In the 1800s, nursing became an acknowledged profession and largely a women’s role. In line with contemporary dress codes and to protect garments, the original uniform consisted of a high-collared shirt, tabard dress and bonnet to hold back the hair. Florence Nightingale’s influence in the Crimean War led to nursing becoming a respected profession, with the first register beginning in 1919. From 1914-1945, nurses’ uniforms were more practical and designed to differentiate nurse hierarchy, usually being white with a red cross pinned to the chest or arm.

The NHS was founded in 1948, which brought with it a recognisable uniform for nurses in terms of style and colour. Short sleeves and shoulder cloaks were introduced for the first time, and hats were replaced with caps. Uniforms were also given more structure to match the growing reputation of nursing as a credible profession.

The mass production of washing machines and tumble dryers in the 1960s meant that uniforms could be made from more durable fabric, allowing nurses to wash and iron them easily at home. By the 1970s, the nursing cap had completely disappeared, and nursing uniforms started to resemble regular clothing. Nurses were also given more options, with white pantsuits introduced alongside the traditional dress uniform.

In the 1990s, theatre nurses transitioned from white uniforms to scrubs, which were easier to sterilise to provide virus mitigation and disease control. There is also a lot more variety today, with separate uniforms for different sectors of the health service. Although scrubs and tunics are widely worn, different colours are used to represent each role, including light blue for staff nurses, navy blue for ward sisters and black for matrons. Doctors and midwives tend to wear scrubs while therapists wear tunics.