Mix & Match: Creating Your Own Scrub Set
The days of identical, boring scrub sets are fading fast. Healthcare professionals have started to express their personality while maintaining complete professionalism through customised scrub sets. Even corporate gifting bundles are swapping the old single-shade packs for combinations that reflect the uniqueness of the individuals wearing them.
Imagine coming to work in a set built around our fun If I Fit I Sit top, balanced with purple scrub pants and finished with matching compression socks. Still professional, just more...you.
And that's really what mixing and matching comes down to!
This guide shows you how to build scrub sets that meet your workplace requirements and express your personal style, using colours, patterns and accessories that make your shift just a little more stylish.
Why Mix and Match Scrubs?
Most Australian healthcare workplaces don't require every top and pants to match perfectly. They just want you to look professional, clean and capable. This leaves plenty of space to mix and match scrubs that feel comfortable and true to your preferred work style.
Pairing different colours with subtle patterns also helps your wardrobe stretch further. A single pair of navy scrub pants can work with grey, baby pink and ceil blue printed tops. One well-chosen solid top can anchor three or four different bottoms and vice versa.
Read more:
Colour Theory for Mix-and-Match Scrubs
Colour theory isn't something most healthcare professionals think about while tying shoelaces at 6 a.m., yet this shapes whether a mixed scrub set looks intentional or two random pieces thrown together reluctantly.
Colours fall loosely into two temperature groups:
Warm (coral, berry, red)
Cool (ceil blue, teal, purple)
Staying within one category creates cohesion, even when the shades don't technically "match."
However, printed scrubs can have colours from both categories. Collections like Aussie Natives, Flora & Fauna or Cat & Dog Scrubs act like ready-made pallets because the print does the colour coordination for you. Simply choose a pair of pants that reflects one of the colours inside the print.
As long as the colours share a common "temperature", and one piece acts as the "anchor," then the whole set will look more cohesive than you expect.
Building Your Mix-and-Match Scrubs: Step-by-Step
Once you understand how colours behave under hospital lighting, the next step is building a scrub wardrobe that rotates, pairs well and makes visual sense.
Here's how:
Step 1: Choose your "base pant"
Every mix-and-match system starts with one dependable pair of pants. This should be your version of "denim" in the healthcare setting. For many healthcare professionals, that's navy, grey or ceil blue. These colours can anchor almost everything in the Scrubs collection.
Read more: How Scrubs Should Fit: A Simple Guide to Finding the Perfect Fit
Step 2: Add a few rotation tops
This is where the mixing begins. A solid shadow grey or baby pink is an easy match for your base pants. Choose a couple of "personality pieces" from the printed pattern tops, like Australian Mist Cats, to add some variety without visual chaos.
Step 3: Integrate functional add-ons
Underscrubs, compression socks and scrub caps are the supporting layers of your work attire.
Here are some suggestions to consider:
An underscrub can match either the tone of your top or the depth of your pants.
A patterned cap will be your statement piece when your scrubs are neutral, or one of them follows the same pattern.
A pair of patterned compression socks can tie a printed cap to a solid scrub top and bottom.
The aim isn't to match everything, but rather to let one of two pieces "speak to each other" so the whole set feels intentional.
Read also:
How to Mix Prints Without Looking Chaotic
Printed scrubs are far easier to mix than people expect, mostly because the print itself does half the coordination work before you even get dressed.
Pick one print per outfit. A patterned top with a patterned pant rarely reads as intentional, no matter how harmonious the colours might be. Instead, let the print take the lead, and allow the rest of your outfit to play supporting roles.
Pull one colour from the print and repeat it once. For example, a blue flower in Wild Meadow with blue joggers.
Think about scale. Large prints feel balanced when paired with darker, quieter bottoms. Smaller prints can handle lighter neutrals.
When one element is loud, everything around it should speak more softly.
Read more: Making a Statement: How Printed Nursing Scrubs Australia Are Redefining Healthcare Fashion
Building Mix-and-Match Scrubs for Different Work Environments
Every department has its own level of creative freedom. What works in paediatrics won't always be a good fit for dental clinics. Here’s how to build a set that fits your healthcare environment.
