# Why are hospital gowns mostly blue? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 18, 2024, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-hospital-gowns-mostly-blue/1008959 "2024-10-18T20:01:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2024, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-hospital-gowns-mostly-blue/1008959/1 "2024-10-18T20:01:18Z")
Most hospital gowns seem to be blue with light or dark spots, or occasionally off-white with blue spots. Is there a specific reason for the widespread use of blue? I’ve tried researching this on the Internet and found various supposed explanations: 1. Blue is a psychologically calming color, to reduce patient anxiety. 2. Blue is the complementary color to red, so surgeons have less eye strain when seeing the blue gown against the red of the patients blood and organs. 3. They are deliberately ugly to prevent patients from wanting to steal them and take them home with them. None of these seems very plausible to me: 1. If the goal is to present the patient with a calming blue environment, why aren’t the walls painted blue and the bedsheets blue as well? The gown is a very small part of the patient’s visual field. 2. IANAS but I believe in most surgery situations the patient is draped and their gown isn’t even visible to the surgeon. (Note that I’m asking about patient gowns, not surgical scrubs.) Also, blue isn’t the complement of red; green is. 3. Even if a gown were an attractive color, the horrifically ugly style with the open back and awkward ties makes it highly unlikely that someone would want to bring it home to wear. So is there a factual answer to this? Maybe it’s just tradition? ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2024, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-hospital-gowns-mostly-blue/1008959/2 "2024-10-18T20:05:06Z")
I’ve always assumed that green and black predominate because when they get blood on them it just looks dark, whereas with white or yellow, for instance, it would look like BLOOD! ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2024, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-hospital-gowns-mostly-blue/1008959/3 "2024-10-18T20:06:48Z")
Originally it may have been because blue was thought to be a calming color, but now I think it’s tradition and what people expect to see. I’ve also seen green hospital gowns, but they aren’t as common IMO. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2024, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-hospital-gowns-mostly-blue/1008959/4 "2024-10-18T20:17:12Z")
Total speculation: maybe blue dyes stand up best to the super-industrial bleach these things have to be washed in? ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2024, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-hospital-gowns-mostly-blue/1008959/5 "2024-10-18T20:21:27Z")
I had yellow ones the recently passed hospital stay. I’ve had blue. Kinda triangular grid pattern. I never leave them on very long. The fabric is too scratchy. I read about pink being the most calming color…mainly a soft coral pink. I often wonder about the colors in hospital. Come on, puke green walls. Is that really necessary? I’m going with whoever said it was traditional. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2024, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-hospital-gowns-mostly-blue/1008959/6 "2024-10-18T20:23:12Z")
I’ve seen a number of justifications but think it is mainly due to tradition. You can see how white might more easily show dirt or sweat stains. It is true that since nothing in the body is blue, things might be easier to see. The colour is too unattractive to be stylish and does not come close to matching the natural skin tone of any patient who isn’t a Smurf. Light blue may symbolize calmness, open spaces, serenity, cleanliness. Cleanliness might be important if that thing has been washed a million times by the local linen service. But when the hospital purchaser looks in the catalogue and sees purple gowns, sold at higher cost, they probably think of tradition and economy; the comments their purchase will engender - then go with blue. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2024, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-hospital-gowns-mostly-blue/1008959/7 "2024-10-18T20:28:16Z")
> [@Dr\_Paprika](#): > > But when the hospital purchaser looks in the catalogue and sees **purple gowns** , sold at higher cost, they probably think of tradition and economy; the comments their purchase will engender - then go with blue. Your comment (my bolding) brought to mind a possible reason so many hospital gowns are blue: fewer people object to them and make a fuss and ask for some other color. Whereas with purple or pink, some people (male patients, perhaps?) would get upset. I think there are probably a lot of people who go their whole adult lives without ever wearing purple or pink. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2024, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-hospital-gowns-mostly-blue/1008959/8 "2024-10-18T21:06:28Z")
Perhaps, because blue is unlike any color of the stuff that might leak from the human body - or go into it. A need for a change is instantly apparent. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2024, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-hospital-gowns-mostly-blue/1008959/9 "2024-10-18T21:19:34Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > I often wonder about the colors in hospital. Come on, puke green walls. Is that really necessary? I worked in a government building, some decades back, where the interior walls were that same puke green. No clue why so many buildings pre-1970s used that “decor”. As far as blue gowns: Maybe because they AREN’T puke green, aren’t pink (might catch The Gay if you dress Bubba up in pink), and it never occurred to anyone to go with yellow. It may not be a color you’d choose to wear, but it’s not as fugly as the green. I did have a pink gown when in the hospital when my daughter was born - which makes quite a bit of sense. IIRC, it even had nursing slits, which of course has never been a feature anywhere else 🙂 Surgical scrubs also tend to be blue. > [@Cervaise](#): > > Total speculation: maybe blue dyes stand up best to the super-industrial bleach these things have to be washed in? Could be. White would, presumably, be better, but even with bleach, white stuff will get to looking dingy. Blue might LOOK better after a few dozen washes - faded, yes, but not yellowing. > [@markn\_1](#): > > If the goal is to present the patient with a calming blue environment, why aren’t the walls painted blue and the bedsheets blue as well? Well, if EVERYTHING was painted blue, how would you find the patient? It’d be hard to tell where the wall left off and the patient began. Think of all the stubbed toes and other injuries. Imagine if you tried inserting an IV and wound up feeding the mattress instead of the patient. You need SOME contrast 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2024, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-hospital-gowns-mostly-blue/1008959/10 "2024-10-18T21:27:58Z")
