Navigating Medical Scrubs Brands

Cherokee scrubs are the top brand in the industry. They have a wide range of styles, organized into different branded lines appealing to different tastes and with pants in both petite and tall sizes. The Cherokee Workwear line is the most popular in America--a "no-nonsense," straightforward poly-cotton blend line of solids. Those who wear Cherokee scrubs say they are comfortable, easy to take care of and come in an appealing range of colors.

Beyond their basic lines, Cherokee offers some more stylish alternatives, Cherokee Studio. Cherokee Studio offers exotic prints and eco-friendly fabrics, among other advantages. Designs feature ruffles, piping, ribbon and flattering empire waists. Some of the fabrics may not be as easy to clean or as study as the classic poly-cotton blends, but if you care about style or the environment, it may be worth it for you.

Despite Cherokee's place at the top of the industry, Dickies scrubs call themselves "the world's most trusted uniform brand." Dickies just recently switched to a different manufacturer, so for a short time only their core offerings will be available. However, they are due out with new lines in spring 2011. Like Cherokee, Dickies offers several lines of scrubs, including their basics, Everyday Scrubs (EDS) with poly-cotton blend solid fabric.

Dickie's more trendy lines include Generation Flex, targeting a younger audience. Scrubs are made form super-soft, flexible fabric, offering ergonomic stretchability and trendy, comfortable designs. The detailing on these scrubs, with contrast stitching, rivets, and myriad pockets, is similar to that on young adult active wear. Their other lines include Hip Flip, with a fold-down waist-band, and fit-for-men, which aims at looking rugged, but aren't really that different from your basic scrubs.

Barco has been in the medical uniform industry for over 80 years. Barco uniforms offer what they call arcTechnology. The various lines of Barco scrubs offer different aspects of the technology, which is really a group of technology. The NRG line is meant to be particularly flexible, to fit and flatter a woman's figure, while their Grey's Anatomy line offers super soft and touchable fabric. The fabric for the TBD collection wicks away moisture and is particularly soil-repellant.

In addition to the regular scrub pants and tops, Barco produces jackets, tees, lab coats and maternity scrubs, so they're a great option if you want to coordinate all of your work gear. Because Barco has been around so long, they really do have a fantastic collection of different styles, so if you're feeling limited by some of the other lines, they might be a good one to try.

Landau scrubs are another big name. They pride themselves on innovation. They also lead the industry in men's scrubs. Landau has developed antimicrobial fabric for their scrubs, which is also a distinct advantage. Their junior line, on the other hand, doesn't lend itself to gaining my confidence. I don't want anyone shopping a juniors section serving me at a hospital. These uniforms may have gone a little too youthful. Landau also offers labcoats, jackets, footwear and many other products.

Baby Phat scrubs happen to be my personal favorites. These come in fun prints and trendy colors with interesting trims and embellishments. I like the way the tops in particular are designed to flatter a woman's figure, rather than just boxing her in to look like a potato sack. However, the tops do tend to run a little short, so many retailers recommend you order a size larger than your usual scrubs. Baby Phat scrubs have been designed by Kimora Lee Simmons, however, earlier this year she had a very public and un-ammical break with the company, so it'll be interesting to see whether the designs continue in the same style and quality.

Skechers is probably more familiar to you for its mainstream shoes and clothing lines. I've got a pair of their Mary Janes that I absolutely adore. Now they offer medical uniforms and footwear, too. I love the interesting color combinations of Skechers scrubs--brown and aqua is delightful. The print tops selection, in my humble opinion, is heads and tails above those from other brands. Skechers scrubs are entirely new to the industry, and I'd really urge that you check them out if you haven't already.

Iguana scrubs are made of a particularly flexible material that not only breathes well but wicks moisture away from your body. Their Med-Flex II uniforms are advertised as wrinkle-free, so if you hate ironing, these are the scrubs for you. I like their long sleeves Skinz tops for warmth and style. I also like that they have deeper colors, rather than the stereotypical pastels. Finally, Iguana offers antimicrobial bamboo fabric in their Green Line. Bamboo is a highly renewable resource, and who could argue with the usefulness of antimicrobial fabric for scrubs?

Finally, we have Urbane Scrubs. Urbane was founded by two nurses looking for more style and color in their own medical uniforms. They offer tops, pants, jackets and lab coats. They recently added footwear to their line of scrubs, as well. For the tops and pants, they aim to use contrasting colors to hug and highlight a woman's figure--sorry guys, no scrubs for you here. Urbane's lines include the main brand, simply called Urbane, their "performance scrubs," Urbane Sport, and finally some scrubs with a little more flirt to them, Urbane Sweet.