Browse Exhibits (2 total)

The female nursing uniform has undergone significant changes over the course of nearly a century in use. The modest yet feminine uniform suggested respectability, and some argue, an air of deference to the male physicians. The white fabric that later emerged as a cultural touchstone suggested hygiene and purity. For most of the twentieth century, female nurses wore these symbols, which both gendered the profession and contributed to an idealized femininity with proscribed behaviors. To the nurses who wore those symbols, who earned them through rigorous training and education, the uniform also formed an important part of self- and professional identity. This exhibition explores the social complexities behind the form, function and fashion behind the female nursing uniform.