How we put this together, and our bias
We make underscrubs, so we have an obvious interest in this topic. Everything about dress codes below comes from published hospital and nursing school policies, and the infection prevention points come from the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) and the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN). All of it was checked in October 2026. Policies vary by employer and change often, so treat these as examples, not your rules.
People put something under their scrubs for three reasons: to stay warm, to manage sweat, or for coverage when they bend and reach. The right layer depends on which of those you are solving.
But the first filter is not fabric. Your dress code decides what you can wear under scrubs, and most policies regulate the same three things: the color, the sleeve length, and how much of it shows. Get those right and almost any good base layer works.
The short answer
For most hospital jobs, the safest thing to wear under scrubs is a fitted, solid black, white or gray crew neck or V-neck that stays hidden under the scrub top’s hem. Choose a moisture-wicking fabric if you run warm and a long sleeve if your unit is cold and your policy allows it. Check two things in your dress code first: which colors are allowed, and whether long sleeves are restricted in your area.
What hospital dress codes actually say about undershirts
This is the part most guides skip. We read published dress codes from hospital systems and nursing schools, and the same three rules come up again and again:
Color
Most commonSolid white, black or gray
Also commonYour assigned scrub color
Least strictAny solid color, no prints or logos
Sleeves
Usually allowedShort or long sleeve
Sometimes requiredFully under the scrub sleeve, or at least elbow length
Restricted areasSome cath labs, IR suites and ORs limit long sleeves
What shows
HemTucked in, or no longer than the scrub top
TextureSome codes ban waffle-weave or textured shirts
NecklinesCrew, V-neck and turtleneck are the usual options
A few real examples show how much these vary. The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences allows a solid white, gray, black or role-color undershirt, says it should not extend past the scrub top’s hem, and sets an unusual sleeve rule: shorter than the scrub sleeve, or elbow length or longer. CHI Health allows under layers in black, white, gray or the color of your scrubs.
Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic assigns undershirt colors by role. Nurses in navy scrubs may wear white, black or navy, while respiratory staff in royal blue may wear white, black or royal blue, and undershirts must be tucked in and cannot be waffle weave. At the other end, McLaren Greater Lansing allows any solid-color short or long sleeve shirt under the scrub top for most roles.
Practical takeaway: solid black is allowed in nearly every policy we read, which makes it the safest first underscrub. Keep it fitted so it stays tucked or hidden under your scrub top’s hem, and check your own policy before buying a second color.
Are long sleeves allowed under scrubs?
Usually, yes, on general floors. Most of the policies above allow long-sleeved undershirts. The exceptions come from infection prevention, and they cluster in a few areas.
Bare below the elbows
In 2014, SHEA published expert guidance on attire outside the operating room. It said facilities may consider a bare below the elbows approach, meaning short sleeves, no wristwatch, no jewelry and no ties during clinical care, partly because sleeves and cuffs can get in the way of hand and wrist hygiene. SHEA was clear that the evidence is limited and that this is optional. Some hospitals adopted it and many did not.
Cath labs, IR and the OR
Procedural areas set their own rules. The University of Nebraska Medical Center’s imaging program says no long sleeve shirts are allowed in IR or the cath lab, and that undershirts must be tucked in. Children’s Wisconsin lets OR staff wear personal undershirts to cover the upper chest, but not long sleeves unless they are covered by a surgical scrub jacket.
AORN, which sets perioperative attire guidance, used to recommend covering the arms in restricted and semi-restricted areas. Its 2019 update dropped that, saying arms may be covered during preoperative skin antisepsis, and its director of evidence-based practice later called long sleeves a personal decision outside that task. Your facility’s policy still decides.
Practical takeaway: if you work in a procedural area or a hospital with a bare below the elbows policy, plan on a short sleeve or a long sleeve you can push above the elbow during patient care. On most general floors, a long-sleeve underscrub is fine.
What to wear under scrubs, by situation
In a cold unit
Air-conditioned floors, ORs and night shifts are the classic reason for a long-sleeve underscrub. A fitted long sleeve adds warmth without the bulk of a jacket, and it stays put when you reach. If you move between cold and warm areas, a thin layer that wicks is more useful than a thick thermal one, because you will warm up fast once things get busy.
If you run hot or sweat through your scrubs
This is where fabric matters most. A cotton tee absorbs sweat and holds it against your skin, so it stays damp and can leave marks that show through the scrub top. A moisture-wicking base layer pulls sweat to the surface where it can dry, which keeps the scrub top drier on top of it.
If you want a base layer built for this: the driMED® Everest and Denali underscrubs are cut from the same moisture-wicking fabric as Titan scrubs, built to dry faster than cotton and not discolor with sweat. Both come in Midnight Black.
For coverage when you bend and reach
V-neck scrub tops can gape when you lean over a bed or bend to the floor. A fitted crew neck or V-neck underneath solves it, and many people wear one for this reason alone, even in warm units. Fit is the point here: a loose tee bunches and shows at the hem, while a snug layer stays flat.
