By Ricci J. Lopez
The consensus is that many people envision their doctor in their quintessential garb. Doctors have been wearing specific garments for centuries. Some of these staple items are still worn today; but let’s take a look at the history behind doctors wearing suits, scrubs, and lab coats.
Have you heard of surgeon cuffs on a men’s suit? Simply put, functioning buttons on suit jacket sleeves are called surgeon’s cuffs. Sometimes we call them working buttonholes. In the early 19th century, military field surgeons were required to wear suit jackets. While they were treating wounded soldiers, the doctors would get several different types of stains on their jacket sleeves. Many doctors resided in the Savile Row neighborhood of London during this time period. The skilled tailors of Savile Row in London introduced functional buttons on the cuffs of a jacket’s sleeve, so that the doctors could roll their sleeves up when needed. Since then, surgeon’s cuffs have been synonymous with carefully crafted and high-end men’s suits.
Next up: The white lab coat. This recognizable garment has served as the “uniform” of physicians for over 100 years. You may be surprised to learn that until about 1900, physicians wore black to see their patients since medical encounters were thought of as serious and formal matters. My earliest memories of an experience at the doctor’s office is the person in the white coat who pricks me with a needle. At virtually every medical school, the first symbolic act is the “White Coat Ceremony.” This is the ceremonial distribution of graduates as they enter into the medical profession. At the end of the19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, when medicine became a truly scientific enterprise, we now know the pureness of the color white in the medical field became the preferred attire of physicians.
The hazmat suit
The hazmat suit has been around for over 500 years. The first known full body coverage suit with a breathing apparatus designed to protect the person wearing it from biological agents was developed in the 14th century. Plague doctors were given the dangerous task of entering people’s homes and confirming they were afflicted with the bubonic plague. These suits were the only thing stopping them from catching the plague, which was an almost guaranteed death sentence.
Today, we are living in evolved times in terms of the attire worn by physicians. We still see the white lab coat. But what are we seeing under the coat? Doctors today can often be seen wearing business attire that keeps them looking professional and modern. A well fitted dress shirt with no necktie and 5 pocket style pants or actual dress slacks. I am happy to report that many doctors still wear suits underneath their lab coats. Suits will forever remain a staple in solidifying the person wearing it as someone to take seriously and is oftentimes revered and successful. Female physicians can be seen wearing slacks or a skirt and a dress shirt, or a length-appropriate dress.
Let’s give thanks to all the physicians who have impacted our lives. And let’s give them a round of applause for caring about how they look under their expected lab coats.
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