust pattern and Oyuki is wearing the Sash Mock Wrap Top from L.A. Rose in the Chelsea pattern.

Be sure to check your mailbox for our latest Summer catalog. I'm so eager to show you this season's designer medical scrubs that I thought I would post the link here immediately so that you could see what all of the excitement is about.  I love the detail and thought that has gone into each of our new styles. These are not just your basic scrubs- each style has a twist that adds a bit of extra fashion detail, comfort, or fit.  Check them out for yourself! Just click here. 

I would like to send out my congratulations to Stephanie M. from Chino Hills, CA. Stephanie is the winner of our Win Your Wishlist Contest. That means $250 of merchandise from Lydia’s Uniforms belongs to her! What a perfect way to start Nurses Week, well any week for that matter.  

As for the rest of you who didn’t win, I know how it feels; I’m as unlucky as they come. But don’t worry; we have something for you too. Lydia’s is offering free shipping on any order of $50 or more. To receive the free shipping enter the code: NURSES58 when you checkout. So go ahead, take advantage of the free shipping and buy yourself something to celebrate Nurses Week. But you have to do it soon; this offer expires Saturday May 10^th, 2008 at midnight. 

So once again, congratulations Stephanie. I hope you enjoy your new designer medical scrubs and I hope everyone is having a wonderful Nurses Week!

Last month Rachel and Leesa decided to take our product for a test drive and wear a pair of scrubs around the office for a day. Unfortunately I didn’t work here yet; otherwise maybe I could have been the one coming to work in a pair of comfy medical scrubs! Perhaps I can convince them that we need to have scrub Monday, in addition to casual Friday. Then I could buy medical scrubs to wear to work instead of the normal office apparel. I’m not going to count on that though.

This month, instead of having Lydia’s employees do a road test of the scrubs, we decided to let a customer try it. Our customers are the ones who are working hard, moving about and putting their uniforms to the test on a daily basis, so why not hear what they have to say about their scrubs from Lydia’s.  

Our customer, Kassie, tested a pair of Katherine Heigl scrubs from her New York Collection and answered a few of our questions.

 
What are your thoughts on the fit of the scrubs?
I absolutely love them!  The tops are flattering, and have a professional look and they don't make you feel like you are wearing a box like some other tops. The pants don't quite fit perfectly, if you have wider hips, they hug that area. I love the flare bottom with the slit on the outside of the leg. I got several compliments on both the bottoms and the tops. The small details that went into making these scrubs really show.  I love the black stitching on the white, and it's even better on the black collar with the white stitching.  That is what gives these scrubs their own personality.

What are your likes/dislikes about the scrubs? What do these scrubs have that other brands do not?

These scrubs are definitely different than all the other brands out there.  You can tell that she put thought into what she was designing.

Have you received any compliments on them?
Oh my, everyone at work complimented me on them, and when I told them they were Katherine Heigl, they were floored and started calling me Grey’s Anatomy girl.  No one had seen any of her scrubs yet.

Do you have any anecdotes about your scrubs to share with us?
The only anecdote that I have is that I need to lose some weight in my hips! No scrub can help me with that!  Haha

So it sounds like Kassie is pretty happy with her Katherine Heigl scrubs, even if they did get her the nickname “Grey’s Anatomy Girl”. There’s nothing wrong with being the first person at work to have the newest designer medical scrubs. And instead of trying to make her hips smaller (because we all know that losing weight from our hips is virtually impossible) maybe she could try out a pair of Cherokee Flex-I-Bles Scrub Pants, I hear they’re quite flattering.

Does anyone else have scrubs from Katherine Heigl’s New York collection? What do you think about them? Do you agree with Kassie?

Now that it is officially spring and Earth Day is rapidly approaching; I can’t help but think green thoughts. Not only am I thinking about the green grass that’s soon to come (not soon enough here in Michigan), but also about green efforts.

After a little research, I discovered that medical scrubs aren’t the only thing that’s green here at Lydia’s. Many of the employees are living environmentally friendly lifestyles at work and at home. I only had to walk a few feet to my co-workers desk where I found a place to put my paper for recycling.

