Tailoring Scrubs and Lab Coats
Off-the-rack scrubs and lab coats do not fit every body the same way. A simple alteration can improve comfort, reduce dragging hems, and make a garment easier to wear through a shift. But healthcare attire may be subject to employer policy, specialty-area rules, and laundering requirements, so modifications should always begin with those requirements.
In this blog, our Summerville uniform team explains which adjustments are commonly useful, when it is better to choose another size or style, and what to confirm before taking a uniform to a tailor.
Start With Fit, Not Alterations
Some problems are better solved by trying a different brand, rise, inseam, or cut. Tailoring cannot add room where a garment is too narrow in the shoulders or correct a fundamentally wrong rise. Try reaching, sitting, squatting, and walking in the garment before deciding what needs to change.
If the garment is generally right but too long or slightly loose, an alteration may be worthwhile. If it pulls across the back, slides at the waist, or restricts your range of motion, try another size or style first.
Useful Adjustments
A professionally stitched pant hem can help keep fabric from dragging on the floor. Sleeve or overall coat length may also be adjusted when permitted by your workplace. Small side-seam or waist adjustments can reduce excess fabric when they do not restrict movement.
Use a tailor familiar with stretch fabrics if the garment contains spandex or elastane. Tell them the fabric content and how the garment is laundered. Altered items are generally not returnable, so confirm the fit before work begins.
What to Confirm Before Altering
Do not modify issued clothing or required protective garments without approval. Your employer may have standards for logo placement, sleeves, closures, length, embroidery, or the use of specific attire in controlled areas. Protective clothing and PPE have requirements separate from ordinary scrubs.
Avoid alterations that interfere with the garment’s intended function, create loose or dangling additions, or make it harder to clean according to the label and facility policy. When you need more storage, choosing a style with the right factory-designed pockets is generally better than adding pockets afterward.
Care and Laundering
Follow the garment label and your facility’s laundering rules for uniform maintenance. For surgical or visibly contaminated attire, facility policies may require handling and laundering procedures that differ from routine personal workwear. AORN states that surgical attire visibly contaminated with blood or body fluids should remain at the healthcare facility for laundering.
If a cotton-rich garment may shrink, discuss that with the tailor before setting the final hem. Avoid treating garment-care guidance as clinical infection-control guidance; your employer’s policy controls in your setting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Often yes, subject to workplace policy and the garment’s design.
It may be possible, but confirm required length, closures, and embroidery rules first.
Usually not. Start with the best-fitting size and use tailoring only for modest refinements. Bring your uniform to Lowcountry Uniforms in Summerville for a fit check before deciding whether alterations are worthwhile.