What Are Private Label Scrubs? A Guide for Brand Owners
Custom Uniforms team · · 4 min read
Private label scrubs are scrubs made by a manufacturer but sold or issued under your brand name, with your own brand, size and care labels sewn in. You decide the fabric, colours, styles and sizing; the manufacturer cuts, stitches and labels the garments to that brief. The customer or staff member sees only your brand.
How private label differs from other ways of sourcing
There are three common ways to get scrubs with a name on them, and it helps to know which one you are buying:
| Approach | What you control | Whose label is inside |
|---|---|---|
| Buying ready-made and reselling | Very little: you choose from existing styles and colours | The maker’s brand |
| Adding a logo to ready-made scrubs | The logo and its position | Usually the maker’s brand |
| Private label (made to order) | Fabric, colour, style, fit, sizing, trims and labels | Your brand |
Private label sits at the end of that scale. It takes more decisions and a little more planning, but the result is a product that is genuinely yours and that you can reorder consistently.
Who uses private label scrubs
- Scrubs brands selling online or through stores, who need a product with their own identity.
- Uniform shops and distributors who want an in-house range rather than selling other brands.
- Hospital groups and clinic chains that want staff uniforms branded as their own, inside and out.
- Healthcare training institutions that want a branded uniform for their students.
For a retailer, a private label range means control over the range and the margin. For an employer, it means a consistent look that belongs to the organisation.
What you decide as the brand owner
A private label manufacturer will guide you, but the decisions are yours. Expect to settle:
- Styles: top cut (V-neck, mandarin collar, wrap), trouser cut (straight, jogger, cargo), and features such as pockets, loops and side slits.
- Fabric: composition, weight and stretch. Ask for the specification in writing and see a swatch.
- Colours: your core colours, ideally with physical references or Pantone codes.
- Size chart: the measurements behind each size label, and the range you will offer.
- Labels: brand label design, size labels, and care labels with fibre content and wash instructions.
- Branding on the outside: embroidered logo, if any, and where it sits.
- Packing: how each garment is folded and bagged, and how cartons are marked.
Our guide to how to start a scrubs brand walks through these decisions in the order most new brands make them.
Labels: what goes inside
Labels are what make a garment private label rather than just custom. There are usually three:
- Brand label: your name or logo, often at the back neck.
- Size label: sometimes combined with the brand label.
- Care label: fibre content, wash and care instructions, and other details your market expects, usually in a side seam.
The wording on the care label is the brand owner’s responsibility, because you are the one selling the garment. Requirements vary by country, so confirm what applies in your market. Our care labels guide for clothing brands explains what to think about when you draft yours.
A note on fabric finishes
Some scrubs fabrics are sold with finishes described as stain-resistant, moisture-wicking or antimicrobial. These are treatments applied to the fabric, and how well they work and how long they last varies. If you plan to describe your scrubs this way, you need evidence from your fabric supplier to support it. Ask any manufacturer for the fabric specification and keep it on file.
Why sampling matters more in private label
When your brand is on the garment, any mistake is your mistake in the customer’s eyes. A pre-production sample lets you check fit, stitching, colour, embroidery and every label before the bulk run. Check spelling on labels letter by letter, and wash the sample several times to see how it holds up.
Once approved, the sample becomes the standard for the order and for future reorders.
How our private label service works
At our manufacturing unit in Konni, Pathanamthitta, Kerala, we make scrubs, lab coats and other uniforms to order and sew the buyer’s own brand, size and care labels into the garments. Colours, fabrics and sizes are custom, and we can add logo embroidery. A sample can be made before bulk production, with any sample charge stated in the quote.
Small bulk orders are welcome, which suits brands testing their first styles. Minimum order and lead time are confirmed in each quote. We keep records of fabric, colour, style and size breakdown so reorders match. We take private label orders from brands in India and welcome international bulk enquiries from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, the UK and the US.
See how it works on our private label page, or look at the medical uniforms we make.