What should a 40 yr old Doctor wear

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AIBU to ask you enlightened ladies for advice? I have been wearing the same old boring stuff to work for ages. I turned 40 recently and know I need some new clothes. I am a part-time GP so need to look smart but also must be comfortable and practical. Budget is not as big as you might think due to being part-time, nursery fees and recent house move but I realise I need to spend a bit. I am a size 8-10 and generally petite. When you imagine going in to see a smart professional lady doc, what is she wearing?

I would say nice skinny/cigarette pants and pumps teamed with a nice wool jumper or smart blouse

Something like this maybe?
www.google.ie/search?q=cigarette+pants+how+to+wear&espv=2&biw=1256&bih=774&site=webhp&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiMiKzl3p7SAhVJIsAKHcmcAIIQ_AUIBigB#tbm=isch&q=cigarette+pants+how+to+wear+flats&imgrc=8pSo3B09I5xl6M:

You should look comfortable but well tailored I'd say.

She is wearing what ever the fuck she wants try style and beauty, they know what they are talking about other there

If I was a doctor I'd be wearing a long white coat and a name badge the size of my chest and a stethoscope constantly around my neck

Thank you so much! Proudbadmum that made me smile. No white coats to hide under anymore. Keep the ideas coming!

Dresses. I like to see a well dressed doctor.

I was in hospital recently and the male docs all seemed to have a very preppy look. Think beige skinnies, naice leather shoes and funky shirts.

Some of the women wore skirts and shirts. I seem to remember the men more!

proudbadmum +1

I work with GP's, I've seen them wear suits to jeans and everything in between, Caught a glimpse of one wearing Batman socks.

I agree.. A stethoscope would be reassuring. :)

Plus the men all seemed to be plus 6 foot and built like rakes. Quite amusing really. You could spot the docs coming a mile away.

I think Boden will supply you with what you need. Nice jumpers, blouses and chino style trousers would look good.

I'd also hand business cards out with the Dr bit in bold

Skater dresses are nice. You also need a pair of converse

Surely GPs don't need to wear a stethoscope around their neck? It's not like they're on the move from one cubicle to the next, any GP I have been to just has it lying on their desk.

In any case, I'd sooner expect a nicely tied silk scarf than a stethoscope around a GP's neck these days!

If you're looking for recommendations on where to shop that's reasonably priced I'd recommend Massimo Dutti or Zara, quality and tailoring is better in MB but range and prices are better in Zara.

The only female doctors / surgeons I notice are paeds so my perspective is off but I like seeing pretty skirts and bright dresses - approachable but smart

I buy Boden stuff in the sales and keep for work , not exactly me but feels right for work

Maybe a move to the style and beauty section would bring more ideas than AIBU. We love a style challenge there!
I would second smart cigarette trousers, flat-ish shoes and smart blouses or tops. You need to be comfortable too I would imagine and dresses feel too smart and restrictive for me (but I work in a hospital so lots of walking about). I wear Boden trousers in black or navy and tops or blouses from places like Hush, warehouse, Zara etc bit it kind of depends what you like to wear.

I am in similar profession/circumstances I tend to wear dark trousers or long skirt smart top and smart cardigan thing. But I am not an 8-10 and hide behind my clothes ! If slimmer I would love to wear dresses but due to lack of losing baby weight and inability to wear any heels at all, look rubbish in them and also not practical for kneeling on floor looking at feet or interacting with reluctant children. I feel very uncomfortable if I see my colleagues in short skirts, low cut tops or loose neck tops that flop forward when you bend over or strappy shoes with toes out ! I think it looks wrong and unprofessional however nice and pretty they look.

"Skinnies"? Erm...nope!!!

Oo - and nothing round your neck eg scarves but you know that and why !!

No silk scarves. They might dangle in diseased bits of patients.

In fact, nothing that you'd be distraught about if an abscess squirted on it or a small human covered it in puke.

Whatever you feel comfortable in. If it's clean, makes you feel good and needs minimal ironing it'll be a winner.

But not jeans.

I'm a 43 year old female consultant surgeon. I wear dresses and jackets, mostly from boden and hobbs. I do dress smarter than most people I know at work but part off this for me is about putting my professional work head on. I agree with all the other suggestions in this thread though and think as long as you look clean and relatively smart, a smile is more important than what you wear

Also, wear a wedding ring. Nothing tight or revealing. No high heels - you want to be able to make a quick getaway. Nothing that can't be washed. Nothing restrictive or uncomfortable.

TBH IDGAF what they wear and I can't say I've ever particularly noticed, except for one male doctor who wears what looks like a polyester suit he's slept in all week, and another male doctor who wears the most beautiful tailored wool suits but is unaccountably willing to examine my knee by bracing my sweaty foot against his trousered shin. All other doctors, they could've been wearing bloody anything and as long as they didn't either a) look discomfitingly unclean like the first doctor, or b) make me very self-conscious about ruining their clothes like the second doctor, I wouldn't care.

My lovely female GP is probably somewhere between 40-50. She wears dresses, probably because the surgery is very warm. She always looks smart yet friendly and approachable.

Some places like Debenhams do a personal shopping experience - would that help?

Generally skirt or trousers and shirts are good I think, so pretty broad, but you could have some fun trying different colours and styles :)

Wear whateverthehell you want, that's comfortable and doesn't display any offensive slogans.

Seriously, I'd just be grateful I was being seen by a GP rather than judging them on what they wear.

Same as most other professional women, surely? I wear trousers (either skinny/cigarette or wide leg) with a smart wool jumper (Uniqlo merino wool round neck ones are my go-to) or a blouse/shirt. Flat shoes (brogues, usually). Or a skirt or dress (I have a few from Boden - a bit hit and miss though).
How smart you are comes as much from how you're turned out as what items of clothing you're wearing, so I try to de-bobble my jumpers when I remember, make sure DC2 hasn't smeared porridge on my sleeve before I leave the house, a few bits of subtle jewellery, basic make-up, non-scruffy shoes, etc.