The origins of the hospital gown are unclear, but it has been a staple of patient care since the early 20th century. The gown is designed to provide patients with physical privacy while allowing healthcare workers easy access for examinations and treatments, and it is easy to remove when patients are under anesthesia. It has also been described as a “democratizing uniform” that makes all patients look the same, but also a “dehumanizing garment” that signals someone is a patient, according to Times style columnist Vanessa Friedman.
Though patient fashion is not a top priority for hospitals, efforts to redesign the gown have emerged over the years. In 1999, Cynthia Rowley redesigned the gown for Hackensack (N.J.) University Medical Center, and in 2010, Diane von Furstenberg created a new gown for Cleveland Clinic.
Private companies are also taking on the challenge. Care+Wear, a medical wearables company, collaborated with Parsons School of Design students to create a kimono-inspired gown that is used at Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals and about 90 other institutions, according to the company.
Some studies have linked better recovery outcomes to a sense of dignity and control over one’s appearance. While changes to the hospital gown have been slow, a cultural shift toward patient-centered care is driving the development of a new generation of gowns, Ms. Friedman wrote.
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