Not sure about your shape? Take a good look in the mirror without your clothes on.

1. Are you busty/large chest with broad shoulders?

2. Do you have narrow shoulders and carry more weight in your hips and thighs?

3. Are you athletic, fairly slim, and narrow through the torso?

4. Do you have curves both in the bust and hips with a narrow waist?

These are four of the most common basic body shapes. Of course, no one fits exactly into these categories, but you should see some kind of resemblance to one of these types.

No matter what “shape” you are, please see the beauty in your body. Many people have adopted a critical voice that often compares their bodies to those of celebrities on TV, in film and in magazines. And – having worked in TV for years and having seen hundreds of actors in their underwear – here’s the dirty little secret I can tell you: They dress to showcase their greatest assets. They have professional designers find the right clothes to make them look and feel fabulous. That’s what I’m here for…think of me as your personal designer, here to help YOU look and feel fabulous. So let’s connect your body type to the best scrubs to buy and wear!

Body Type 1
If you are Body Type 1 (busty/large chest with broad shoulders), try to steer away from wearing tight tops. Not only will they be uncomfortable, but they won’t be flattering, either. And don’t go in the opposite direction and wear a baggy top to hide your bust. A V-neck, mock-wrap scrub top will be flattering for you. Stay away from prints on the top and lean toward darker colors. Keep your pants fitted, but not tight. Your goal is to enhance your look with the correct proportions.

Body Type 2
If you have narrow shoulders with more weight on your hips and thighs, you can easily wear a printed top. Try layering a printed hip-length jacket with a solid boatneck or scoop-neck top. Pair this with a solid pant.

Body Type 3
If you have an athletic, narrow and slim build, prints can be flattering on you. Don’t hesitate to layer. You can wear a short-sleeve jacket with a long-sleeve tee to “hip” up some of your separates. Any kind of ruching or other details on your tops would be great for you. A pair of flared pants will complement your look.

Body Type 4
If you’re #4 on the list (lots of curves on the top and bottom), try flared pants with scoop tees. V-neck wrap tops are good for you. Try a nipped-waist jacket with straight-leg pants. Small-print tops can be great for your body type.

Katie’s Picks:
Black or grey unisex drawstring pant – goes great with any top.
Try this great empire waist print top from Cherokee’s City Scapes Collection. It’s feminine, fresh and pretty.
Stylish short sleeve t-shirts. Love these! Both the black and white are great staples to have in your closet.
The new fold over waist pant in black. These fold over pants come in many different colors and look so comfortable.
Zip front warm up jacket. This jacket will look great with the fold over pants and either the white or black tee. Mix it up for two different looks.

Style Tips for Men
For you male nurses, be sure you feel comfortable in your scrubs. Don’t wear anything, top or bottom, that’s too tight. If you’re not at your ideal weight, don’t let the size number influence you. Buy scrubs in a size that fits well. No one is looking at the tag.

I’d love to hear about and see your success stories! I’m also here to help you with any questions you may have for me. Remember, first impressions do count and can project an assured, stylish nurse. Scrubs can affect your job, especially if you’re wearing the styles that flatter your body shape. Not only will you look better in scrubs that work for your body type, but you’ll also have the confidence to wear them well!

We’re here to help you not only match your scrubs outfits, but we’re taking it a step further.

Consider this: The colors you wear can affect your mood and that of those around you.

Put the science of “color therapy” into practical use for your next scrubs shopping trip:

1. Sunny yellow.

DO wear white with a bright yellow top if you’re looking for a really fresh look. Yellow is considered a very energizing color that summons sunlight and optimism—maybe just what you’re looking for when you’ve got a long shift ahead of you!

DON’T mix too many bright colors. If you wear yellow, especially if it’s a brighter shade, you might want to make sure the other part of your scrubs outfit is a bit more muted in color, such as a dark green. And be sure not to confuse ‘sunny’ yellow with ‘caution’ yellow!

2. True blue.

DO treat blue scrub bottoms like a pair of jeans when choosing a top—there are so many fun colors that will look fantastic! Lighter shades of green and violet look terrific with darker blue scrub pants, and if you’re really into orange, wear a top of that color with blue scrub pants. Blue is identified with calmness—perhaps a perfect color to wear on a busy day.

