Choosing the right scrubs isn't always easy. And sometimes it can be downright frustrating. So I spoke with Marla Moon, Director of Technical Design at Landau, for some industry insider info on choosing the best pair of scrubs for you. When Marla joined the team at Landau, she brought with her a wealth of experience from the retail industry. She knew what it took to design clothes that were not only functional, but that can make you feel and look great.
Q. We all have different bodies ... how do you address that at Landau?
A. We do several different body shapes and styles in our garments so that we can fit or flatter pretty much every body shape, every age range. We started giving the garments a little more shaping. Not tight, but they certainly follow the curves. Traditional scrubs were based on men's garments that were very boxy and very ill defined. So what we've done is added contouring, curves, and darts, to actually follow a woman's shape.
Q. What makes a good-fitting scrub top?
[caption id="attachment_1000" align="alignright" width="231"] Our backs naturally roll over toward the front, so when we construct our garments we place our seams where they would naturally fall so the garment stays in place. (Landau Reversible Scrub Top)[/caption] A. The fit of any kind of ready-to-wear or scrub top is dictated from the neck, shoulder and armhole area. Everything hangs from that area and if it's not comfortable and doesn't have the correct shoulder and armhole shaping, it's not going to hang properly on your body. Our backs naturally roll over toward the front, so when we construct our garments we place our seams where they would naturally fall so the garment stays in place. You don't want to be pulling it from the back to the front to get it to stay where it belongs. That's an important factor in scrubs particularly because these are such functional garments. You have to be able to move, bend and lift.
Q. What do you recommend for those of us who are fuller figured?
A. You don't have to be a size small to look good in a contoured garment. And they actually flatter you more if there's a little bit of curve built into it. We offer a lot of different styles that work for different body shapes. One thing we've done is expand our selection, so if you're fuller around the middle, maybe you don't want to have something that has princess seams to it, maybe you want something that's either empire waist with some loose fullness to the bottom. We do research based on the Fit USA studies -- those studies tell us what body shapes are the most prevalent in our society. So we create styles that work for those body types.
Q. Any tips for purchasing the right scrub pants?
A. Taking measurements is one thing that's critically important and you need to be careful about those measurements. You should always make sure that when you measure yourself, whatever garment you're buying has anywhere from three to six inches of ease. (Meaning, 3-6 inches more material than your leg length.) Most retailers online that put charts up, those are your body measurement charts and they're for reference. If your body measures to those measurements, it tells you which size you should purchase. Pants are such a critical component of any wardrobe and the No. 1 focus for Landau in the last several years.
Q. How does Landau design for men?
[caption id="attachment_1002" align="alignright" width="182"] Men are also wearing their pants in a little bit more modern kind of a look, so just like we've done with our women styles we've updated our rises to follow the more current trends. (Landau Reversible V-Neck Top & Drawstring Pant Scrub Set)[/caption] A. Recently we've updated some of the rise lengths. Men are also wearing their pants in a little bit more modern kind of a look, so just like we've done with our women styles we've updated our rises to follow the more current trends. In women's we offer a modern, natural and a classic-rise length so it fits in a different place on your body depending on your preference. We offer a classic and a modern rise for men as well for the men who would prefer to wear their pants more like something they'd get in the retail market now.
Q. How do you know when you're getting a good-quality scrub?
A. Very important to anybody purchasing scrubs online is if you find a brand that fits you a certain way, you should be able to find every style of that brand in the same size. That tells you there's brand consistency and it tells you there's consistency within their pattern making and their manufacturing. That's one thing here at Landau that is really important to us.
Q. Anything else to keep in mind when purchasing scrubs?
A. Pocket functionality, of course, is critical. So put your hands in the pockets. Make sure that they're nice and deep and functional. Very disappointing to find that you love a top but the pockets don't work for you and it won't hold your scissors or your tools properly. So functionality is an important factor along with style and shape.
