Image: Digital Vision | Thinkstock + Scrubs

Forget about your size. Having a great look and style is about making the most of your body shape.

And yes, you can accentuate your best assets and disguise your flaws by choosing the right cut, colors and prints.

Here are four essential scrubs fashion tips for the curvy nurse, brought to you by the Hollywood stylist who has dressed some of the curviest stars (we can’t disclose names but suffice it to say she’s got experience!).

(1) Shapes that flatter a larger bust
(2) Shapes that flatter the ‘apple’ figure
(3) Shapes that minimize larger thighs
(4) Important scrubs style notes for every nurse

Shapes that flatter a larger bust…

Image: appliquebuffet.com | pinpoint @ etsy.com

If your workplace insists on solid colored scrubs, there’s still a way to make your uniform collection more stylish and fun.

With just a few simple appliqués (for just a few dollars!) on your scrubs and accessories, you’ll be wearing scrubs that are uniquely yours.

From sports team logos to cartoon characters, there’s a wide array of iron-on patches for every personality. There’s no need to know how to sew. Just follow the directions on the package and iron them onto your uniform in minutes.

Tip: Use them on solid-color uniforms so the patches will stand out.

Here are some ideas:

Patches for Female Nurses
Animal patches
Flower patches
Fashion patches
Twilight patches
Lace collars
Decorative buttons

Patches for Male Nurses
Harley-Davidson patches
Transformer patches
Sports Team patches
Spidey Sense patches

Continue to animal patches…

Image: Urban Outfitters

Looking for a bag that’s practical and hip to carry to your shift? A messenger bag may be just the perfect thing. Whether you’re a male or female nurse, you’ll love the multiple outside pockets to organize all your things and an adjustable cross body strap that leaves your hands free.

Messengers are roomy enough for your nursing gear, paperwork and a packed lunch. For your off-duty hours, throw in your gym clothes or your computer. Messengers are also great all-weather bags that come in a range of fabrics from waterproof material such as nylon to cotton canvas and leather. The waterproof bags are great in the rain and can double as your beach bag!

Check out the assortment of colors and styles below—there’s a perfect bag for every nurse!

Messenger bags for female nurses
Classic leather messenger bag to pair with scrubs
Springy whimsical messenger bag for feminine scrubs
Bold striped messenger bag to pair with pale scrubs
Hip, stylish messenger bag to pair with dark scrubs
Quirky messenger bag to pair with solid scrubs

Messenger bags for male nurses
Classic messenger bag to pair with scrubs
Versatile messenger bag for scrubs or t-shirt and jeans
Sleek messenger bag to pair with warm ups
Messenger bag style — you build it!

Our first find —  the perfect distressed leather messenger bag…

Image: Ryan McVay | Stone | Getty Images

With summer right around the corner, now is the time to rethink your scrubs so you can look your best.

Here are 5 easy, surefire “industry” tricks to make you look much thinner without dieting or stepping into the gym.

1. Say yes to monochrome
2. Get rid of anything too snug or too big
3. Choose strategic detailing
4. Get the perfect fitting pants
5. Choose the right prints

1. Say yes to monochrome

Dressing in monochrome scrubs is the first and most important step to help create a longer, leaner line. Dressing in one color gives the illusion of looking thinner because of the continuous color; it doesn’t break up the vertical line like wearing two different colors can.

Another way to accentuate your body and camouflage those trouble areas is to wear dark colors. Colors like black, brown, navy, charcoal, burgundy, deep green and purple are slimming. And always wear the styles that complement your body type. This scrub top with the feminine scoop neck is a great way to wear the monochromatic color combinations. The black, brown and navy are excellent choices.

Skechers

I like this solid-color warm-up jacket with a pair of the Skechers pants in a matching color.

