Scrub costumes, commonly known as “scrubs,”are normally worn by the medical personnel in Grey’s Anatomy underneath their white lab coats (or without the coats). They not only help in identifying members of a particular department but are also required to maintain hygiene in the OR and hospital environment at large.
Everything about the scrubs might appear obvious at first glance, but plenty of little details about them are sprinkled throughout the medical drama. The caps aren’t all the same and neither are the colors. Personal tastes also come into play, with some characters opting to not look too similar to their colleagues.
Scrub Colors At Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital
![Grey’s Anatomy: 8 Hidden Details You Missed About The Scrub Costumes](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Nurse-Jennilynn-Mandap-in-Greys-Anatomy.jpg)
Surgical attendings at Grey Sloan and its previous versions wear navy costumes. Surgical residents, nurses, and interns don light blue costumes, while ER doctors wear brown costumes. Some of the most likable nurses on Grey’s Anatomy have been seen wearing green costumes, while OB/GYN residents and attendings wear light pink costumes. Lastly, infectious disease staff wears yellow costumes.
There haven’t been many infections disease cases on the show, so the yellow scrub costumes feature more in season 17 than any other season since the focus is on the COVID-19 pandemic. The light blue and navy blue costumes have featured the most on the show because most of the main characters are either surgical residents, nurses, or attendings. OB/GYN costumes only feature once in a while.
Riggs, Meredith, Derek, And Burke Love Personalized Scrub Caps
![RIggs and Meredith flirt at the Grey Sloan parking lot in Grey's Anatomy](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/RIggs-and-Meredith-in-Greys-Anatomy.jpg)
Scrub caps are normally light blue or navy blue to match the rest of the costume. Paper or plastic scrub caps tend to be worn by non-medical personnel (mostly family) who have to enter the OR. There are personalized caps, too. In fact, all the main characters have worn personalized caps at some point, but a few prefer them.
Among the details viewers never notice about Nathan Riggs is his love for personalized scrub caps. This helps showcase his fashion-savvy side. Meredith also alternates between the normal scrub caps and the personalized ones. Derek and Burke have lots of love for themselves, so they have personalized caps too.
Scrub Colors In Other Hospitals
![Reed dons orange scrubs during her time at Mercy West in Grey's Anatomy](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Dr-Reed-Adamson-in-Greys-Anatomy.jpg)
Early in the series, Seattle Grace’s preference for navy blue and light blue costumes isn’t shared by other hospitals. Key surgeons in Seattle Presbyterian Hospital wear red scrubs, while those at Mercy West Medical Center wear orange and gray scrub costumes. Surgeons at Pacific Northwest General Hospital wear light green.
The medical drama aims to be as realistic as possible, thus the choice of navy and light blue costumes for its main characters make sense. Most major hospitals around the world prefer these specific colors, and apparently, according to Invitahealth.com, there is a scientific reason behind it. Blue makes people feel relaxed, thus lowering blood pressure and eradicating anxiety.
Bailey Only Wears A Personalized Scrub Cap Once
![Main cast of Grey's Anatomy talking to Bailey who has her back to the camera](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Most-of-the-main-cast-of-Greys-Anatomy-talking-to-Bailey-who-has-her-back-to-the-camera.jpg)
Among the details fans must have forgotten from the pilot episode is that it’s the only time Bailey wears a personalized scrub cap as a resident. For every other surgery during a residency, she wears a blue or navy cap, though a couple of the caps have flowery patterns.
Bailey normally leans towards simplicity, so this comes as no surprise. She only cares about doing her job well. Bailey’s carefree attitude towards fashion is best demonstrated when she calls out an intern in the first season for taking too long to decide which shoes to wear. To her, it doesn’t matter. Wear what you have and get to the OR.
Exceptions To The OB/GYN Costumes
![Derek and Addison looking at each other in Grey's Anatomy](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Derek-Shepherd-and-Addison-Montgomery-Greys-Anatomy.jpg)
Though OB/GYN attendings wear pink scrubs, there have been a few exceptions. Addison frequently shows up with navy scrubs and so do the few perinatologists featured on the show.
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There’s a logical explanation behind Addison’s navy scrub. Apart from her being the OB/GYN head, she also serves as the neonatal head and performs neonatal surgeries. This gives her the green light to wear navy scrubs. As for Perinatologists, they perform fetal surgeries, hence they are allowed to wear navy scrubs too.
Black Scrubs
![Colin Marlow monitors a surgery during his brief stint at Grey Sloan in Grey's Anatomy](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Colin-Marlow-In-Greys-Anatomy.jpg)
Only one doctor in all versions of the main hospital (Seattle Grace, Seattle Grace Mercy West, and Grey Sloan) has worn black scrubs. This is cardiothoracic surgeon, and “Marlow Transplant” inventor, Colin Marlow.
The reason for Marlow’s black costume is never revealed, but it sure does go well with his dark personality. Marlow is one of the least likable characters on the show. He proves to be mean and cold by ignoring Burke and seducing Cristina, even though he knows she is dating. Instead of trying to win Cristina’s heart in a genuine manner, he opts to bully Burke instead, even embarrassing him in the OR. His unorthodox efforts eventually lead him to a cul-de-sac.
Attending Anesthesiologists
![Anesthesia is administered before a surgery in Grey's Anatomy](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Anaesthesia-in-Greys-Anatomy.jpg)
Anesthesiology is considered a surgical specialty, so anesthesiologists normally wear the same costumes as operating surgeons. But like Mark and Jackson, no attending anesthesiologists have worn personalized scrub caps.
None of the anesthesiologists have been main characters on the show and this explains why the writers of the show wouldn’t be too focused on making their costumes unique. About half of the anesthesiologists are part of the show’s “unseen staff” and they are mentioned from time to time, but never seen.
Unusual Scrub Cap
![Margaret Campbell wears an enlarged scrub cap with a net to accommodate her extra hair in Grey's Anatomy](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Margaret-Campbell-in-Greys-Anatomy.jpg)
There has been a single case of an unusual scrub cap. Margaret Campbell — the first-ever female surgeon at Seattle Grace Hospital — wears an enlarged scrub cap with a net to accommodate her long hair.
It is implied that Margaret Campbell’s surgical methods and fashion sense are “old school.” This explains why no one else (even younger surgeons with long hair) wears the same kind of scrub cap as her. Cristina gets in Margaret’s bad books by suggesting it’s time for her to hang up her gloves. Though she appears to be unaffected by the younger surgeon’s words, she soon retires.