There are TV shows you watch. And then there are TV shows that change what you wear to work.
The Pitt, Max's critically acclaimed medical drama, has done something that no healthcare show has managed quite so effectively in years: it has made scrubs feel cinematic. And at the centre of that shift sits one very specific colour, black.
Since Season 1 premiered in January 2025, search interest in black scrubs has climbed noticeably. Healthcare workers are talking about them on social media. Costume enthusiasts are reverse-engineering the looks. And a growing number of doctors, nurses and healthcare professionals are asking a simple question: where can I get a pair that actually looks like that?
In this post, we break down the costume design behind The Pitt, why black has become the shade of the moment in medical apparel, and what to look for if you want to bring that energy into your own workwear.
What Makes The Pitt's Scrubs Different
Walk onto the set of Grey's Anatomy or ER and you'll see the familiar palette of blues and greens, functional, institutional, comforting in a broadly cinematic sense. The Pitt does something different. From the very first episode, the visual language is stark, intentional and grounded in something that feels much closer to the reality of emergency medicine.
Every character in The Pitt's Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center wears a colour that tells you exactly who they are before they say a word. Black scrubs identify emergency doctors (and medical students). Grey is for nurses. Blue is for medical assistants. Purple marks the specialists. It is a deliberate visual hierarchy, and it works on screen in a way that few costume decisions in medical drama ever have. This reflects real patient behaviour too: one study found that 75% of patients identified doctors and nurses by uniform colour alone.
Source: Patient Perspectives Regarding Healthcare Professional Attire
Costume designer Lyn Paolo, whose previous credits include Scandal and The Americans, has spoken about designing scrubs that reflect both the professional identity and psychological state of each character. The result is a cast that looks like an actual emergency department rather than a set dressed to look like one.
The choice of black for the doctors is particularly effective. Against the harshly lit corridors and the chaos of the ER, black reads as authority. It reads as weight. It is the visual shorthand for the people in that room who carry the most responsibility, and it lands.
The Costume Isn't an Accident It's a Statement
What is striking about The Pitt's costume design is that nothing is accidental. Creator R. Scott Gemmill, who also created ER, and the show's production team were explicit from the beginning that they wanted the show to honour the reality of emergency medicine, not romanticise it.
That authenticity extends to the scrubs themselves. The cast wears brands that real healthcare professionals actually use. The emergency physicians, including lead character Dr. Michael "Robby" Robinavitch played by Noah Wyle, wear FIGS. Doctors McKay and Santos wear Jaanuu. These are not obscure wardrobe choices, FIGS and Jaanuu are two of the most recognised premium scrub brands in clinical settings across the US and internationally.
FIGS leaned into the association enthusiastically. When Noah Wyle won the Emmy for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series in September 2025, he wore a custom FIGS tuxedo, midnight blue with black lapels, the first tuxedo ever designed by a scrubwear brand. It was a remarkable crossover moment between healthcare apparel and mainstream fashion culture.
Beyond the brands, the layering choices on the show are also worth noting. As Happythreads' own team observed, most characters wear t-shirts or lightweight tops beneath their scrubs, a detail that reflects how real healthcare workers dress for long, physically demanding shifts. It is the kind of specificity that separates The Pitt from its predecessors.
How The Pitt Compares to Other Medical Dramas
| Show | Scrub Approach | Colour Palette | Realism |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Pitt | Role-based colour hierarchy | Black, grey, blue | High |
| Grey's Anatomy | Stylised and aspirational | Teal, navy | Moderate |
| ER | Functional | Green, blue | High (for its time) |
Why People Are Buying Black Scrubs
Black scrubs have existed for years. The real question is why The Pitt, and not a dozen shows before it, actually changed purchasing behaviour. The answer isn't the cinematography. It's permission. Healthcare professionals have always known presentation matters. What shifted is the cultural licence to care about it openly.
The Pitt's cultural impact on scrub purchasing behaviour has been measurable. Following the show's January 2025 premiere, FIGS, whose scrubs are worn by the show's doctors, saw significant attention driven directly by the series. The brand capitalised on this by tailoring Noah Wyle a custom tuxedo for the Emmys, ensuring that the scrubwear-to-mainstream-fashion pipeline remained firmly open.
But the demand is not only coming from fans. Real healthcare workers are driving much of it. The response from the medical community has been notable: doctors and nurses across social media have praised the show's realism, and many have pointed out that they already wear, or want to wear, black scrubs that mirror what they see on screen.
There are good practical reasons for this beyond aesthetics. In practical terms, darker shades such as black, navy and charcoal are often preferred because they hide stains, spills and wear marks better than lighter alternatives. For professionals working long, physically demanding shifts, this is not a trivial consideration. Black scrubs that look presentable at hour one still look presentable at hour twelve.
However, colour choice should still be intentional. Research on scrub colour and patient perception suggests that different colours can influence how patients interpret professionalism, role and trust, meaning black scrubs work best when paired with clear branding, name badges and a polished fit.
Source: Association Between Patient Perception of Surgeons and Color of Scrub Attire
The broader trend in medical apparel also supports this shift. According to Fortune Business Insights, the global medical scrubs market was valued at USD 54.35 billion in 2025, reflecting the growing demand for professional medical apparel worldwide. At the same time, the industry has moved away from institutional, one-size-fits-all workwear towards performance-led, fashion-conscious garments that healthcare workers are proud to wear. Black sits at the centre of that shift: it feels premium, professional and modern in a way that older institutional colours often do not.
For Irish and UK healthcare professionals, The Pitt has arrived slightly later in cultural consciousness than in the US, which means the wave of interest in black scrubs may still be building. That is an opportunity worth noting.
What to Look For in the Best Black Scrubs: The Pitt-Approved Style Guide
If the show has made you think about your own scrub wardrobe differently, here is what to focus on when buying black scrubs, whether you are a doctor, nurse, or any other healthcare professional.
Cut and Fit
The Pitt's characters wear scrubs that fit like clothing, not costumes. The key is a tailored but functional cut, not so slim that movement is restricted, but structured enough to look intentional rather than shapeless. Look for scrub tops with V-neck or mock-wrap designs and trousers with a straight or tapered leg. Avoid overly baggy fits, which undermine the clean silhouette that makes black scrubs look so sharp on screen.
Fabric
This is where premium scrubs earn their price point. Look for four-way stretch fabric, which allows free movement during long shifts, combined with moisture-wicking and quick-dry properties. For black in particular, colourfast performance fabric is important, lower-quality black scrubs fade quickly with frequent washing, which defeats the purpose entirely.
Underscrub Layering
One detail The Pitt gets exactly right is the underscrub. Most of the show's characters wear fitted t-shirts or lightweight long-sleeves beneath their scrubs, a practical choice for temperature regulation and an aesthetic one that adds dimension to the overall look. If you are building a black scrub outfit, consider a fitted black or dark grey underscrub tee for a clean, layered finish.
Pockets
Function matters. Emergency department professionals need accessible, well-placed pockets for pens, equipment and phones. Look for scrub tops with at least two chest pockets and trousers with functional cargo or side pockets. The Pitt's wardrobe reflects this, nobody in an ER is carrying a handbag.
Shop Black Scrubs at Happythreads
At Happythreads, we offer a wide range of black scrubs from trusted brands including Dickies, Cherokee and Koi.
Next-day delivery available across Ireland and the UK. 90-day returns and in-house embroidery available.
The Bigger Picture
In ten years, will we look back at institutional blue-green scrubs the way we now look at the white coat: functional once, but a relic of a different idea about what healthcare should project? The Pitt didn't create that question. It just made it harder to ignore.