Skechers

1. Say yes to monochrome
2. Get rid of anything too snug or too big
3. Choose strategic detailing
4. Get the perfect fitting pants
5. Choose the right prints

Know what to toss from your closet with #2…

Image: Buena Vista Images | Photodisc | Getty Images

Are you buying the latest scrubs fashions and wondering why they don’t look better on you? Chances are you either have a tall or a petite body type. Looking at the Internet or your fashion magazines, you’re most likely seeing models with perfect proportions.

Knowing how to be savvy and interpret the latest fashions for your body type can make all the difference. It’s so easy to look on the surface and get swept away by marketing and advertising without even knowing that you’ve been hooked!

In my career as a costume designer, I have dressed many actors. Most of them don’t have perfect bodies, yet the viewer would never know. The secret is finding the right clothes and fitting them so that the proportions are perfect. If I’ve done my job well, you can’t tell if an actor is tall or petite. If you stick with the correct proportions for your body type, you too can look your very best—like Tom Cruise or Salma Hayek.

The key to shopping for your size is using your noggin and knowing your body type.

Scrubs for tall nurses photo gallery
Scrubs for petite nurses photo gallery
How to get the tailor-made look

Continue to Scrubs Fashion Tips for Tall Nurses

Image: © iStockphoto.com

Nursing can be very physical work, from leaning over your patients to take their blood pressure to administering an IV to lifting a patient to a gurney. It’s all part of the job.

No matter what you’re doing at work, looking professional is a necessity. No matter where you work, you’re representing the hospital or medical office. Looking like a competent and qualified nurse is essential.

Here are five tips (with helpful visuals…ahem!) to help you be mindful of fashion blunders!

(1) Watch the cleavage
(2) Steer clear of stains
(3) Too tight ain’t right
(4) No peek-a-boo, please
(5) High waters = low marks

First, watch the cleavage…

Here are our fashion expert’s picks for scrubs outfits that look great from top to bottom. Pick your color from our list below to find a great match for you.


White | Purple | Blue | Green | Pink | Yellow | Brown | Black

FOR MALE NURSES

Green | Black

Here, a guide for scrubs combinations that look great and are easy to coordinate. It was put together by one of Hollyood’s top stylists, who, in costuming for multiple sitcoms, is known for making “real” bodies look terrific.

Drawstring Pants with Basic Tunic

I like this pair of drawstring bottoms because of the loose fit, which is always comfortable and important for your workday. Check them out in Hunter green:

Men's Utility Scrubs Pants in Hunter

Wear a long-sleeve tee with the short-sleeve scrub top for a hip look to mix it up a bit:

Men's Scrubs Tunic Top in Hunter

My other favorite colors in this style are black, navy, khaki, royal blue, teal and ciel (light blue).

A tip on shopping for color: There are more choices than ever these days. If the never-ending options become overwhelming, simplify your search by looking for your favorite colors that you know you’re comfortable wearing.

Cargo Pants

Another option that’s comfortable and functional is the cargo pant with cargo pockets, cell phone pocket and outside scissors pocket. It’s both convenient and stylish (also comes in tall!)

Cargo Pant in Wine (Style 4200)

The most common colors, black, navy, olive, white are great, but other popular colors for this style include Caribbean blue, chocolate, galaxy blue, grape, grey, hunter, khaki, new eggplant, pewter, and royal.

Pair the pants with a polo top. You can find a great selection at Target.

C9 by Champion® Microknit Polo

Fan Tops

For you sports fans, you can proudly display your allegiance at work with these fun tops (living in L.A., I couldn’t help but show the L.A. Dodgers top!):

Team Logo Scrubs Top

If you like, wear a t-shirt under your scrubs top. We like the ones from American Apparel.

Fine Jersey Short Sleeve T-Shirt

Print Tops

Camouflage is one print that isn’t too busy and can look great on any guy. The faded camouflage background with the MASH lettering is fun without being too crazy. You can match the bottom with camo, too, or go with a solid pant:

MASH Camouflage Scrubs

Okay, that’s it. With just a few simple steps, you too will be on your way to looking your best at work. Happy shopping!

