About 1950s Nursing Scrubs

When you think of vintage nurse uniforms, you may imagine nurse uniforms of the 1950s. In the 1950s, nursing was an accepted profession for women in that era and many trained as nurses in the Second World War. Uniforms needed to be stylish and practical, which have evolved over the years to the scrubs that nurses wear today.

Nursing Hats

Nursing hats of the 1950s were pillbox shaped; also, disposable paper hats were common. With paper hats, nurses could throw them away when they were done wearing them with no worry about expense or burden of cleaning.

Bib Fronts

Bib fronts were popular for nurses in the 1950s, but were also used in the 1940s and lasted until the 1960s. The bibbed front was replaced by the earlier aprons with a pure white front.

Uniform Cut and Color

The purpose of the 1950s nurses uniform was for it to be simple and easy to clean, without the need for starch. For this reason, nurses started to wear colored uniforms, but the white bibs were still extremely popular. The style of the uniform resembled the dresses of the era and had a skirt cut in an A-line shape and nipped waist.

Age of the Uniform

In the 1950s, uniforms for nurses changed drastically from the heavy aprons, dress uniforms, dark colors and many other impractical things, to a modern and practical look. Because this style change made it more practical for everyday duties, the era was known as the golden age of uniforms, which referred to the ease nurses had in their everyday duties compared to the earlier model uniforms.