My Zoidberg costume must be complete!!!

October 26, 2005 3:39 PM

Where should I be looking to buy a lab coat for a costume? My girlfriend suggested looking in the yellow pages under "Uniforms" but those places seem to seem janitorial jumpsuits and such. Looking under "Medical Equipment" seems to be *actual* medical equipment, and there's no "Medical Apparrel" category. Costume shops either have nothing, or something that looks like it's made out of cardboard. So, where can I get a lab coat by Saturday?
posted by emptybowl to Grab Bag (17 answers total)

Many uniform supply stores should carry them. Googling "lab coat uniform supply" show no shortage of sites, trying adding your city to the search.
posted by beowulf573 at 3:44 PM on October 26, 2005

University bookstores. At least, the ones I've been to all seem to stock lab coats and safety goggles for the science undergrads.
posted by chrominance at 3:47 PM on October 26, 2005

Also, a store that sells medical scrubs will tend to have them, as well as the bookstore associated with a medical school.

I used to live in Philadelphia, and 11th street between Chestnut and Locust had 3-4 shops catering to Thomas Jefferson hospital and med school.
posted by Admiral Haddock at 3:49 PM on October 26, 2005

Do you know anyone who is a doctor or is in med school or works in a lab that would let you borrow one?
posted by radioamy at 3:50 PM on October 26, 2005

Grainger has them here.
posted by kc8nod at 4:05 PM on October 26, 2005

University bookstores, seconded. They can be overpriced, though.

Do you know any big & tall guys who might have a white dress shirt you could borrow?
posted by PurplePorpoise at 4:32 PM on October 26, 2005

Do you live in Brooklyn, by chance? Couldn't tell by your profile. I saw some at a Halloween/party store in Bushwick just off the L train. Near the DeKalb stop. It's on Knickerbocker about 2 blocks away from DeKalb. It say's ORGASM DONOR on it, but you could cover that up. I'm sure many such cheap costume places would have such a thing.
posted by smartypanties at 4:34 PM on October 26, 2005

Third for university bookstores, and may I compliment you on your costume choice?
posted by arcticwoman at 4:36 PM on October 26, 2005

MetaChat.
posted by loquacious at 5:08 PM on October 26, 2005

Another vote for university bookstores or medical bookstores -- essentially, any place where science and medical students will be shopping.

You could ring up a university science or medical department and say, "Hi, I'm a 2nd year medical student, and I need to know where to by a lab coat". I know if you rang my university they'd tell you the name of the place that offers discounts to medical students. (If you were feeling wily you could fake it for the discount, and hope they don't ask for a student card)
posted by teem at 5:08 PM on October 26, 2005

Response by poster: Ah ha! I finally found a place: Uniform City in Lanham, Maryland. (I checked at the local university bookstore and they don't carry any.) Heading there tomorrow. Thanks for all the help!!
posted by emptybowl at 5:12 PM on October 26, 2005

I'd just check at a Goodwill. They always seem to have scrubs and leftover uniforms that will be serviceable for Halloween.
posted by Miko at 5:29 PM on October 26, 2005

Definitely check thrift stores. I got a new lab coat for $1 at a second-hand store last Halloween. They had maybe a dozen in stock.
posted by maniactown at 6:41 PM on October 26, 2005

In my (limited) experience, university bookstores are far more likely to carry labcoats if they have a medical school; there doesn't seem to be nearly as much demand for labcoats for undergrads.
posted by dagnyscott at 6:44 PM on October 26, 2005

radioamy, people who actually work in a lab are unlikely to lend their lab coats out... mostly because lab coats are functional and not decorative in a lab. They're there to protect people from chemicals, radioactive stuff, etc. I wish I had a lab coat at home, but I'd never think of taking my real lab coat home with me - I know what it's been exposed to, and I don't want 32P or various chemicals contaminating stuff at home. I don't know about doctors, but I suspect that they may have similar qualms about lending out their lab coats. Buying a coat from a university store or thrift store's a better idea.
posted by ubersturm at 11:01 PM on October 26, 2005

At the Thrift Store? I've never seen one there, so I think some luck's required if you choose that route. My advice is, search not just on 'lab coat' (which are usually white) but also on 'smock' (which will generate results for the same garment in light blue, and gray, too).
posted by Rash at 9:16 AM on October 27, 2005

A few years back, near DC, I got scrubs and a long white coat at a nursing supply store. I don't recall the name, but it sounds like you haven't looked under "nursing supply" in the phone book.
posted by mikewas at 11:01 AM on October 27, 2005