How Medelita Got Started

A lot of people ask "how did you come up with the idea?"  I'll share the cliffs notes version as below. I'm not an extreme fashionista.  Just someone who prefers to look decent, and at work - professional.  I bother to take a shower, brush my teeth, fix my hair, put on a bit of makeup before heading to the ER.  And then I'd finish off that effort to "get ready" by wearing something of less quality than rigid pajamas.  That's backwards, no?  It just never made sense to me.  Attorneys and business men/women wear 3 piece suits that cost in upwards of $1000.  I didn't need to look pristine in the ER.  Just decent. So one day I showed up to the ER in a Dickies crossover pinstripe scrub top and matching "hip flip" pants.  I thought I looked nice.  It felt good.  I hadn't plopped myself into my work station, before my supervising physician said, "What are you wearing!?!  You hardly look like a PA today!!  Go to the OR and get some real scrubs before  you see patients."  Really?  And so it was. And that's how the concept for Medelita was born.  I figured I couldn't be the only female clinician who wanted something more comfortable, flattering, and professional to wear at work. And before Medelita, there was never anything of the "traditional" unisex styling that was specifically made for the female figure.  Of the millions of female clinicians worldwide, mostly wearing unisex style scrubs and lab coats, surely a certain percentage would opt for something of higher quality and improved fit. The performance fabrics were an afterthought, but one that proved to distinguish the Medelita brand.  I knew that most higher end athletic apparel companies, like Patagonia, Lululemon, and Athleta had introduced functional, purposeful fabrics that truly "do" something for the wearer.  And I likened that same concept to Medelita. I think it adds value to the garments, and considering the role your lab coat has to play 2,000 - 3,000 hours/year (on average) - such a mandatory staple might as well work with you. Three years after the light bulb popped into my head, we launched Medelita.  The initial concept was to provide flattering, yet professional lab coats and scrubs to female clinicians.  We never thought men would knock on our door, too.  Turns out our male colleagues were looking for an upgrade from the typically flimsy, unisex styles, as well.