Fashion for Doctors

56 Comments

1. It’s not April Fool’s Day, is it?

   1. Not everybody on this site is a lawyer, you know…

      1. Yes – I wear a suit 1x a year, but I don’t whine about all the suit posts. Not a doctor, but in a STEM field where I work in labs or factories that are sometimes 90% men, and I really would have appreciated some serious wardrobe help when I was first starting out as to how to balance my need to find clothes where I could be taken seriously by the higher ups, but have full range of motion to bend/lift/carry, stand on my feet all day, find not-hideous safety shoes and still keep my clothes affordable because there is a chance I will ruin them in the lab any given day.

         1. Me too…always in the hardware lab, most of the time on my feet and have to wear closed toe shoes. I have wide feet and my shoes are just plain ugly. I was feeling sad wearing them this morning and wanted to post myself for suggestions. And any dangling accessories like a long necklaces, scarves etc are not an option they can get caught to all the stuff here.

            1. Some Danskos come in cute styles :)

               And instead of necklaces and scarves, maybe earrings?

            2. I like shoes of prey & munro.. double wide width + orthotics …and I’m not even 30

            3. Same wide width. I like Softspots. Each fall they have 1-3 pairs of fairly flat “skimmer” style leather shoes. I won’t say they are “cute” but the are acceptable and not actually ugly. They sell out quick, and usually only come in black and maybe one other color.

   2. Not sure what you think the joke is…

   3. Yeah, this was just rude…

   4. The whole tone of this post is “bubblegum-popping fluff piece” and I…didn’t this used to be a site for adult professionals?

      1. There has been much yuckier gum popping fluff here as of late, but I wouldn’t include this in that list.

         1. Not in the least.

            1. Co-sign. Also, I am an attorney, but enjoy hearing from and about women in other professions. Even their fashion.

            2. Agreed, I’m a lawyer, and I like this post a lot! I would love more inclusion of STEM profession tips, it would broaden the audience here!

      2. It’s always been a fashion site, and this is about fashion for professionals. I don’t really understand the problem.

         1. The problem is the tone. This is not a post about fashion. This is not a post for professionals.

         2. The problem? It’s out of touch and it reads like Buzzfeed.

            1. +1, such is the trend here lately.

   5. The topic is great, but citing Mindy Lahiri, your own personal experience as a patient, non-medical sites and emailing two people who are doctors is ridiculous. How about actually looking at dress or health codes or doing some substantive research? 7720x

      1. Exactly.

      2. I miss Old Corporette.

         I miss the old commenters.

      3. Sorry, what substantive sources do you recommend for research on what qualifies as “professional, polished, hip, comfortable” clothing?

      4. Yeah, Kat – make sure you cite to some peer-reviewed journals when discussing professional attire, otherwise it’s just worthless.

         **sarcasm

      5. I don’t think she did cite the Mindy Project. Kat often uses slightly sarcastic or pop-fluff photos as illustrations, but I don’t think the text of the actual advice didn’t mention Mindy as a role model.

         ETA: Nope, she said she likes Mindy’s bright colors, but didn’t advise copying her attire (which would actually be appropriate, from what little I’ve watched of the show).

         Another good site to look at would be the blogger Franish, who’s a medical student and talks a lot about dressing for her clinical and hospital dress codes.

   6. Glad I continued reading. The other comments on this piece are really interesting and helpful!

2. Great topic, thank you for including medical professionals! I am a mom of 2 in academic medicine, mostly doing outpatient clinic. In the 11+ years in this field a few things I have learned:
   – pockets and sensible shoes are a must (a mentor told me this is the reason men have dominated this field)
   – tailored trousers and blouses are my uniform: pockets/belts for pagers, little risk of exposing body parts when leaning over to examine patients/adjust exam tables, and you can change top or bottom in cases of stains/body fluid accidents. I love Vince and Theory for this.
   – for comfortable shoes I like Danskos/Geox/Rockport total motion, some of these are conservatively stylish, but more importantly, you can stay on your feet all day
   Finally, agree with Kat, invest in a good haircut. Nothing worse than having hair in the way doing exams, etc… Find a great hairstylist who can do a good cut that is forgiving if grown out (most of us cant keep half of my hairdressers appts due to schedules).

