By Adam Halewood
MOST people working within the care sector will understand that their uniforms are designed to limit the spread of bacteria, with elements such as short sleeves and being able to be laundered at high temperatures to meet infection control standards being vital.
However, there is a real science behind the way care uniforms are designed, from taking steps to improve wearer comfort right through to colour psychology.
Colours are chosen to evoke emotions
Whilst the colours of everyday clothing are typically linked to fashion trends, when it comes to care uniforms, colour psychology is used.
Colour psychology is the understanding of how certain colours can affect moods and behaviours, whether those belong to the staff wearing the uniform or the residents who interact with them.
Care industry uniforms come in a variety of colours but are often seen in shades of blue and green, which are thought to reduce anxiety and provide a sense of calm to those receiving care. Purple is also frequently used, said to evoke compassion and empathy.
In some care settings, brighter colours can be helpful too. Residents with dementia can experience issues with their sight and perception, so having a bright coloured uniform ensures staff are easily spotted against their surroundings. These colours can also make staff appear more friendly, cheerful and easier to approach for someone who may view them as a stranger due to their illness.
In settings where spills and stains are frequent, darker colours can be more practical, allowing these to be disguised and ensuring staff remain looking as professional as possible whilst waiting to be able to change into clean clothing.
Consistent colour use also helps with security within care facilities. If all staff wear the same colour, or each role uses the same colour uniform, staff are easy to identify when needed, whilst anyone out of place will be immediately obvious.
Materials are chosen to boost wearer comfort
With care work generally being physically demanding, uniforms must be designed with staff comfort in mind.
Whilst elements like short sleeves are primarily used to promote the ‘bare below the elbows’ policy to reduce the spread of infection, they are also great to help keep staff cool.
Most care environments are set to a warm temperature to ensure the vulnerable groups inside are protected from the cold. Whilst this keeps residents from catching a chill, staff can be at risk of overheating whilst carrying out their physically demanding work. Uniforms are therefore designed with short sleeves and made from breathable and moisture-wicking materials, like poly-cotton blends, to help keep staff comfortable throughout their shifts.
It’s also important for care staff to be able to move freely to keep them comfortable and protected from injury when carrying out their work. Tunics and scrubs are typically designed with a relaxed fit and use stretchy materials, allowing the wearer a full range of movement, for this reason.
Sustainability is a key consideration
Care industry uniforms must withstand frequent laundering to ensure infection control, but this can lead to high energy use throughout the cleaning process.
The regular washing and drying process of care uniforms can be harsh on the environment due to the high energy levels used, so materials are often chosen during the design process to help reduce this.
Polyester blends, such as poly-cotton, dry faster than 100% cotton fabrics due to their water-repelling properties, meaning less time in the tumble dryer and reduced energy use.
These types of materials are also designed to be more durable, keeping their shape well and experiencing minimal shrinkage during laundering, which means they need to be replaced less frequently.
When it comes to care sector uniforms, clothing that might seem simply designed on the surface has actually been carefully created to benefit the wearer, people around them and the planet as much as possible.
As clothing design and production technology continue to develop, factors like colour psychology, wearer comfort and sustainability are certain to influence new and improved design choices, further aiding care workers in their roles.
Adam Halewood is the head of sales at Clothes2order.