As a nurse, midwife, or doula, you spend a lot of your time concerned for other people’s needs, leaving your own to the wayside. Especially in regards to fashion.
Part of your job means supporting women’s health, especially during the most important times of their lives such as pregnancy and labor. Let’s not assume fashion will make the lives of your patients better. But when you feel better, even if it’s just because you feel good in a new outfit, you’re likely going to bring your best self to the table. That will make a difference in the lives of your patients.
You’re likely getting tired of wearing scrubs and sneakers every day. Aside from mixing up your scrubs with bright colors and fun designs, here are some winter fashion ideas that nurses, midwives, and doulas can easily incorporate into their daily routines:
Play with Jackets
A great way to diversify and spice up your winter wardrobe is to play with different jackets. In your profession, you probably wear a lot of scrubs, which isn’t exactly what you want to go jaunting around town in. Cover up those scrubs with a cozy and cute winter jacket.
Winter jackets come in many styles. Do you regularly rock all black scrubs? Throw on a leather jacket to finish your rock star look. Maybe you live somewhere sunny, but still need a little cover up for cooler days? Hoodies and denim jackets are easy to customize with patches or a little embroidery.
Blazers add a little bit of professionalism, while a bomber jacket will go with pretty much anything you’ve got on. And raincoats are a great way to look cute while staying dry! Whatever winter climate you’re dealing with, there are plenty of jacket options to choose from.
Stack up the Layers
Your line of work requires being ready for anything. From baby bottles to bedpans, you’ve seen it all. And you’ve probably experienced a few too many spills to trust an outfit will last all day.
Make sure to stack up layers like camis and long-sleeved tops underneath your scrubs so you’re ready for a quick change any time you need. Layers will also help keep you warmer during the winter months when you can’t wear a jacket inside.
Update Your Wardrobe
You’ve heard of spring cleaning, now how about a winter wardrobe update? Yep, it’s a thing now. When the seasons grow colder, we pull our winter wardrobe out of storage. Who gets excited for this? I know I don’t.
But a shopping trip to update your winter wardrobe? Now that’s exciting! Maybe some of your warmer threads are outdated or damaged from dust and bugs while in storage. Don’t get too far here and spend your whole Christmas budget. Here are a few ways to update your winter wardrobe on a budget:
Take Inventory — Before you spend that Christmas cash, take a look at your existing pieces. What’s salvageable? What can be fixed by a tailor or your own needle and thread? What can be donated or resold? Separate what you plan to keep, what can be altered and fixed, and what needs to go.
Get Creative — Once you know what you’re working with, use your creativity to mix and match different pieces for new and updated looks. Figure out how you can make existing outfits work and brainstorm inexpensive ways to spruce up timeless pieces, like with a new piece of jewelry or a scarf.
Bargain Shop — Now it’s time to get the best bang for your buck. Make sure to check online retailers and thrift stores or resellers. But you could also host a clothes swapping party with some friends. Instead of a white elephant gift exchange, ask friends to bring one (gently worn) article of clothing to contribute to the swap. Then, everyone goes home with something new!
The work of nurses, midwives, and doulas is commendable. You should be treating yourself once in a while to clothes that make you feel fabulous from the inside out.
