For me or anyone, working in a wet lab, wearing a lab coat for doctors and researchers is protects a physical barrier between hazardous substances and your skin or regular clothing. In my daily work, the lab coat protects me from minor spills, cross-contamination, and accidental exposure to reagents—especially during long hours of pipetting or working with cell cultures. It also helps maintain sterile conditions in clean zones by preventing the transfer of particles from outside clothing.
But the real proof came during a crystallography prep. I was working with a crystallization solution that had some volatile organic solvent (forgot which one, but definitely not something you want on your skin). The tube cracked under pressure and sprayed onto my coat. It didn’t burn through, but it stained the front and would’ve hit my arm if I wasn't wearing the coat. I washed off immediately, but the coat took the hit. Since then, no exceptions. I wear it for safety, not style.