Scrubs from Your Favorite TV Doctors and Nurses
Many people in the medical field were first exposed to hospitals through their favorite television dramas. Over the years, we’ve grown to know and love many of the small screen’s most familiar faces like they were our own doctors and nurses. Some earn all the love for their dramatic storylines, while others capture attention for their innate ability to make their custom scrubs look surprisingly stylish.
So who wore those classic blues and greens best—and who managed to pull off a few unexpected looks here and there? Here are a few fashionable highlights from history’s most beloved television medical professionals.
Nicolette “Nic” Nevin
As a nurse at Chastain Park Memorial Hospital in The Resident, Emily VanCamp’s character, Nic, doesn’t get to wear much beyond her usual scrubs. But it’s the fact that her scrubs are so surprisingly chic that makes her worth a mention. She’s typically seen in soft burgundy scrub tops and bottoms. The top is noteworthy for its bold gold zipper, which adds a pop of intrigue to the look. You won’t find this style in ordinary hospital settings—unless you work in the TV realm, that is—but it’s an eye-catching look nonetheless.
Dr. Mindy Lahiri
You’ll often see Dr. Lahiri of The Mindy Project (portrayed by Mindy Kaling) wearing several different shades of scrubs when she’s in the operating room. Sometimes she’s all decked out in a crisp white lab coat, but it’s not just her professional attire that captures attention. She’s been known to wear all manner of chic ensembles beneath the standard topper, such as colorful dresses and crisp button-down blouses with contrasting sweaters. In short, she proves it’s easy to let a hint of your fashionable side show even when you’re on the job—and her collection of Birkin handbags doesn’t hurt, either.
Alex Karev
Whether he’s wearing dark blue scrubs or a lighter blue with a white lab coat thrown on top, Dr. Alex Karev, played by Justin Chambers, is one of the most stylish characters on Grey’s Anatomy. The fine art of wearing scrubs shouldn’t be overlooked—it’s an easy enough outfit to put together, but Karev is always ready for whatever the day might bring in his smooth and neatly pressed custom uniform work pants and tops.
Carol Hathaway
If you watched ER in its heyday, you may recall that nurse Carol Hathaway, played by Julianna Margulies, usually stood out in her soft pink-meets-blush-toned scrubs. It served as a distinction, separating her from the likes of doctors played by George Clooney and Anthony Edwards and allowed her to stand out in her own way. So long as your dress code doesn’t limit you to very specific colors of custom uniform workwear, you, too, can easily sport a lighter hue than the standard options usually reserved for nurses. Why not have a little fun with colors that you love?
Zoey Barkow
Although she wasn’t the lead in Nurse Jackie (that was an honor bestowed upon the title character, played by Edie Falco), Zoey Barkow still held quite an important part in the Showtime program. Portrayed by Merritt Wever, Nurse Barkow was a quirky and playful character who fit the role of a nursing student easily. What set her apart from the rest was her spunky choice of wardrobe. Instead of the usual hues, she typically wore printed scrubs in soft hues instead of more understated solid-colored uniform shirts. She was all about the floral prints, the polka dots, and the bunny rabbits!
Dr. Doug Ross
Sure, the Caesar haircut left a little something to be desired, but there’s no denying that George Clooney’s ER character, Dr. Doug Ross, was known for his great style, both in and out of the operating room. The pediatrician was often seen sporting long-sleeved custom T-shirts for work underneath his scrubs.
Dr. Meredith Grey
She’s been through a lot over the years, from discovering her dad’s second family to holding a ticking bomb in her hands during surgery to watching her BFF, Cristina Yang, leave the hospital for good. It would all be a little much for the average medical professional, but at the very least Meredith Grey goes through her Grey’s Anatomy screen life in complete style. When she’s not making rounds in her signature blue scrubs, she might have her trusty white lab coat thrown on top. No matter what she wears, she pulls it off in complete style.
If you’re inspired by celebrities, take your cue from these fashionable TV doctors and nurses who all wore their scrubs stylishly.