   1. I promise you pockets and sensible shoes are not the reason.

      1. Ha, this made me laugh out loud. I’m in a skirt suit and heels today, for court, and I am chuckling to myself about how THIS must be why I was the only woman courtroom full of lawyers today– no pockets!! And my shoes!!

3. Finally…. an article that I can relate to!!

   My 2 cents– fashion choices for a female doctor depend immensely on what their work load encompasses and whether they need to wear a lab coat at work.

   During my younger years, my wardrobe had to be highly functional and able to accommodate physical stuff with wide range of motions (think resuscitating patients and accompanying patients on ambulances to major hospitals on trips that take at least 4 hours round trip; surgical scrubs are only to be worn in the operating theater as those are considered sterile and not to be worn outside, so you’re stuck with the clothes that you come to work with until you go home).

   Thankfully with seniority, I graduated to more normal and wider wardrobe choices and this is aided immensely by my specialty (ophthalmology) which is largely outpatient based. Still, the wardrobe basics remain the same– clothes still need to allow flexibility of motion (to allow bending and moving around for examination, especially for paediatric patients). I used to work in hospitals where the lab coat is mandatory so sleeveless tops and sheaths were basically what I wore but now thankfully my present hospital does not demand the formality of lab coats so that saves me one less laundry headache. Pencil skirts, short sleeve tops and short sleeve dresses are my fashion staples nowadays- simple with professional silhouettes and suitable for the tropical climate in the very likely (and frequent) event when the air conditioning fails.

   And I wear cross body bags at work– theft is a major issue in public hospitals so having my wallet, cell phone and keys with me in a cross-body bag (I never take it off at work except to go to the OR) might not be the most professional look, it does eliminate the worry of losing things and save me the extra hassle of lugging my bag every time I leave the room to perform a procedure or exam in another room, and touch wood, because of this paranoia I have not lost anything before compared to my less cautious colleagues.

   I would LLLOOVE to sashay to work in designer duds, heels and fancy purses like Kate Walsh in Private Practice… alas, in my world, I’ll probably end up with my dress and shoes missing from the OR changing room and stained purse from the OR floor (just because I daren’t leave it in the changing room locker).

   1. The commentators here are great. You guys provided really good practical advice I can use.

   2. duplicate!

   3. SW, what kind cross-body bag do you wear?

      1. I use small cross bodies which can carry my wallet, keys, cell phone, lipstick and some instruments for exam, the size is just small enough that it doesn’t impede movements so I don’t even need to take it off while alternating between my desk, slit lamp and examination room. Previously I had a Coach Penny, it was very cute and highly functional but the leather doesn’t take abuse very well and was a magnet for scratches from my pen which was clipped to my name tag lanyard. Now I’m using Kate Spade Primrose Little Kaelin.

4. This is very interesting. I like hearing about fashion at work in a non-office environment.

   I went to a midwife practice for my pregnancy, and the midwives had a lot of personality in their style choices. Some had that older, arty, hippie look – wild gray hair, clogs, colorful clothes. And there was one younger one who was tattooed and had that retro, modcloth look. When I went to the hospital for my labor and delivery, I remember being shocked to see the midwife in the white coat because she looked so different from the office visits, but I noticed that she still had her turquoise nail polish on. I loved all the midwives, and their fashion choices certainly didn’t make me think any less of them at all.

   I do find myself scrutinizing my dermatologist’s skin for signs of wrinkles, acne, and also obvious botox and fillers, which perhaps isn’t fair. I’m glad I’m not a dermatologist!

5. (1) I love The Mindy Project!

