Photo by Leah Ingram Eagle.
Just Liv Uniforms in Greystone offers scrubs that are designed to be comfortable and trendy, as well as accessories.
After working almost 20 years in the health care industry, Emisha Bland decided to go from wearing scrubs to selling them, with a goal of having a uniform to fit everyone’s personality.
Bland spent her days in scrubs while working as a unit secretary at Jeremiah’s Hope, a collaboration between Jefferson State and Ascension St. Vincent’s, with the college’s Center for Workforce Education providing training in various health care programs and wrap-around services.
She then went into occupational health and obtained her phlebotomy certification and has worked as a medical assistant for the last three years.
Bland always had trouble finding the right size scrubs to fit her petite frame. After years of dealing with scrubs being the wrong fit and having to alter or return them, she’d had enough.
“I knew the need for the uniforms, as I was in them all day,” Bland said. “I wanted to branch out and find something different.”
Equipped with research from the Uniform Retailers Association (URA) and personal experiences, Bland opened her store, Just Liv Uniforms, in Greystone Center off U.S. 280. in April with a mission to sell affordable uniforms for those in the health care industry.
After spending years caring for people as her profession, Bland knew she wanted to keep a personal touch with Just Liv Uniforms.
When choosing the name of her business and logo, she drew inspiration from medical care items such as lifelines and stethoscopes. She wanted to encourage people to “just keep living.”
To ensure things stay personal, Bland has refrained from offering an online shop and has kept everything in person at her storefront business. She said that allows people to get a better feel of what size they choose from the options in her store.
Bland knows how busy life can be for people who work in the medical field. Many don’t have time to go home and change out of their scrubs before going to other activities. One of Bland’s primary goals in forming Just Liv Uniforms is making sure the scrubs are cute, stylish and comfortable.
“Some of the uniforms I have basically look like outfits, but they are work wear,” said Bland. “You would be comfortable going to dinner wearing them. Everything in my store are things that I would wear and to help make people want to go to work.”
Brands available at Just Liv Uniforms include Koi, White Swan, Adar, Banu, Aura and Med Couture. The store also offers caps, compression and design socks, lab jackets and embroidery services.
Same day delivery is available within a 30-mile radius and those with a health care ID receive a 10% discount on purchases.
On her website, Bland said, “This has been a passion of mine for quite a while and something that I feel so connected with and am really looking forward to this journey.”
Just Liv Uniforms
► WHERE: 5510 U.S. 280, Suite 121, Birmingham 35242
► CALL: 205-407-4676
► WEB: justlivuniforms.com
► HOURS: Monday-Friday 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
