Hidden histories: reviewing healthcare workers clothing design and its conservation

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Tonkin, L and Townsend, K ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2212-2511, 2024. Hidden histories: reviewing healthcare workers clothing design and its conservation. In: EFHA International Symposium 2024: Codes of conduct. Responsibility and ethics in fashion heritage., Lisbon, Portugal, 21-22 November 2024.

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Abstract

The cultural mapping of workwear as part of fashion history is not widely represented in fashion heritage institutions despite uniforms being an integral aspect of many people’s lives. Inspired by ‘user-centred PPE’ (Townsend et al. 2022) and ‘living heritage’ (Wijesuriya 2018) approaches, this paper considers responsible clothing design and its conservation. Life changing events such as the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, reinforced the crucial role of workwear, as an embodied sociocultural practice. For example, scrubs, the base layer of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), became a symbol of solidarity and hope as the public used their home dressmaking skills to produce garments and masks during the global crisis. Historically, the design of healthcare workers’ clothing has evolved to augment specific skills and roles (nurses and surgeons), with selected items conserved as examples of material culture in dress archives and museums. While key styles of nurses’ uniforms have been collected and recorded in periodicals, like the Nursing Times dating back to 1905, there has been limited research into the impact of design changes on individuals’ everyday experiences. Conserving lived experiences of the repeated use, functionality (or dysfunctionality) of uniforms increases the visibility of preserving production, circulation and exchange of living fashion histories. Utilising a ‘living heritage’ approach, object analysis and wearer narratives of historical nurses’ uniforms and recently designed PPE isolation gowns will be presented. Artefacts from UK-based archives at Platt Hall, Newstead Abbey and the Royal College of Nursing provide insights and comparisons with contemporary design solutions and wearer engagement. Nuances in design standardisation and detail in PPE design show a continuum between a caring profession and critical clothing design, as part of living fashion heritage of Workwear and PPE (garments). In addition, discussions with fashion and community specialists consider a ‘people’s model’ as a method to connect with different socioeconomic and cultural groups.

Item Type:	Conference contribution
Creators:	Tonkin, L. and Townsend, K.
Date:	November 2024
Identifiers:	Number Type 2470681 Other
Divisions:	Schools > Nottingham School of Art & Design
Record created by:	Laura Borcherds
Date Added:	24 Jul 2025 15:36
Last Modified:	24 Jul 2025 15:37
Related URLs:	Organisation
URI:	https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/54014