   (2) I am so happy to learn that I can search specifically for dresses with pockets on the Nordstrom website.

   That is all.

   1. +1

6. A friend of mine is a veterinarian and some of this resonated about her dress concerns. She mainly wears stretchy dress pants and she always tests the crouchability in them (she has a booty). Also, like the concern about doctors, she is often leaning over a patient and can’t wear tops that gap or are too lowcut. She has to be careful about fussy necklines because of potentially flailing animal legs or claws. She is on her feet for long hours so she wears the Dansko mary jane clogs. She also wears a lab coat and everything has to be washable, of course. One area where she can show some personality is jewelry. I’ve given her some fun animal-themed jewelry that she says have gotten a lot of interest from her clients – like a king cake baby necklace where the baby is hold a basket with a puppy (during Carnival season, of course) and a black diamond dog paw.

7. Not a doctor, but I do wear a white lab coat daily at work. One thing that has made a big difference in how I feel about how I look at work is to tailor my lab coat slightly. Our lab coats are sized for square shaped people (and generally men), so I had to size up quite a bit to get one that would button at the bottom over my pear shape, which means it was super extra wide in the waist and just made me sad every time I saw myself wearing it. The sleeves are also too long, which meant I was always rolling them up. Because it is so wide, I also was catching my coat on the corners of tables, and the slits to get to your clothing pockets on doorknobs etc. Our coats are technically rented, but the reality is that we destroy them at a rate of replacing them about once a year, so my boss told me to go ahead and tailor them if I wanted, but not to cut the extra fabric. So I had a friend who is a seamstress hem up the sleeves into the appropriate cuffed length, and take in the side seams from the armpits on down. I am also considering sewing little snaps in the side pocket slits, because I still wind up catching them on things, and I don’t mind unbuttoning my coat to get to my pants pockets. For doctors, I imagine you buy your own coats and can probably get coats cut for women – but if you wind up with one that isn’t a good fit and it is yours (you aren’t just grabbed shared coats off a rack), its worth it to have something you will wear daily tailored to a better fit.

   I also get hot wearing a lab coat, so most of my wardrobe is short sleeved shirts with either cardigan or casual blazer over them which I can take off to put on the lab coat. I keep a cotton 3/4 sleeved sweater in my office to layer between the short sleeved shirt and lab coat if for some reason the lab is cold like on winter mornings – but I rarely need long sleeves.

8. I have a female doctor (clinic practice) who has the BEST wardrobe. She basically wears whatever she wants — skinny jeans, chunky sweaters, drapey t-shirts — under her lab coat. And she has long wavy hair. She’s so stylish that I don’t care that she’s wearing jeans; obviously it also helps that she’s super competent.

   Seriously, I want to be her.

9. Not a doctor as well. I wear a labcoat when I’m dealing with patients and a heavy waterproof green gown when I’m working with specimens. We generally wear nursing scrubs–lots of selection, lots of pockets. We can wear dress clothes as well. I generally stick with pants unless I have a meeting and need to dress up more. We have to have covered legs so pantyhose with skirts and dresses. Shoes must be covered toe and heel. Dansko and Birkenstock are my favourites. Dress shoes are OK as long as they’re stable and cover the foot. The doctors here (male and female) usually wear dress pants. They may be more dressed up at their clinics. There’s other rules–no jeans, no T-shirts with logos unless it’s a lab type logo. (ie. don’t show up in that Molson Canadian tee), nothing sleeveless, nothing revealing etc. If it’s cold, we’ll wear a long sleeved plain tee under the scrubs.

10. I’ve actually seen some facilities where ties and white coats are discouraged for germ reasons. Maybe male doctors clean their ties more than lawyers, but I’ll be happy to overlook that formality of dress in a medical setting.

11. Thank you for this topic! There is honestly too little information about this. So many, many fashion blogs about teachers, educators, lawyers, and even physician extenders, etc., but vanishingly few resources for physicians who don’t want to default to the bootcut trousers, Danskos, and button-down shirt look.

