What kind of outfits should i wear for a massage????

[marc antony]

I need some ideas of what kind of outfits to wear for a massage...ik it should be comfortable. but idk i mean i was thinking jeans n a tshirt but idk if it thats to casual or what i should i should wear... plz send advice or even what do u as a LMT wear to ur massage?? oh ya keep in mind that i'm not working for ne one but myself so its not like a spa o nthing...just my lil own buisness..
TX's to all to post!!!!

 

[Geeee]

You are a medical proffesional!!!!!!! you need to look and act the part, no you can;t wear jeans unless maybe it's a long time regular and it's a sat, thats the only time i wear them. think of what your medical doctor or a good chiropractor would wear, if you want to be taken seriously in the community and get referals from them. There was a similar topic a year r two ago about if it was ok to work bear foot, hello! and people wonder why doctors don't refer to them.

Of course this is just my opinion, take it or leave it. I wear nice kakhis or a cotton dressy pant and a well ironed short sleeve dressy shirt or a embroidered golf shirt with my company name, this way your shirts are a tax right off. Think about dressing to the same level as your clients or 1 step above.

Hope this helps

 

[Morgaine]

You can do anything you want in your own business, just make sure you are following the city codes for proper attire if they have such a thing. You can find that out by contacting your city tax clerk and asking if there is a massage therapy business ordinance or code.

For instance I am pretty sure that my city code says that I can't wear see through tops (not that I would) and some out there might say that you can't wear sleeveless tops. Not sure if there is an attire police established to monitor these things, but the point is that there isn't a law about what to wear in your own practice...unless, of course, there is a law.

Think about how you want to portray yourself to your clients and dress the part.

 

[InSHANity <3]

I wear jeans and tshirt and comfortable shoes nearly every day. My clothes are clean, fit well and are in good condition. My work is well-respected in the community, and I'm taken seriously.

Naturally, living in the PacNW, more people dress casually for work.

The important thing is for your clothing to be neat, clean and functional.

 

[Purnendu]

" medical professional!!!!!!!" :shock:

"look and act the part" :irked:

Hmmnnnn. . . well that's one opinion.

I don't remember any dress codes being brought down off the mountain engraved on clay tablets. Personally, I wear nice sweat pants or other loose very casual pants. I would wear a tank top but I think that's a little too casual so I go with a loose fitting pull over shirt.

It's your business. Wear what you feel is appropriate. I got a wonderful masage last spring in Hawaii and my therapist wore longish shorts and a tank top.

Oh, and I'm always barefoot. 8)

 

[Collier P]

Like others have stated, I would wear clothes that are comfortable. If you do wear jeans, make sure don't have rips or frayed cuffs. Khakis are cool but if you use oil/lotion, they can easily get messed up. I almost always nice jeans and either a black golf shirt or a patterned loose-fitting, short sleeve shirt. But again, I'm working within my comfort level. As the weather changes (I'm in the Midwest), my street clothes may change and then I'll switch to lighter clothes at work.

 

[Pompal 09.]

My fave massage therapist wears quirky self designed shirts and skirts, is often barefoot, and how do I say this? She doesn't shave, and isn't ashamed of it. :yikes:

I was a child of the 60's and she's about 14 years younger than I, and it just cracks me up. I nearly have flashbacks whenever I see her! She would have been a perfect hippie child. She was born a generation late.........but she's clean, respectful, gifted, intuitive, and does the most sensitive and fabulous massage. She works in an office with a respected chiropractor.

I wouldn't trade her for someone just because they wore a polo shirt and khaki's on a bet. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that choice to "dress professionally" in our profession. But by the same token, there's room enough for individual expression, and as someone that is also a bit on the quirky side myself, I have to say there is definitely a market for people that do good massage but don't subscribe to a medical model. It's a big untapped world out there for the massage profession, which for me is one of the things that makes it fun. :

What you wear depends on where you live and work, who you work for, and who you are marketing to. Yes, if you dress casually, you may scare off certain clientele and potential medical referrals. If you go the "medical" route, you may also scare off potential clients that would be equally as put off by a stuffy, clinical setting. Some of us would really rather have a warm, fuzzy, casual setting. It's not black and white, and neither is "wrong". You just need to know what attracted you to this profession, and the types of work and clients that you want to be involved with.

savannah

 

[MSB]

I typically wear comfortable, loose-fitting, cotton pants (yoga pants) and usually a t-shirt with my company name on it. I wear a pair of Easy Spirit yoga shoes. I'm comfortable, I can move freely, and thats pretty important to me.

