Retro nurse uniforms....where to order?

sauconyrunner · May 12, 2012

Be a bit careful. Not only will wearing those uniforms make your elder patients happy, it will also make a certain segment of very strange "perverted" patients very happy. I'm not kidding. When I worked in the ED, I had a least one creepy guy a week ask me why I was not dressed in that uniform.

I've found the elderly like people in all white just as well...though I admit there were many many times I wished I could wear a scrub dress, as I am not a pants person.

Morainey, BSN, RN · May 13, 2012

They have a couple at Lydia's Uniforms, white scrub dresses, that is. Also, in some uniform shops they will have a couple tucked away somewhere :)

Lydias Uniforms - Search Results for scrub dress

SunshineDaisy, ASN, RN · May 14, 2012

Allheart has a bunch

morte, LPN, LVN · May 14, 2012

My only thought is "Why?" why do you feel the need to expose your legs?

sharpeimom · May 14, 2012

i began my nursing career in ortho, and in a dress. not a good combination at all because it was almost impossible to

remain decently covered when transferring freshly returned post-op patients. i was so glad when pants became main-

stream.

as a previous poster mentioned, there are wingnuts out there who find a woman in a traditional nurses uniform sexy

and a turn on. who needs that?

BluegrassRN · May 14, 2012

For nurses week a couple of years ago, several of us bought and wore "retro" white nurse dresses (I work on an acute medical floor). Our pts loved them, and our coworkers (including the other nurses) thought they were a hoot. I wore mine on occasion until I used it for a costumed fun run, during which it was stained by dirt, sweat, and beer.

If I find the right one, I'll consider purchasing another one. I wore white support hose and a slip underneath; it was no big deal. I'm a skirt kind of gal: I have one pair of jeans, otherwise I wear all sorts of skirts. It's not a modesty thing; it's just a personal preference. I even have running skirts for exercise. Since skirts are what I wear normally, it didn't feel odd to wear a nursing dress to work.

I didn't have any sort of issue with pervs (any more than I have when I wear scrubs), and many of my older pts commented on it positively. If you want to wear a retro nurses dress, there are plenty out there. Go for it.

Dalla · May 14, 2012

I have about 10 white nurse's dresses. I simply did a google search for white nursing dresses. My favorite one came from Marcus Uniforms, cost only $30, is a great fabric that does not need ironing, and isn't see-through. It is the classic style and looks very professional. I had to buy my white nurse's cap from a site on ebay. They are not available in any scrub catalog that I have found.

GitanoRN, BSN, MSN, RN · May 15, 2012

our traditional "white uniforms" are great to wear once a year in honor of florence nightingale. however, they aren't practical to wear on daily basis since they are difficult to keep sparkling clean. however, there are 3 nurses in the facility where i work that wear the full traditional "white uniform" with cap and all, but then again they are in management. in other words, they don't deal with patients on a daily basis. below you'll find a link for traditional nurse white uniforms if you still choose to wear this attire.

http://www.uniforms4u.com/traditionalwhitenursesuniforms.html

Golden Voyager · May 20, 2012

http://www.british-nurses.co.uk/

The abovementioned website has a variety of dresses to choose from. I hope this helps.:)

DoGoodThenGo · May 20, 2012

I have about 10 white nurse's dresses. I simply did a google search for white nursing dresses. My favorite one came from Marcus Uniforms, cost only $30, is a great fabric that does not need ironing, and isn't see-through. It is the classic style and looks very professional. I had to buy my white nurse's cap from a site on ebay. They are not available in any scrub catalog that I have found.

Kay's Caps (Nurses Caps-Kays Caps Inc-Nursing Graduation Caps-Custom Nurses Caps, Nurses Cap-Nurses Week and Nurses Day,Nurses Uniforms) has been supplying nurse's caps for ages now. You can order generic and most school caps from them directly as they are in stock. Some schools while they do have the patterns will require extra lead time to make up. There also are (IIRC) a few school caps you will have to provide some sort of evidence of graduation/attendence in order to order the cap, in short if you cannot prove the right to wear it, don't bother. *LOL*

For instance the famous Bellevue "fluff" (seen here: Dragonfly Willow: May 2011) is nearly impossible to lay hands on for "outsiders".

Other than that you can hit eBay, though prices for genuine vintage nurse's caps have been going through the roof lately. Don't know if nurses are once again wearing the things in droves, or collectors are snatching them up, but bidding has ended at >$50 or even $100 for the pastseveral months for certain caps. It's either that or someone is having a wonderful Halloween. :lol2:

DoGoodThenGo · May 20, 2012

I recently heard of a traveling nurse that wears uniform styles of the 40's 50's..a dress style white stockings shoes.
She was told from nursing heads she had to wear regular scrubs
so she went to the CEO ( small rural hospital)
She said "sir, I love wearing these styles because it makes my elder patients so happy
and it is comforting for them"......and he replied " Great, then you have my permission!"
I have to concur because when I wear "whites" the older people do like even those and will make positive comments.
So I really like this idea and just wonder does anyone know where to order retro style dress uniforms...I'm still searching and will post link if I find one?

You can find "retro" uniforms on eBay, thrift shops, even new old stock at some older uniform stores especially ones that have been around for ages. Also check with or via their catalogs places such as Barco, White Swan and such. All have been making nurses uniforms going back through the 1940's or so, and while it's not likely you'll find designs from that far back, you should be able to locate the standard white dress with three-quarter or long sleeves. Many women who serve in minority churches were such uniforms either as ushers or "nurses" so there is another lead.

You probably can find lots of new or gently used stock out there, but remember the farther back in time you go you have to allow that sizes have changed. What was an "8" in the 1950's or 1960's maybe a "10" or even "12" depending upon how "healthy" a girl you are especially in the bosom.

Also consider the type of nursing you practice when choosing "vintage" uniforms. Long sleeves and or skirts aren't always practical or sanitary for that matter. Wearing nylons means you *will* get runs. If you cannot take time for a "p" break what makes you think you'll be able to slip away to change pair.

Finally as other posters have stated, there are more than a handful of pervs out there. Chances are you won't make it to work or home without some sort of rude comment or suggestion. Then there are the male patients, doctors, and the lot you'll have to deal with for 8 or 12 hours.