Scrubbing Up for Surgery

     Here I will rant against what I view as a blight upon society: that which we call "scrubs." I'd always taken them for granted, until one day, I saw too many of them at work. (Explanation: I work at a restaurant located near a good number of stores and "regular offices" and doctors' offices. During lunch, we get a decent number of nurses and doctors' assistants in the building.) I thought to myself, "These women just look lazy and sloppy. They look like they're wearing pajamas." Why does society insist that nurses wear these horrible outfits? It's like, "Thank you for studying long and hard and learning so much about teeth. Now wear this lame outfit as a token of our respect and appreciation."

     Really, would you like to have to wear this to work every day?

 

 

     I'm not denying that the color is nice, and the model is pretty, but the clothes themselves? And why is it that only nurses have to wear these? The doctors often wear real clothes with a white coat on top, and thereby look presentable. I don't know how it's even possible to get into a productive mood while wearing such loose, baggy, ill-fitting-- well, pajamas.

     So then I think about the reasons for wearing scrubs. Maybe the nurses need loose clothing? No. They answer the phone, walk you to a room, ask you questions, floss your teeth. . . None of that requires extremely roomy clothes. Maybe scrubs are easy to clean? Okay, if they are, I can begin to understand. Begin. Can't you take low-maintenance fabric and make prettier clothes? Besides, as a waitress, I haven't much sympathy in regards to easy-to-clean. I wear ordinary jeans and button-fronts to work. I've spilled all kinds of stuff on them, and the stains have all come out. Last thing to consider: it's a uniform. You want nurses to be easily identified. There are many kinds of uniforms, many kinds of attractive uniforms. In fact, uniforms usually look cool just in virtue of their being uniforms. Scrubs do not.

     A friend of mine brought up the following point: male patients in hospitals often form attachments to nurses, so maybe scrubs are meant to discourage that sort of thing. That is a problem, but in that case, I would think that it's not so much the beauty of the nurse as it is her caring presence that the male patients become attached to. So, yes, an overly personal or elaborate dress for nurses would in inappropriate, but does it have to be ugly? I'm not asking that nurses go back to the old white skirt suit with coordinating hat (although I'd prefer that to the modern uniform); I just wish there was a non-revolting alternative.

     Therefore, I ask you, my readers, to submit to storymaster@bellsouth.net your ideas for the Scrub Alternative. I'm very interested to see what you'll come up with, and I mean to share some of them on the blog. :)  I'd also appreciate arguments defending scrubs as they are. I really am interested to know why it is that they are they way they are.
     Thank you all for hearing me whine. ;)

 

 

Below: Some of my favorite uniforms

 

 

For now, let's ignore the Harry Potter arguments in the homeschooling world and admire the uniform.
British school uniforms really are the best. Simple, practical, clean... They're great.

 

Ballerinas!

 

The Carabinieri, Italian police 

 

Last, but by NO means least: Swiss Guards!!

Turbans and Babushkas

     Yup. I'm actually doing this post. Today I decided it's high time I spammed the wall of one of my friends with pictures of me in headscarves. Why? Well, because, that's why. Being bored during the summer means a lot of weird things. I've done everything from color a dozen princess pictures and mail them to my friends (no, I'm not five, I promise) to learn how to wear a hijab. All out of boredom. Here are some of the results of my goofiness, captured in photographic form with help from my siblings. Happily for those of you-- like my friend-- turbans are all the rage on Pinterest, so if you have the nerve to wear one, you can. Now for the aforementioned pictorial representations:

Oppa Slavic Style! Or something.  Actually really like this look
(not the sweatshirt-dress skirt combo, the scarf). Thinking I'll do this
sometime this fall, using the "it's cold outside and I don't like cold ears" excuse.

This time it actually looks like a turban. Kind of don't remember
how I did it exactly, but I'll attach a link that will help.