DON’T go for just any orange colored top to match with your blue pants. While deep orange adds excitement, bright orange can look cheap.

3. Basic black.

DO wear black scrub pants or tops. You can never go wrong with any other color you choose to go with them. One of the trends in fashion this season is pairing black with colors such as purple, gray, bright green or bright blue.

DON’T, however, earn yourself the monicker ‘goth nurse.’ Wearing too much black day in and day out can look empty and depressing to the nurses and patients around you.

4. Green with envy.

DO add green to your wardrobe. Green is associated with growth, vitality and openness and can positively affect those around you. Good options to wear with bright green include brown, dark blue and more muted shades of red.

DON’T choose too many earthy tones as they can be associated with melancholy. Warm shades of brown encourage closeness.

5. Red hot.

DO try a rosy red, soft pink, or violet for a scrubs top as these colors have a calming effect and are easy to match. With stronger reds, you may want to try lighter colors with it, such as light blue, light green or light yellow.

DON’T go for a highly saturated blue-red since it can be disturbing in large amounts and possibly increase anger.

6. Which white is right?

DO embrace a white uniform as it often signals crisp, clean professionalism to your patients. White also imparts purity and brightness of spirit.

DON’T buy a uniform that is blue-white as it can look sterile instead of inviting.

Here’s a look at how to work these new trends into your wardrobe for maximum style and comfort in the hotter days ahead.

The Scrub “T” Top
This year, we’re seeing an upswing in the number of scoop-neck scrubs tops. If you’re always battling to keep your cleavage covered appropriately in a V-neck or wrap top, you’ll appreciate this trend. Some of the round-neck scrubs still look like blouses, but a few will make you do a double take. They’re cut just like a comfy T-shirt, although the fabric is still a poly/cotton blend that won’t cling to your problem areas. Contrasting piping at the neck and arms along with graphic printing keep these tops from looking bland. They’ll go well with denim scrubs pants for a faux “jeans and T-shirt” casual Friday look that still complies with many nurses’ dress codes.

Morning Dew-dle

Blue, Green and in Between
If you keep up with the high-end fashion pieces hitting the runway for summer, you’ll see robin’s egg blue, aqua, jade and turquoise everywhere. The Gucci collection even pairs two different blue/green shades in a single outfit. These hues look most becoming in solid blocks of color or muted prints that draw attention to your sun-kissed skin instead of distracting the eye with busy designs. For a surprisingly compelling color match, accessorize a turquoise scrubs top with a hint of red.

Gucci Fashion Collection Summer 2012

Petite Bouquet

Next: Off-Center Cuts →

Cherokee Footwear

Are you looking for a way to spice up your scrubs without spending a fortune? Sometimes, just having the right accessory on hand can make you feel more put together.

Here are five items that will fit your budget and put a little something extra into your outfit before you rush to work.

Don’t Sweat About Your Hair
With summer approaching, the heat and humidity can wreck your hair before you even get to the hospital. A brightly patterned scrubs cap lets you take a break from trying to look perfectly coifed. A cap is the one-size-fits-all solution for taming hair frizz. It also adds a new twist to a boring ponytail. If you have longer hair that makes your neck sweaty, tucking it up into the cap can help you stay cooler. Use those extra minutes you save on your hair to apply a little mascara and lip gloss instead. That way, you look trendy instead of lazy.

Baby Phat Surgical/Skull Cap

Beauty’s Only Ankle Deep
Sometimes, no one needs to know about your accessories but you. That’s the case with brightly patterned ankle socks. Wear fashionable socks to send yourself a message and put some pep in your step. If you’re feeling bold (and you’re wearing dark colored scrubs), match your other undergarments to the color of your socks. This is a sneaky way to accessorize when your hospital has a really strict dress code.

Ankle Socks

Next: Can You Dangle a Bangle? →

Dickies Medical

Welcome to summertime, guys! If you’ve been wearing a warm-up jacket or lab coat over your work uniform during the winter, you may not have noticed that your scrubs are looking a little worse for wear. It’s time to clean out your closet and replace frayed, stained and well-worn items with cool and comfortable tops and pants. Here are several recommendations for your summer wardrobe.

