Why do scientists and doctors or professors favor white coats?

Laboratories have been using white coats as workwear for at least 100 years, so as a tradition, the historical reasons of the time need to be considered. It's easy to find things like stolen goods and contamination in white, and white looks clean. Experiments used to be dangerous and it was easy to get weird stuff on clothes.

Therefore, it was necessary to wear something to protect clothes other than normal ones. In addition, such things needed to be easily detectable as dirty, easily cleaned, and even subjected to relatively poor procedures such as heat sterilization. A white coat is a good choice. White clothes dirt is easier to see. After repeated washing, the color will not fade because it is not dyed. Then the tradition was carried on.

To this day, there are still many laboratory situations where such protective clothing is needed to protect the clothes and also the exposed limbs. It is part of labor protection. The need for such protection depends on the specific job. It is easy to understand the role of white coats in such environments. Of course, the experimental environment has now completely changed. Many experimental settings no longer require this protection, so it is not necessary in some settings. However, the dress code is still necessary in relatively strictly regulated situations, so there are a variety of overalls.

In addition, even for laboratory work that requires overalls, there are different requirements for colors and clothing styles, not necessarily white coats, due to different color requirements for specific work environments. Many hospitals are now not limited to white coats. Many doctors in the operating room wear blue-green coats, but most still wear white coats as their usual uniform.