 

 

And last but by no means least, Prince Ali. I thank my sister for the feather idea.
 As for the Swiss Guard sweatshirt, well, it totally makes the outfit.
Goes rather well with the turban, I should think.

     And there you have it. Really, head-wraps can be quite fun sometimes. Promised link:
http://www.scarves.net/how-to-tie-a-scarf/twisty-turban.htm  Scroll down a bit, and on the left there will be a few more tutorials for different head-wrap styles. Bad hair days, costuming, alternative to chapel veil, or just plain "because I can" -- enjoy!

Bragging Time

     Since beginning this whole blog thing, I have collected more blogs, both my own and those of my friends. Today I am advertising for us all-- and sharing some pictures.

     The following are blogs on just kind of stuff in general, I guess. Mostly they are thought-provoking, but sometimes there are posts on random fun stuff.

Light and High Beauty Beyond

Light Beyond the Tower

The Theological-Librarian

Our Hearts Are Restless

Ink and Fairy Dust

     And these are mine. The first is my travel blog, started just before I went to Rome this past fall. (I want to go baaaaack! Much weeping, fountains of tears, loud sighs, lacrimosa, all that good stuff.)

Media Vita

     This one was begun upon the recommendation of my friend and author of Light and High Beauty Beyond. Its purpose is to help me prepare for my thesis this fall. . . . Gulp.

Hans My Hedgehog

     Now for the afore-promised pictures.

Turban-Tying Lesson! In honor of a friend of mine who loves turbans.
They seem to be in vogue this year, or at least according to Pinterest.

 

Aren't they adorable? Sorry. I really want to wear a dirndl.
Courtesy http://www.baviere-quebec.org/archives/wsd/00347/index.php.en

The Great Purgation

     Greetings, O readers! It's been a very long time since I've posted aught, and I don't promise to post again soon, knowing myself far too well.
     Today, however, I do have something to say; so-- lend me thine ears and let them be fillled with the golden nuggets of wisdom about to pour forth from my mouth. . . or fingers.
     I have had a revelation and have decided to take the plunge and purge my closet of stuff that doesn't fit, stuff that's too worn out, and stuff I haven't worn in a year because I jolly well didn't want to. I have decided to become a smarter shopper.

#1 -- If you don't like it, don't buy it. Unless you have a good reason to be buying something that you are merely contented with, DON'T. "I need it." If you don't like it, do you need it? If you don't like it, will you really wear it? Why?  (Obviously, "because my job requires I wear these hideous non-slip sneakers" is a good reason. I mean, you ought to try to find not-so-hideous non-slip sneakers if you can, but as a waitress, I know that such is not always possible.)

#2 -- If it doesn't fit, don't buy it. Not unless you really are a seamstress and you really will fix the item in such and such a way in a reasonable amount of time. If you like it, but it doesn't fit you, it'll be less comfortable, and you'll loathe wearing it. When you do, you'll be more self-conscious than is pleasant to be.

#3 -- The Monk Method of Shopping. Reference to the TV show. Monk has about a dozen of the same exact suits, shoes, shirts, you name it. He found what he liked, and he bought a bunch so that he wouldn't have to worry about looking for new clothes all over again. I have not really been a fan of this. I've done it with socks, jeans, and underwear, and other such items, but even that can be pushing it. Tastes and styles change. Unless your tastes have been exactly the same for the past ten years, I don't reccommend doing this. And even then.......

#4 -- Limiting yourself to the same stores and styles can also be boring.

#5 -- Along the lines of what I've already said, here's an exercise: what sorts of clothes do you admire on other women? 50's? Traditional Thai? Military? Do you like these ensembles enough to mimick them in your own dress? I'm not saying that a blonde girl should wear an authentic kimono every day, but if you like Japanese clothing that much, there are plenty of Asian-inspired tops and accessories out there. The clothing should reflect the person.

     And there's my rant for today. Forgive any errors in sentence structure or whatever. I know if I aspire to proofread this, I'll never actually publish it.