Hospital or ED (functional and fast)
Hospitals and especially the ED move fast. People quickly scan who's staff versus who's a visitor.
That's why simpler, more unified sets work best here.
Choose a neutral base top like steel grey that you can pair with multiple bottoms (or vice versa). Contrast gently with combinations like eggplant. Small statement pieces like a Native Australian Flowers cap work great here because they won't distract from the main uniform.
Vet clinics or paediatrics (friendly and approachable)
A friendly print feels soft and safe, perfect for kids, pets and nervous parents.
In these settings, healthcare professionals have more creative freedom, and it's where best-sellers like Cats Cats Cats, Aussie Natives, Border Collies and Down Under Dogs really shine.
Accessories work beautifully here, too. Opting for a matching set like the Dinosaur or Koalas collection lets you lean into the theme without overwhelming your set.
GP, dental, allied health (polished and professional)
These spaces thrive on calm professionalism. Patients walk in wanting reassurance, structure and a sense of order.
Your scrub set should play a quiet part in that. Choose solids as your base, like neutral tops with tonal bottoms, and add personality with soft touches rather than bold prints. Earthy or muted tones reduce clinical harshness without appearing too casual.
Subtle patterns like Wattlebirds work here too, as long as the look feels soft, not loud.
Sustainability and Longevity (Why Your Mix-and-Match Scrubs Should Last)
A scrub top that holds its shape, colour and stretch over time means fewer replacements, and that's better for your wallet and the environment. Fast-fading colours, thin fabric or seams that break after a few washes only add to textile waste.
Many healthcare scrub brands now consider environmental impact from the very beginning by:
Using recycled or responsibly sourced fibres
Choosing low-water or eco-friendly dyes
Designing fabrics that don't pill, sag or lose colour
Creating sets that stay strong through daily wear and constant laundering
Read more: Go Green! with Scrubs Made From Recycled Materials
Why Dr. Woof Makes Mix-and-Matching Easy
Some scrub brands make mixing and matching harder than it needs to be. Colours don't line up, and prints look great online but stiff in real life.
Dr. Woof takes the opposite approach by offering:
Soft, breathable fabrics
4-way stretch materials
Solid tops and bottoms in every core colour
Jogger scrubs and straight-leg pants
Printed tops and themed pieces
Accessories like scrub caps, headbands, scrunchies and belt bags
Bamboo and performance compression socks for coordinated colour
Underscrubs that tie outfits together
Because everything sits within the same colour families, healthcare professionals get hundreds of mix-and-match combinations without ever feeling mismatched.
The practical advantages of Dr. Woof:
Quick Australian shipping
60-day returns
99-day moneyback guarantee
Long-lasting colour
Scrubs that withstand daily washing
Mixing and matching is a smarter, more personal way to dress for the work you do. Dr. Woof simply helps healthcare professionals to do it well.
Read more: When Are Nursing Scrubs On Sale Events Happening? Save BIG with Dr. Woof
FAQs
How do I choose scrub pants when building a mix-and-match set?
Start with scrub pants that fit well and move with you. A reliable base makes it easier to blend colours, prints and layers without losing visual balance.
What features matter most when styling my uniform?
Prioritise functionality. Good scrubs should breathe, stretch and stay practical during long shifts, especially when you begin to add variety with different tops.
Can mixing colours still feel good and look professional?
Absolutely! The right palette helps your set feel good and polished. Think soft neutrals paired with a pink or green accent for something stylish but subtle.
How do I make my mix-and-match scrubs fun without losing professionalism?
Choose prints that elevate your mix-and-match scrubs but still work for your uniform standards. Soft teals, sage green or muted patterns help you stay professional while still wearing something fun.
How can accessories boost my overall look?
Try light layering with an underscrub, choose a cap that matches your range of tops or express your style with patterned socks. These small touches will instantly improve your look.
Mix-and-Match Scrubs That Reflect Your Personal Style
With so many pieces designed to work well with each other, it doesn't take much to create a combination that feels comfortable, professional and a little bit "you."
Some days, the perfect match can be a solid top and joggers. Other days might inspire contrasting colours or geometric designs.
And with Dr. Woof's huge mix-and-match work attire range, you have the freedom to build a set that fits your work and fits you.