Under white or light scrubs
Light scrubs show what is underneath. A bright white tee can show under thin white fabric, and anything dark or patterned will. A smooth, close-fitting layer in a light neutral, or one close to your skin tone, is the least visible choice, if your policy allows it.
Under scrub pants
Fewer policies mention this, because nobody sees it. In cold weather, thin leggings or thermal base layers add warmth. In heat, light shorts can prevent chafing on long shifts. Under light-colored pants, seamless, skin-tone underwear is least likely to show.
Cotton tee or performance underscrub?
Cotton tee
CostCheap, and you probably own some
FeelSoft and familiar
With sweatAbsorbs it and stays damp
FitUsually loose, can bunch at the hem
Performance underscrub
CostOften around $20 to $45
FeelSmooth, stretchy, close to the body
With sweatWicks it away and dries quickly
FitSnug, stays tucked and flat
A cotton tee is fine for a short shift in a cool unit. Over a 12-hour shift with any real movement, a performance layer stays drier and fits better under a scrub top.
What to look for in an underscrub
Whatever you buy, check these five things. Here is how Titan’s driMED® underscrubs handle each one:
A dress-code-safe color. Solid black clears more policies than any other color. The Everest and Denali come in Midnight Black.
A fitted cut. A base layer should hug without squeezing so it stays tucked and does not bunch. Both are snug by design, and if you prefer a looser fit, size up.
Moisture wicking. Look for wicking built into the fabric rather than a coating that washes out. driMED® builds it into the yarn and dries faster than cotton.
Stretch. You reach overhead and squat all shift. Both underscrubs are four-way stretch.
Odor control. A layer against your skin for 12 hours needs it. driMED® is odor-neutralizing, and its antimicrobial technology held up through 50 washes in independent ASTM testing.
New to underscrubs? Our explainer on what a medical underscrub is covers the basics, and our guide to layering scrubs covers jackets and outer layers.
Building a full rotation? An underscrub pairs with any driMED® set, and every set saves $10.
Who should wear an underscrub
An underscrub makes sense if you...
- Work in a cold unit, the OR or on nights
- Sweat through scrub tops on busy shifts
- Want coverage under a V-neck when you bend
- Want one layer you can wear year round
- Have a dress code that allows a solid undershirt
Check your policy first if you...
- Work in a cath lab, IR suite or OR
- Work at a hospital with a bare below the elbows policy
- Have an assigned undershirt color for your role
- Wear white or very light scrubs
- Are a student following a school uniform code
Frequently asked questions
Can you wear long sleeves under scrubs?
On most general floors, yes. Many hospital dress codes allow solid long-sleeved undershirts. Some procedural areas such as cath labs, IR suites and operating rooms restrict long sleeves, and some hospitals follow a bare below the elbows policy during patient care, so check your own policy.
What color shirt can you wear under scrubs?
The most commonly allowed colors are solid white, black and gray, and many policies also allow your assigned scrub color. Prints, logos and graphics are usually not allowed. Solid black is accepted in nearly every policy we reviewed.
Should an underscrub be tight or loose?
Fitted. A snug underscrub stays tucked, does not bunch at the hem and layers smoothly under a scrub top. Several dress codes require undershirts to be tucked in or no longer than the scrub top.
What do you wear under scrubs when it is cold?
A fitted long-sleeve underscrub is the most common choice, since it adds warmth without the bulk of a jacket. Thin leggings or thermal layers under scrub pants also help. Choose a moisture-wicking fabric so you do not end up damp once you warm up.
What should you wear under white scrubs?
A smooth, close-fitting layer in a light neutral or close to your skin tone is the least visible. Dark or patterned layers show through light fabric, and so can bright white.
Can you wear a regular T-shirt under scrubs?
Usually, if it is a solid allowed color without logos and it stays hidden under your scrub top. A cotton tee absorbs sweat and can bunch, so a fitted moisture-wicking underscrub tends to work better over long shifts.
Do nurses wear anything under their scrubs?
Many do. Common choices are a fitted short or long-sleeve undershirt for warmth or coverage, a tank or crew neck under V-neck tops, and leggings or thermal layers under scrub pants in cold weather.
Where Titan fits
The best thing to wear under scrubs is a layer your dress code allows, that fits close and handles sweat.
Titan’s driMED® Everest and Denali underscrubs are made for exactly that: a snug, four-way stretch base layer in Midnight Black, with moisture wicking built into the yarn and odor control that held up through 50 washes in independent ASTM testing. They are $35, and they use the same driMED® fabric technology as every Titan scrub.
Wear one under your scrubs for a shift and see how much drier the top stays.
Shop UnderscrubsRelated reading: What Is a Medical Underscrub? · How to Layer Scrubs · Moisture-Wicking Scrubs for Sweaty Shifts · What Color Scrubs Do Medical Professionals Wear?
Sources: SHEA expert guidance on healthcare personnel attire in non-operating room settings; AORN guideline revisions for 2020 and AORN on the latest surgical attire recommendations; dress code policies from UAMS, CHI Health, Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic, McLaren Greater Lansing, UNMC imaging program handbook and Children’s Wisconsin OR attire policy. Policies quoted as published when checked in October 2026. Always follow your own employer’s or school’s current dress code.