Huh - here’s an article talking about this very topic. Dunno how authoritative it is, but it seems plausible: [Hospital Gown Colors & Their Meanings - Joe & Bella (joeandbella.com)](https://joeandbella.com/blogs/news/hospital-gown-color-meaning) ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2024, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-hospital-gowns-mostly-blue/1008959/11 "2024-10-18T21:58:34Z")
Yeah, I saw that page when I was doing my original research. A family blog intended to sell clothing products does not seem very authoritative to me. It seems just a bunch of off-the-cuff ideas without any particular factual basis. I particularly noted dubious statements like “[green] is believed to help patients relax and heal faster due to its association with nature and growth” (cite?) and “[purple] represents nobility and courage and can help empower patients to feel strong in the face of adversity. Purple is also soothing to the mind and can help alleviate anxiety”. Wait, I thought you just said that it’s blue that helps in “reducing stress and anxiety in patients who may be nervous about their medical procedures” and also that green helps patients relax. Is there a color that _doesn’t_ reduce anxiety? ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2024, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-hospital-gowns-mostly-blue/1008959/12 "2024-10-18T22:36:54Z")
In areas with hard water, people will put a blue tint in their laundry soap. Supposedly, it neutralizes the yellow discoloration from the water. Perhaps they hope a blue-tinted garment will have a similar effect? ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2024, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-hospital-gowns-mostly-blue/1008959/13 "2024-10-19T00:12:26Z")
On a possibly related note, almost all of the hospital socks I’ve gotten have also been blue, with the traction pieces white. I think there was only one time when I was given brown socks. ---
**Author:** ![Kropotkin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kropotkin/32/18045_2.png) [@Kropotkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kropotkin)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2024, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-hospital-gowns-mostly-blue/1008959/14 "2024-10-19T00:54:21Z")
45+ years ago, when I worked in print shops, I was told that blue inks were the most resistant to fading. No idea if this is or ever was true of clothing dyes. If it was true once, it may be a reason for the tradition of blue gowns. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2024, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-hospital-gowns-mostly-blue/1008959/15 "2024-10-19T02:54:06Z")
I have a vertible rainbow of the socks. The worst being an odd grey pair. Love, love those socks. Unless they get dragged off by a pet or lost in the dryer they last forever. I think. I have so many I’ve never worn them out. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2024, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-hospital-gowns-mostly-blue/1008959/16 "2024-10-19T02:55:09Z")
Umm faded jeans seem to affirm this. ---
**Author:** ![Kropotkin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kropotkin/32/18045_2.png) [@Kropotkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kropotkin)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2024, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-hospital-gowns-mostly-blue/1008959/17 "2024-10-19T02:56:58Z")
Good point! ---
**Author:** ![Baal\_Houtham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baal_houtham/32/13604_2.png) [@Baal\_Houtham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baal_Houtham)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2024, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-hospital-gowns-mostly-blue/1008959/18 "2024-10-19T03:55:55Z")
That article (blog post?) on gown colors smells strongly of _AI._ _“… Including a discussion about the role of green in biophilic design in hospitals could add more depth to its significance.”_ ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2024, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-hospital-gowns-mostly-blue/1008959/19 "2024-10-19T04:11:42Z")
Cleveland Clinic has been giving out yellow and gray socks the past 3 years. Never seen blue. I don’t think I’ve seen solid blue gowns. I think just white with some small pattern. (I’ve been dealing with CC hospitals a ton the past 3 years). ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2024, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-hospital-gowns-mostly-blue/1008959/20 "2024-10-19T15:26:52Z")
I currently have about a half-dozen pairs of hospital socks. I wear compression socks which have copper soles, and since they tend to slip on the non-carpeted areas of my house I started wearing my hospital socks over them for the added traction. Because of the way I walk they tend to wear out at the heels, so eventually I have had to throw one out. It’s been a while since I’ve had to stay at a hospital, so I haven’t had a chance to replenish my stock. (Note: this is not intended as a suggestion to The Universe that I want to be hospitalized again.) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-hospital-gowns-mostly-blue/1008959.md?page=2)