 

[liamjlewis]

i usually wear a t-shirt and capri pants. sometimes jeans but usually flowy gaucho type pants. i like to wear an apron over whatever i do have on, that way i can stay clean. i tend to get a lot of creme on my shirt in the most unconvenient places. i also work barefoot and wear flip-flops if i have to have something on my feet. when i worked at a spa and couldn't control the temp. i would wear black pants and a long sleeved button up shirt (also black) with a tank top underneath. when i'd get in the room with my client, i'd take the outer shirt off to work then put it back on before i walked out. this actually worked out pretty great.

wear whatever you like! just keep yourself clean and behave professionally.

 

[bryanhughjr]

I want to be comfortable when I work, and most of my clients (if not all) could care less what I'm wearing, as long as the massage is to their liking.

Today, I've got yoga pants and a t-shirt on. This will probably be the norm all week. Or jeans and a t-shirt. During the summer, I'll wear just about anything...shorts, capris, skirts. I don't wear a tank top though, never have. And I am always in my bare feet or socks.

No one has ever complained or ever said anything about my choice of dress, and if they do, it's usually "I wish I didn't have to dress up for work!"

 

[Ghost Child]

I work in a spa of sorts and I actually wear skirts to work probably 99% of the time. The other 1% is gauzy, comfy capris. I generally wear nice tanks in the summer and Ts in the winter with my skirts. I have amassed quite a collection of flowy, bohemian skirts, some with embroidery or sequins along the bottom (not as tacky as it sounds), ethnic prints, and in the summer, bright colors. I'm comfortable, I'm cool and I'm covered. The tanks I wear in the summer have broader straps and fit well around the arm so nothing is showing. And generally I Have a big ethnic-y or bead or shell necklace on. I work barefoot but keep sandals in the shop to wear outside of my room. In the winter I just wear capri tights under my skirt. I've gotten a lot of positive feedback from my clients on my style.

 

[M.Shadows fan]

When I worked in a spa the dress code was white polo and kacki pants. it then became black polo and black pants. Now that I work on my own i wear either a polo or nice tee shirt and kacki scrubs that look like pants.

 

[~o0o~]

What to wear...

I would like to thank n i appricate all who answered my Q: it will help a lot !!! tx(thanks) a lot everyone

 

[Greg]

I typically wear comfortable, loose-fitting, cotton pants (yoga pants) and usually a t-shirt with my company name on it. I wear a pair of Easy Spirit yoga shoes. I'm comfortable, I can move freely, and thats pretty important to me.

what are yoga shoes? I must wear shoes because of a foot issue and I'm looking for something other than sneakers.

 

[josh k]

My fave massage therapist wears quirky self designed shirts and skirts, is often barefoot, and how do I say this? She doesn't shave, and isn't ashamed of it. :yikes:

Pretty much sums up my look - except I do shave, lol.

 

[Eternity]

All I have to say is avoid scrubs...it doesn't look right on massage therapists, only surgeons.

 

[lostblackjackqueen]

You are a medical proffesional!!!!!!!

are you kidding me? I don't think massage qualifies as a medical professional. I think that's what most ticks me off about a lot of massage therapists out there, is the total lack of respect for the real medical professionals out there who spend 4-12 years in undergrad and post-graduate work. Just because you take 50 hours or so of pathology/health classes and have your CPR training does not qualify you the be on the same health tier.

As far as clothing, I think as long as there isn't any cleavage for girls, and the clothing is clean, decent looking, and doesn't restrict movement then it is good. Scrubs just call to mind doctors and nurses, and I agree don;t really belong on massage therapists.

 

[Dano]

I think we need to remember that different states have different education requirements. Heck...even different countries do. I believe Ontario requires several years of training for massage therapists. That's about a year & a half more than the CNA who works in a hospital and wears scrubs.

t102

I don't think that therapists who wear scrubs are trying to make people think that they're doctors. There are plenty of occupations that wear scrubs that have little or no training.

Different therapists work in different settings doing different types of massage and have different levels of education.

What's right for one person isn't right for another.

As long as you look clean and you're covered, every therapist should wear what they feel comfortable in, in the setting that they're working in.

Angie

 

[magicbird]

Scrubs just call to mind doctors and nurses, and I agree don;t really belong on massage therapists.