    I am a mid-30s female hospital-based pathologist, and I’m the youngest in my practice. Where I’m at, there’s not a lot of guidance on this topic, so I’ve had to develop my own “rules.” I’m in an office behind a microscope for most of the day, but I do have to get out occasionally and see patients, look at bloody, gross specimens in the OR, and present at hospital meetings with other physicians. I don’t wear a white coat and haven’t since residency.

    I tend to have the following in my day-to-day wardrobe:
    -short-sleeved or long-sleeved tops; if sleeveless, then with some sort of topper (cardigan usually, sometimes a blazer). High-ish necklines or camisoles underneath. No exposed bra straps.
    -pants that are not too tight. Usually slim-leg (BR Sloan Ankle pant or Limited Exact Stretch), but I do still wear some bootcut trousers
    -skirts are pencil or A-line, no more than 1-inch above the knee
    -dresses often enough; again, if sleeveless, with a topper. no more than 1-inch above the knee
    -comfortable shoes – flats or wedges, and (personal preference) no heels above 2 inches
    -minimal jewelry

    The thing I struggle with most is color and pattern. I love, love, love to wear bright colors and patterns, but I try to reasonably limit the loudness. I look young, and I’m afraid that wearing really loud patterns or too many brightly colored pieces will make me look younger or “unprofessional” (given that the average physician I work with is a late 50s white male and may have a different standard for dress than someone in their 20s or 30s). I love clothes, and I’m just trying to find the right balance of wearing things I love (or am not bored with) and also not appearing to stick out from my colleagues.

    1. Your job sounds awesome. I wish I had been encouraged to pursue something in the sciences.

12. I’ll never forget the resident in the ER when my father had a heart attack – she was wearing her hair in two little braids a la Pippi Longstocking. She looked 12. Not reassuring to the patients or their families.

    1. Or, she was dressed in a way so that her hair would not get in the way of the procedures that needed to be done. Or so she minimized cross contamination in the case where some patients may vomit, bleed, etc. The ER is a really dirty place.

    2. My BF from high school is a surgeon with thick, wavy, gorgeous hair who has to wear it this way because her hair is too heavy to put in a ponytail and it has to be up and able to go under her surgical cap on a moment’s notice.

13. Would have been great to also get recs on cute scrubs and where to get them for a deal! :)

14. Thanks so much for including us doctors! I’m a young general surgeon in a academic practice and just out of fellowship, so I’ve been reading your post for awhile and really think there’s some great advice. I think the comments here have been right on: I tend to wear my lab coat everyday and suit blazers only occasionally (mostly for meetings). I lean to separates or dresses with pockets so my pager stays on my person (and not my coat) and definitely am getting quite a collection of “noticeable” necklaces – since I’m operating several days a week, dangling earrings are out – studs only at work.

    I agree with the other commenters about shoes, but I’m somewhat opposite. On days that I have clinic, I wear more comfortable shoes since I’m walking around in them all day. On the days I operate, I break out the bigger heels and less comfortable ones – I only wear them for about an hour before changing into sneakers for the OR. I’ve now broken in a few pairs of heals this way and it keeps the rotation fresh.

    I’m pretty young, and look even younger, but I’ve taken some of your advice about looking older (make-up, big necklaces) and I think it helps. I tend to lean to very conservative professional attire (many times I wear a suit without the blazer and no “risky” hemlines or necklines) in darker colors. My goal and hope is that my patients notice my knowledge and skills long before they notice my clothes… but a little something lively to keep me interested and feeling feminine is important! Thanks again for the post, Kat!!

