RosieCheeks:
Heard a few tales about the uniforms, pretty to look at by all accounts, but rather impractical and not dignity preserving for the nurse when it came to manual handling during patient transfers, as a lady local to me who worked as nurse in that era said "you ended up showing your tomorrows intimate washing to the world".
As someone who spent much time in hospital tied to a bed unable to get up or about, I can verify that! Oh deary me! Sisters, Staff nurses, SRNs, SENs and student nurses all had to wear black stockings & suspenders! Not helpful to a teenage boy, thank goodness for bedbaths!