Why the workday wardrobe is moving beyond scrubs

Scrubs are still the uniform. But for plenty of clinicians, the workday starts before the first handoff and ends well after the last one. That leaves room for the pieces worn underneath, over the top, and on the way home.

That shift showed up in a recent financial update from FIGS. In the first quarter of 2026, the company reported $33.3 million in non-scrubwear revenue, up 31.3% from the same period a year earlier. The company pointed to underscrubs and outerwear as areas of strength. Read the company release.

The practical reason layers matter

This is not a case for making clinical work more complicated. It is the opposite. Hospital temperatures vary. Break rooms run cold. A commute can begin in the dark and end in different weather. A light layer that can come off easily is useful because it solves a small, ordinary problem.

For anyone building a work wardrobe, the question is not whether every item has a fashion label. It is whether it earns its space in the rotation. Can it be washed often? Does it move comfortably through a shift? Does it still look presentable when the day runs long?

What to look for beyond the scrub set

Start with the parts of the day that usually create friction. An underscrub should feel comfortable under a top without bunching at the sleeves. An outer layer needs enough room to move without catching on equipment or becoming another thing to manage. A commute piece should work with the rest of the wardrobe instead of asking for a full outfit change.

There is also a quieter point here: people in healthcare do not stop being themselves when they clock in. Practical clothing can still feel considered. That does not make it less professional. It makes the uniform easier to live in.

A category worth watching

One earnings release does not settle where healthcare apparel is headed. Still, the growth in non-scrubwear is a useful reminder that the daily needs around a uniform are broader than the uniform itself. The best additions are the unglamorous ones: easy layers, reliable fabrics, and pieces that make the transition into and out of work a little smoother.

For brands, that is the useful test. Build for the real day, not an imagined version of it.

Edited by NieHedy, COO of Eipnare. Connect with her on LinkedIn.