15. For those interested I’d recommend the blog Franish.

16. When my late husband was sick, one of the things that made being in the hospital all the time was that his oncologist/hematologist was a vision. She was always dressed to the nines. She nearly always wore some kind of structured dress, with high heels. Her make-up was always well done (but “natural”) and she always had her hair pulled back, and some tasteful small hoops or studs in her ears. She is very competent as well, one of the stars of the department. It can make a difference to patients and stressed, tired families to see someone so pulled together. I think her dress-sense served to underscore her competence.

    You can see her and her style here starting at 0:12 http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/charity-sends-montreal-area-cancer-patient-to-see-beyonce-in-toronto-1.1592369

17. Ouch. It’s too bad patients are judging my ‘messy hair’ that I admit I’m guilty of having. But when I have been up in the middle of the night delivering a baby, back at the hospital at 7 am, seeing patients all day in clinic without a break – my hair is pretty low on my priority list. Your impression of ‘harried’ is accurate! It certainly doesn’t help that we wear scrub caps. I will say ob-gyns like me are less fashionable than many others in medicine, as we are forever running from one clinical setting to another, often changing in and out of scrubs, so making the effort to make a coordinated outfit sometimes doesn’t seem worth it. I’m making it a goal to improve my wardrobe and that’s why I read Corporette – how nice to see a post that fits my life!

18. Appreciate being included as a physician. I am a foot and ankle surgeon both in the OR and clinics. I am also short so I always try to look polished and put together with tailored slacks, fun bright tops under the white coat, or structured dresses. Large long necklaces are out as they can dangle in wounds but I always try to wear fun earrings to lighten an outfit.

19. I really liked this article from the Atlantic on physician attire: http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/12/the-clothes-make-the-doctor/382866/

    It talks about how the definition of professional attire for healthcare providers should depend on the context and should enhance, not impede the patient-provider relationship.

    ‘”When you’re seeing patients, you have to look like you’re not afraid to get dirty.”‘ – a physician quoted in the article

20. Thanks for this post, Kat. Also thanks to anonymous on 4/25 for the Atlantic article link. Wearing white coats tends to vary by specialty (usually pediatricians and psychiatrists don’t) and location. I’m a primary care internist and wear mine mainly 1) to appear “the part” (since I look young), 2) so I don’t lose my stethoscope and 3) to keep my blazers from getting too dirty. Also one time I was wearing a blazer while working at a long-term care facility and a male dentist thought I was a social worker.

    I rely on different necklines, colors and patterns for interest. I personally avoid large necklaces because they can get in the way and I have to wear an ID badge. I also remember an older female physician saying once that you should avoid wearing certain types of jewelry in case if a patient attacks you (I think she was a psychiatrist, or worked mostly in a mental health setting).

    Machine washable clothes are key in case of contact with body fluids. Also pockets so I can keep my valuables with me. I wear flats so I can walk around easily (and for long periods) — Clarks works well for me.

21. I am a physician who checks out this website from time to time. Pretty much as a doc you learn what works your first year on rotations in med school. You realize you need comfortable but nice shoes, can’t wear bulky things (sweaters, etc. ) under your white coat. I get down or lean over to exam knees, feet, etc. so nothing short or gapping shirts.
    this is all common sense for anyone who has been in the hospital for even a week.
    I am not sure why a physician would ask you, a lawyer, for fashion tips for doctors?? I feel like this is a made up question just to post it.

    Please be aware the majority of those who go into medicine our priority is not fashion.
    Medicine has highly intelligent people and sometimes intelligent people are eccentric. Isn’t that the case in any field?
    I wear very clean appropriate outfits. The focus is 100% on what I am saying and on the patient , not on what I am wearing.

    I own plenty of Chanel and Louboutins, etc. There is a time and a place for everything.

22. This is a really interesting article, and I agree that while fashion shouldn’t be a top priority for doctors, they should still look professional and appropriate. There’s a really interesting history behind doctors’ dress and it turns out that the majority of patients really do prefer when their doctor wears a nice white lab coat, it helps build more trust. Here’s that article:
    https://www.medelita.com/blog/debunking-the-white-coat-debate/

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