High Performance, Low Maintenance
As a male nurse, you may have noticed that you get pressed into service for all the tasks that require mobility and muscle. This means you need a pair of cargo scrubs pants with real staying power. A combination elastic/drawstring waist gives you a little extra support so you don’t accidentally show your boxers or briefs when you’re bending and squatting. A blend of polyester, cotton and spandex is the ideal fabric for scrubs pants. It’s breathable and has a little give in the thighs and knees where you need the most stretch. Plus, no ironing is required—these are strictly “wash & wear.”

A raglan sleeve top is a good choice to wear with unisex pants. You won’t have any binding under the arms, and the sleeves are nice and loose for excellent ventilation. Just remember: When you’re wearing a summer top that lets your underarms air out, wear plenty of antiperspirant! Your coworkers will appreciate it. If you dislike the look of elastic or drawstring waistbands on your pants, wear a longer scrubs top. These “tall” scrubs shirts give you a little extra length without being so roomy that you’re swallowed up.

Unisex Scrub Pant

Raglan Sleeve Top

V-Neck T

Next: Rocking the White Collar →

“Cool Nurse” antenna topper

“I heart nursing” car magnet

“Fairy Nurse” car window decal

“Guardian Angel” Visor Clip

Hemera | Thinkstock + Scrubs

It’s easy to get used to wearing the same thing to work over and over again. This approach to workwear is cheap and requires little effort. But at some point, it really is time to cast a critical eye on your scrubs wardrobe and clear out the pieces that just aren’t cutting it anymore. Here are seven items you might find in your closet that mean you’ve put off this task for too long.

1. Prints That Match Your MC Hammer Pants
Do you own scrubs tops in bright sherbet colors covered with geometric designs? Do they date back to the Reagan era? With so many trendy, modern prints to choose from today, there’s no excuse for wearing outdated designs. By the way, if you sewed shoulder pads into your scrubs tops back in the day, we can’t be friends anymore.

Next: Stains That Would Shame Lady Macbeth →

Image: Tracy Hebden | Veer

As a nurse working with the public, it’s important to look professional. So while anti-bacterial hand gel and a wallet are essential to keep in your bag, a nurse’s best friend can be a small collection of items that will keep you looking pulled together when your day…um…unravels.

Here are the bits and pieces that I always have readily accessible for my fashion emergencies.

Toupee Tape
Sewing Kit
Stain Wipes

First, toupee tape…not just for affixing a rug anymore…

In her teens, she left the only home she had ever known—in Conakry, the capital of Guinea and an island unto itself—to pursue her education. Leaving wasn’t easy. “It was so very beautiful back then, and I loved it so much,” says Sylla, who nevertheless persevered. Off she went, all alone, to Germany to study business administration—call that dream #1. Three years later, an uncle living in Columbia, Mo., invited her to move to the United States, and Sylla jumped at the chance—dream #2. In the six months she was in the Midwest, she mastered English (now one of five languages she speaks fluently), then moved to Texas so she could attend Prairie View A&M University to continue her business studies.

That might have been enough dreaming for most people, but not for Sylla. Dream #3 came to her during a visit to her homeland in the summer of 1997. “Every year there’s an outbreak of cholera, and that year it was particularly bad,” she recalls. “I got sick and my mom immediately thought it was cholera. She took me to a clinic, and what I saw there changed my whole perspective on what I wanted to do with my life. I knew then I had to become a nurse.”

Back in Texas, Sylla changed her major to nursing, took all of the prerequisites and enrolled in nursing school in Houston, where she immediately started working at University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. Marriage and motherhood (she has a son, who’s now 10, and a daughter, age 6) took her away from nursing for a while, but true to her heart’s desire, Sylla eventually got her LVM, RN and BSN degrees. Count those collectively as dream #4.

“I walked through the doors of the oncology unit at M. D. Anderson during nursing school and I never left,” she says. “Here, the patients’ treatments are complex, and every day you see something new and you learn more. It’s very stimulating and challenging. I have everything I want from my job.” Dream #5.

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