I asked some of the employees how they are green on a daily basis. I found out that this is what they do:

 Recycle everything possible (paper, plastic, aluminum, batteries, etc.) One employee gets her son involved with recycling and she says, “He loves to go [to the recycling center] with grandma.”
 Return cans and bottles to the store instead of throwing them away
 Use reusable totes for shopping (here’s one tote that Lydia's offers which can be used for shopping or for bringing your stuff to and from work)                            
 Drive fuel efficient cars
 Bike or take the bus instead of drive
 Turn off lights when leaving the room “I’m obsessive about never leaving lights on in more than one room at home,” said Lindsey.
 Use energy efficient light bulbs around the house
 Turn off or unplug appliances/ electronics that aren’t in use
 Make sure that the dishwasher and washing machine are completely full before running, in order to save water
 Use green products 
 Keep the heat down in the house
 Make all errands in one trip to cut back on gasoline

And one of my favorite green efforts came from Gail, an employee at Lydia’s, who is environmentally friendly even when she’s quilting! Gail uses recycled express and priority mailing envelopes in the creation of her quilts. I thought this was an awesome way to show how you can be green in all aspects of your life! I think I need to be more creative like Gail.                           

Finding out all this information was exciting to me. At home I tend to be alone in my quest to be green (the recycling boxes are right next to the garbage and my roommates still don’t use them)! But at least now I can come to work and be surrounded by others who are on the same quest. And who knows, maybe I’ll eventually rub off on my roommates.
 
So what do you do to be green? Do you have any suggestions for us at Lydia’s about what we could do to improve? We would love to hear your ideas.

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.

As usual, my morning is frenzied, and I have to race to get myself ready and things loaded up in the car before my son wakes up.  Since I’m a working Mom, I like to spend time with him in the morning before we leave for the day.  This morning I did things a little differently- instead of checking my closet for what to wear, I grabbed my scrubs out of the dresser (Thanks Lydia’s- and sorry about that stain. I guess you didn’t want these back anyway).  I actually felt like I was hopping right back into my jammies, but was excited about the opportunity to get a glimpse into what goes on in the world of nursing scrubs.  I will say that the scrubs did simplify my morning- I wasn’t doing much coordinating, and if truth be told, I usually spend more time analyzing how colors look against my fair skin than doing my hair.

Anyway, we hopped in the car and were on our way. I have to add here that I was starving because I had to do a fasting lab test after I dropped off Matthew at daycare.  However, I quickly let this go once I reached the lab and had such a fun time showing off my scrubs with the ladies that worked there (Note to employers: you should try out your staff in fun and flattering colors like the turquoise blue I was wearing- everyone was so excited to see it.).  Getting my blood drawn was a breeze, and I enjoyed the camaraderie I shared with the ladies in the clinic, all wearing scrubs.  I even surprised them with some Lydia’s tote bags and a few catalogs, and we proceeded to talk about our favorite items.

When I got to work, I kept an eye out for Leesa, because I knew she was wearing her uniform as well.  Sure enough, she was cheerful as usual, and looked cute in her designer medical scrubs (ok, like a dental hygienist too J ).  Together, we went to the morning manager’s meeting, and everyone was excited to see us.  The entire team caught our enthusiasm, and I think our vibe made everyone loosen up a little going into the workday.  This was one of the things I definitely noticed. I was having a hard time not smiling, and felt more relaxed than usual.  I know that this projected in my attitude toward meetings that day, and other projects I was working on.  This makes me wonder: how do scrubs affect your customer service skills?

There are a few things that I really liked about Cherokee Authentic Workwear besides the great color palette.  For example, the pants have this cool “hip flip” that ensures that they don’t bunch up, and it really helps with fit.  Also, it means that the legs don’t drag on the floor, which is something I’m picky about.  I love wrap styling for casual wear, but often find it cumbersome to pull off.  However, the mock wrap detail on the top was just enough to add a little style, and I found myself sticking my hands in the pockets all day (conveniently located- that certainly provided an answer for me about the styling of nursing scrubs!).

There were a couple of elements of my road test that I struggled with.  The scrub top wasn’t as tailored as the clothes I normally wear, and made me feel a little unkempt overall.  I’m not used to wearing anything baggy, and I also am trying to work off the baby weight, so this was something I was a little self-conscious about.  I looked at Leesa, wearing tailored looking Urbane scrubs, and wondered if she was feeling more orderly.  Also, like Leesa, I was super relaxed and ready to GO, so it was hard for me to sit at my desk all day. 

I was really glad to have the opportunity to road test a pair of scrubs for the day.  I’ve tried on lots of scrubs before, so that I can describe to you how they fit.  However, I’d never spent an entire day in them.  My respect for what you do, and the daily challenges that you face, has only been reinforced.  You need the most comfortable uniforms available so that you can focus on what’s really important- your patient.  It’s my goal to help you find them.

- Rachel

Want to test drive Cherokee Authentic Workwear Medical Scrubs yourself?  Click here to check them out!

Update: The ugly stain was removed!  But I’m still keeping the scrubs J