Dee-Ann Durbin
Starbucks is putting new restrictions on what baristas can wear under a green apron.
Starting May 12th, employees will need to wear sturdy black shirts and khaki, black or blue denim bottoms. The shirts could be short or long sleeved and collarless or collarless, the company said in a note released Monday. Starbucks gives each employee two free T-shirts.
Starbucks said the new dress code will highlight the green apron and create friendliness for customers. It comes as the company is trying to reestablish a warmer, more welcoming experience in the store.
“Updating your dress code will provide a more consistent coffee house experience that brings simple and clearer guidance to your partners. This means focusing on what’s most importantly, creating great drinks and encouraging connections with customers,” the company said in a post on its website.
However, some workers protested the move. Starbucks Workers United, a labor group that organizes more than 550 workers in Starbucks’ 10,000 company-owned U.S. store, told the company it had negotiated a temporary attire code agreement during a session with the company last week. The union said it would oppose changes to dress codes until negotiations are over and a labor agreement is reached.
Jasmine Lelli, the starbucks barista and union negotiation representative, said the company should focus on things that improve store operations, such as providing appropriate staffing and guaranteed hours to workers.
“Instead of addressing the most pressing issues that baristas have been raised over the years, Starbucks prioritizes a restrictive dress code that does not improve the company’s operations,” Leli said in a statement provided by the union. “They are making baristas pay for new clothes when they struggle without Starbucks wages or guaranteed times.”
The new guidance marks nearly a decade when Starbucks was able to loosen its dress code and increase opportunities for employees to express themselves. In 2016, the company expanded the colors of shirts that employees can wear, adding grey, navy, dark denim and brown to the black or white guidance. We also allowed patterned shirts in those colors.
In 2019, the company again tweaked the dress code and allowed one face piercing, unless it was as big as a dime. The new dress code still allows for one facial earring.
Original issue: April 15th, 2025, 12:42pm EDT