I don't have a problem with scrubs, but over the years I have come to see how they just don't work for some people.

I am an MT, in addition to having background in chiropractic. I wear scrubs and it works for me. My husband is an MT. He wears scrubs and it works for him. But, we run our office like a relaxed medical type practice. We have set hours, we chart our clients and keep folders on them just like if you go to the doctor's office, we have land lines for our phones and we have a fixed point credit card machine. We don't have a staff, and this is where it gets a little more relaxed, because we can spend time talking to the client before and after the session and we do let the clients bring their lunch to put in our refridgerator if they are on the run during lunch. We do ask that people call us by our first names and when someone needs directions for a place (even unrelated to business) we take the time to pull up a map and print it out for them while we're standing around chatting..... you know... that sort of thing. We don't have a plush / spa type environment, but it is comfortable and the massage rooms have low lighting and music -- along with candles and heating pads/cush comfy padding for the tables.

However, when someone comes into our office, they definitely have the feel of a more "medical environment" instead of a spa type environment.

When I started in practice / prior to providing massage work, I wore jeans, cool shoes, a scrub top and white jacket. My patients did not have a problem with this and it look "sharp" believe it or not. However, when I got into massage, I switched to the scrubs, mainly because I was teaching Anatomy and the massage school I taught at requested that I wear them. I liked them, they were easy and I felt they fit a little more "professional" look for me.

I became adamant over the years that massage therapists should wear scrubs, mainly because if you get a good pair of scrubs they can add a benefit of providing a "look" that people associate with "health" professions. Not necessarily a bad thing, when many of the MT's I saw wandering about looked half dressed, half-baked and generally flakey.

However, I've met some wonderful therapists since those many years ago, who don't wear scrubs and do wear funky clothing and it works just fine for them. BUT, they always profess and have the aura of a certain level of knowledge that is not the "typical" MT.

We're lucky to have this forum with non-typical MT's. Most everyone here has a certain depth of knowledge and understanding. When you have that, you can get away with doing things a bit more eccentric in this profession. But, if you don't have the knowledge - I feel that you do have to be careful, because then the jeans type dress habits generally make people say, "oh, there goes another flake". (Obviously this isn't going to be happening when you are an MT like "Breathe", as was notied in a prior post. She would be a good example of knowledge/skill and can dress in a laid back fashion in her region without a client back bite. {...hope that makes sense})

So, I currently hold to the idea that scrubs do at least provide a certain "look" that can provide the general public with a certain comfort in professionalism that a therapist (MT) may otherwise not be able to pull off. And, at times it can be just what one needs to build a practice that caters more toward people not looking for the foo-foo and haphazard attitude that does come with certain MT-associated client concepts.

Of course expectations within your practice are another part of how the practice runs. But, I can truly say, that I have very very minimal no-shows and cancellations. I think I get a no-show maybe once every 6 months. There is a good portion of this that comes with my expectation and my presentation. I am not saying clothing/scrubs is everything, but I do feel it gets many people in a different frame of mind when they walk into the office.

But, just to show you how whimsical I can be... for years now, I have been thowing around the idea of these uniforms.... http://www.buttercupsuniforms.com/shop/shop.php ---and on occasion, I veer back to my jeans and feel that I could just as easily come to work in a pair of hip-huggers with a hole in the knee and pull it off just fine.

So, here are my odd and chaotic ramblings of the day. Feel free to pull what may work for you out of them.

 

[Aunt Murry]

In Ohio, we are licensed with a Limited License in Massage Therapy under the State Medical Board. Technically, that makes me a medical professional. Do I believe that I have as much knowledge as a physician, chiropractor, nurse practioner, RN, LPN, etc. No, not really, but I do have a solid understanding of my art, my skills, my limitations and the legal limitations that are placed on my profession.

NOW, having said all that nonsense, my belief about how to dress to provide massage is this: if you work for someone else and they have a "dress code" you have to adhere to that requirement. If, like me, you work for yourself, you can wear whatever you want to up to and including a fancy ball gown if you are able to provide massage dressed like that. I wouldn't recommend anything like a bikini, or a speedo for guys; nor would I recommend a very low cut top or anything really restrictive for the body. Just go with whatever makes you feel comfortable, is clean, in good repair and wear comfortable shoes/sandals, or even bare feet and do your best work as you are well capable of doing. Clients don't really give a crap about what you look like. They just want good results for the $$$$ they are paying you. At least that's the way it is around this county.