This week my daughter started her job as an attending physician. Did you know about the medical profession’s progression; intern, resident, fellowship, attending? I didn’t even know that full doctors were called “attendings.” But here, wonderfully, we are.
One thing I did suspect, women in the professions need professional wardrobes. When my daughter told me she was ready for a new one, I thought, “Hooray!” immediately followed by, “What to wear, these days?” As a surgeon, in the OR, scrubs and clogs clearly. At other times, dresses and suits, dresses and suits. Same as it ever was, but the 2026 version, and not corporate. There’s more room for personal style, to a point.
What about this,
with Repettos? She was a dancer through school and college, after all.
Add simple – but not tiny – gold earrings and not a speck of other ornamentation except wedding and engagement rings.
I do love navy pointelle. I’m not sure about the Tory Burch T everywhere, though. As we know, controversially, I’m good with logos generally but at work not so much. Unless your work is fashion or design, where you want your clothing to say something about where you stand in that universe.
The only heels I wear comfortably enough these days are my Jimmy Choo wedding shoes and a pair of Paul Green pumps. So maybe these from PG? I like the way the nubbly bit would relate to TB’s pointelle. Surely, surely we all know navy and black are just fine?
For a conference, perhaps. So helpful of Me + Em to style this with a white coat. More pointelle. Am liking this trend.
That dress insists on pointy toes, I don’t know why, so with legendary Choos.
Now, suits, can we go lady? This color would be gorgeous if one happened to be a fair-skinned, pink-cheeked, blue-eyed redhead. Might want dark navy pumps or the afore-mentioned brown Repettos, black here being too high contrast for our doctor.
And if not lady, who makes our suits these days? Maybe Paul Smith, sized for a grownup and not a girl in her big brother’s clothes?
With a pair of suede loafers? Or Darbys, as the British call oxfords?
With that, I turn it over to you eminent knowers of the world. Any and all resources welcome. I have been retired for going on 15 years, and can no longer provide answers. I may not even have guidance, ideas will have to do. Have a wonderful weekend.
13 Responses
These clothes look so fabulous but i don’t remember any doctor I’ve met who looked this good except the plastic surgeons who are trying to impress.
My d in law (obgyn) lives in scrubs, though no one would accuse her of extensive stylishness in any situation.
Thank you! My daughter is a surgeon, but pediatric neurosurgery, so a very different environment. It seems that women surgeons can dress with some style. We shall see what she decides! Congratulations to your daughter-in-law!
I love everything you have shown us, but I agree with Abigail. My doctor (at UT Southwestern Medical School) wears cotton dresses under a white doctor’s coat. Always so low key–and not particularly stylish at all. My dermatologist wears ALL sorts of things–from leggings to really dressy things. It’s always a surprise. Your daughter would be the best dressed around!
Thank you:). I am thinking that women surgeons might have a slightly different environment? I know that one of the attending surgeons where my daughter did her residency was one of the most extraordinarily stylish women I’ve ever seen. But we shall see!
Love these! I’d have selected them all! :-)
Aw, thanks. Like I said, I don’t know the answer, just going off her taste generally, and what I have seen. She will decide and it’s really fun to offer suggestions:).
I think she could dress a little more youthfully. The black and white dress is cool, but personally I believe she can be taken seriously and also dress her age . ( I’m not a fashion expert!) Also not sure about the white dress since it could appear a little nurse-y. Of course it is whatever she likes and she can accessorize if she likes keeping the basic outfits simple and classic. As you can tell , no one has ever asked me an opinion about fashion.
I’m happy to hear your opinion here. My daughter will be 39 on Monday. I will think about what “youthfully” might mean in this context. After all, you have spent a lot of time in and around hospitals.
All fabulous choices!!!!
Congratulations to your daughter and of course to her mom.
At my stage of life I have a doc for just about every body part, men and women, in a well known eastern hospital and truthfully, though I don’t know what they wear at conferences, I’ve never seen them dressed up. I do like your suggestions but I’ve never seen anything beyond a necktie for the men in my experience.
Congratulations to your daughter! As a plastic surgeon (specializing in hand and nerve. no cosmetic), I have run from the gamut of suits, blazers over dresses/slacks, dressy cardigans over the past 26 years in practice. Jeans only if dressy and only on weekend rounds and with something more professional on top and nice shoes. Light colors can be challenging for a surgeon because …there are fluids involved, even in clinic. And white blazers do remind me of the white doctor coat and seem to beg for stains. Long sleeves should be able to be pushed up to forearm or elbow level to keep from tracking infective substances between patients (in the Netherlands, even the white coats for surgeons are elbow length). When I apply splints and casts, plaster or colored fiberglass can be messy. Some gloves have powder that gets onto clothes. Practicality needs to play a role. The cute blue suit would be great for a professional meeting, but it appears somewhat impractical. It’s a balance between the gravitas of neurosurg and the approachability of peds. One of my female peds neurosurgeon friends wears washable dresses with patterns that hide stuff and a blazer or white coat with pockets. If the clothing item looks like it requires a lot of work and protection, it will potentially make her look like she cares more about the clothes than crouching down to examine the child.
IMO, you can’t go wrong with almost anything from ME + EM. I droll over every page in their catalog.
Best wishes to your daughter! And congratulations to you.
My doctor has great fashion sense and wears lovely clothes and shows, so it’s not all scrubs and clogs for sure. Incidentally, I own the Paul Green slip on in the final picture in black leather. I wear it so often that I bought navy and taupe as well, so that’s a strong vote from this corner.