A healthy dose of hospital chic

[Guest guest]

A healthy dose of hospital chic By Kate M.

Globe Correspondent / February 28, 2008

.... " Baby boomers, who are living longer thanks to healthier

lifestyles, have high expectations and require more personalized

healthcare services than any other generation of Americans, " said

Donna Jarmusz, vice president for business development at Alter+Care,

a national healthcare real estate developer. " The medical profession

is going to have to cater to their unique needs, right down to the

colorful hospital wear. "

A handful of companies are lining up to fill the demand. Peg

Feodoroff, a business-minded boomer, got the idea for Healing Threads

designer hospital gowns in 2003 after she and her sister, ,

underwent cancer treatment and found the drab johnnies " absolutely

odious. "

" It's not just ugly, " said Feodoroff, whose company, Spirited Sisters,

is based in Bridgewater. " It also has that way of becoming untied in

the back so there's always the threat of unnecessary exposure. "

Feodoroff's designs substitute soft Velcro closures for twill ties.

They offer tasteful tunics and wrap shirts, and gowns with mandarin

collars and kimono sleeves - none of which are found on the

standard-issue hospital johnny. The cuts and colors will never be

mistaken for haute couture, but they can give patients an emotional

lift just when they need one.

" I'd see other patients waiting to get X-rays or physical therapy, all

looking identical and uncomfortable in their johnnies with their legs

and other body parts hanging out, " said Lynne , a former

operating room nurse from Hanover who donned a Feodoroff creation when

she was hospitalized with a blood infection. " Then I'd walk in and

people would look at me like, 'Who is this lady?' I blended in more

with those who were not sick than those who were. It was empowering. "

These days, even stylish moms-to-be, catered to by an army of

designers, stores, and baby blogs, want their hospital wear to look

good. Until recently, there weren't many options, said Wellesley's

Zinny, who founded designer hospital gown company dearjohnnies

in 2005. Tired of seeing pictures of brand-new moms in ghastly gowns,

Zinny decided to do something about it.

" In these photos - every time - there's mom in the ugly, institutional

johnny that sick people wear and there's baby wrapped in that blanket

with the blue and red stripes, " Zinny said. " I thought, 'Why can't we

improve the current models?' "

She created colorful, ribbon-trimmed gowns in three different sizes to

better fit customers. And recently, she expanded the line to include

matching bathrobes and swaddling blankets (minus the predictable blue

and red stripes). Even celebs have signed on. Tori Spelling wore a

monogrammed dearjohnnies gown when she delivered her son, Liam, last

year. As for J.Lo, her publicist confirms she received four

dearjohnnies gowns but hasn't said what the star wore while she was in

the hospital.

While patients are finally getting their burst of color, many doctors,

nurses, and hospital staff are tossing their institutional scrubs for

something a bit more fashion forward as well.

Peaches Uniforms in Dallas recently introduced the " Heigl

Collection, " an assortment of colorful, stylish scrubs inspired by

Izzie s, Heigl's character on the hit ABC show " Grey's Anatomy. "

The collection features four lines of scrubs, named " Seattle, " " Los

Angeles, " " London, " and, rather inexplicably, " Connecticut. " Pants are

boot-cut for a bit of flare. Shirts come in fuscia and black, others

boast babydoll cuts and geometric patterns. Even the lab coats are chic.

Another company, IguanaMed, based in Chicago, is rolling out stylish

and sporty scrubs geared toward a younger customer. A company

spokesperson said the average age of nurses has dropped in the last

few years, and that younger professionals want more stylish designs.

For patients, hospital chic is as much about quality of life as it

about looking good, said Kathy Bazazi, manager of Massachusetts

General Hospital's Images Boutique, which sells apparel for women

who've had a mastectomy. Bazazi said she's seen increasing demand for

chic and comfortable hospital garb among customers.

" People, especially those who are in and out of the hospital for

cancer treatments, want to be comfortable and look good at the same

time, " she said. " It's a morale booster that helps the healing process. "

Looking good also help patients retain their dignity, said Marijane

Hubbell, executive director of Women's Health Services at Hackensack

University Medical Center in New Jersey. Since 1999, the medical

center has offered its patients a collection of hospital wear designed

exclusively for them by fashion designer . The collection

features 's trademark whimsical prints and includes drawstring

pants, side and front-snap gowns, and other designs.

Hubbell said the feedback has been incredible. The center recently

launched a new line of clothing called Chikara for cancer survivors.

" Chikara means strength, power, and energy, and the clothing is

designed to balance the body after breast cancer treatments and

surgeries, " she said. " We've really found that wearing this kind of

clothing in the hospital helps patients take back their dignity and

feel at ease in what can be a highly stressful time in their lives. "

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