It may not be suited for the runway, but a new hospital gown designed and manufactured in London is already creating quite a buzz.
The gown has just made its debut at the Breast Care Centre at St. Joseph’s Health Care and it’s getting positive reviews.
It's functional and with touches of bright pink - and a resemblance to robes you'd find in a spa - it's also rather fashionable.
Pauline Bessegato, coordinator of breast surgery, says "Everybody loves it. It's a different look and feel. It doesn't make you feel like you're in a hospital setting."
The robe is made of a thicker cotton fabric than conventional gowns so it's cozy.
Brendan O'Neill with London Hospital Linen Service, which helped to develop the gown, says versatility was an important consideration.
"We designed the gown with large armholes to provide lots of room. We provided long ties for people who had issues with dexterity issues the ability to bring the tie around.”
That’s because the gown can be worn front to back or vice versa depending on whether it's being used for ultrasound or surgery.
Bessegato adds "When you come to the surgical side it opens at the front so you can open just one side as you need to and you're still covered."
The gown was in development for about nine months and the design process was very much a collaborative effort involving the manufacturer, hospital staff, and feedback from patients.”
Bessegato says early reviews from patients are in and "they liked the fact that it didn't feel institutional, that it gave them comfort, there was some warmth to it."
As for the cost compared to a conventional gown, it's expected to be quite literally a wash, with the stronger fabric enabling the gowns to stand up to more laundering.