Don’t even think about borrowing her jeans! Tight skinny jeans should be left to the teenagers.

The trick to looking great in your clothes is feeling comfortable. I don’t mean the kind of comfort that comes with wearing sweatpants and a T-shirt around the house—that look is for the gym. It doesn’t take much to put on some pieces that you can wear at home or feel good in while running errands.

(1) If you do want to wear something that’s in between a work outfit and your sweats, check out GapBody for an incredible black hoodie with a large front pocket and great black pants to match.

Gap Body Black Hoodie

This is not your average hoodie. You can turn it inside out and roll it up, and it morphs into a small knapsack. You can use the zipper in the sack to hold your ID and lipstick! Once the hoodie becomes a knapsack, you can either belt it around your waist or put the strap over your shoulder and carry it as a purse. So if you must wear some kind of sweats as you run errands, grab these fantastic pieces now before they sell out.

(2) The fall is a great time to add a few pieces to your wardrobe. If you’re looking for a new pair of jeans, think about “the boyfriend” jeans. They literally look like you borrowed them from your boyfriend. They’re great for a relaxed, carefree look that’s stylish at the same time. Make sure the jeans aren’t too baggy—the pants will start wearing you! Proportion is key. Roll up the pant legs and put on a pair of Converse, a tee and an oversized sweater cardigan for a hip, fun look. You can always add a scarf when you’re out and about to complete the outfit.

Bootleg jeans are still in fashion and are always an excellent staple for any closet. Check out the Gap’s new line of jeans—there’s a style for every body type.

Gap’s Bootcut Jeans

(3) Plaid shirts with ruffle plackets are back and add a feminine touch. Pair one with jeans and boots for a great look. A herringbone blazer complements this well. Don’t be afraid to mix plaid and herringbone patterns—they will look good together. I like J. Crew’s plaid shirts and jackets this season.

Plaid with Ruffle Placket Shirt From Banana Republic

(4) You might also like to try on a jean jacket from J. Crew. It’s a nice look with a pair of jeans.

J.Crew’s Denim Jacket

(5) I also like Autumn Cashmere sweaters for classic styles that you can wear for many seasons. They come in a vast array of colors. J.Crew also has great cashmere sweaters that come in lots of different colors. You can see a few of J. Crew’s sweaters in this article’s main image.

(6)Old Navy has inexpensive tees to layer under your sweaters.

Old Navy Women’s Tee

Old Navy Men’s Tee

(7) Theory and Banana Republic have perfect white shirts that everyone should own. Choose a classic white shirt or one that’s more feminine for a romantic look. Layer the shirt with a sweater or wear it with a blazer. A white shirt with a pair of bootleg jeans and boots always looks good.

Banana Republic’s Front Pocket Shirt For Men

Banana Republic’s Multi-Ruffle Shirt

(8) If you buy one pair of shoes this season, make it a pair of boots. When choosing the leather, think twice about getting suede if you live where it rains or snows a lot—the boots will be ruined after just a couple of outings. A nice chocolate brown or black goes with everything. When shopping for boots, wear the jeans that you’ll be wearing with them. That way, you can be sure the length will be right. You can always take up the hem, but you certainly don’t want them to be too short. Check out Piperlime.com for a great selection of boots and other fall shoes.

Banana Republic’s Vivica Equestrian Flat Boot

(9) The next time you go to Target, check out the clothing. Anna Sui has designed a line of women’s clothes just for the chain.

Cotton Butterfly Text Tee Shirt

(10) Or, try on a pair of Mossimo Engineer boots. Target has some great prices and styles for your new fall look.

Mossimo’s Engineer Boot at Target

Have fun exploring different shapes and styles. Look at different stores for similar styles at better prices. If you mix and match lower-end pieces with higher-end clothing, you’ll get a more interesting look and feel good about the savings. Happy shopping!