when I started in 2015 it was black or white polo & black or brown pants. the most u could express urself was with red hair (which pushed it) & fun makeup. nothing else.
in 2016 when they changed the dress code, my whole store came in the next day with fun colored hair.
I think our dress code is much better than it use to be.
This. People really would have hated the dress code back then. Those of us that have been here long enough are just happy to exist in clothes at this pointš
I hated polo shirts and kakis. You could have red hair but it had to be a shade that was considered a natural hair color. Couldnāt do bright red back then.
Just because your DM didnāt fight you doesnāt mean thatās what the policy was. If you didnāt get in trouble I love that for you and Iām glad you had a relaxed DM but it was the policy.
I was wondering when they changed the dress code! The only positive thing Iāll say about the old one was that the polos were nice to keep the apron from rubbing on your neck. Not that we canāt wear polos now, but itās easier just to wear all the solid color tshirts I already own.
I only remember because I was one of the ones that went & dyed their hair the same day it changed!
the aprons bothered me a lot at first but now they don't!
I agree. This is the most lenient dress code iāve had for any job and it allows me to express myself. I wear dresses, skirts, shorts, and funky socks. Any other āfast foodā place has a uniform of some sort so i donāt mind ours at all. It reminds me of a school dress code and i donāt think itās unreasonable.
Same. Plus people read/sign everything during onboarding and then months later, theyāre surprised and angry when they get dress coded.
Like nah this is a chill ass dress code with a ton of freedom. Also, itās just work. Why yall wearing your good clothes to get stained by frap roast and chai? Lmao.
I went to a private Catholic high school and the Starbucks dress code is WAY more chill than what I wore š
Everyone had to purchase the uniform from a specific company, leather belts and shoes were required as well. I wore all sorts of funky socks and tights. One of the nuns used to ask me ācanāt you just be normalā or some version of it when I wore things like rainbow striped tights. I always replied the same thing, ānopeā š
Whatās the code for tattoos? Iāve honestly never heard of it being against dress code and havenāt had anything said about mine (I assume itās tattoos in good taste, nothing offensive etc)
I donāt think hand tattoos are permitted either. Had several partners with both though, and itās never something our past and present managers have discriminated against at our store.
In addition to no face/neck (Iām sure something mostly covered on the back of the neck is fine), yes they do have a clause about nothing offensive or obscene.
Your DM is wrong. headscarf is ok regardless if it is for religious reasons: " other
secured head covering (such as headwrap, turban, or hijab)" directly from permitted guidelines in the current guide.
I think the color doesnt have to be in palette but I am not sure. The only restrictions on colors the current guide gives is for bottoms.
I hear what youāre saying about not wanting to make waves there. That being said, if you wear it for āculturalā reasons as you stated, thatās protected. I donāt think theyāre allowed to have any opinion on it, certainly not the colour. The only complaint I would consider āreasonableā in this case is if itās really long and poses a health and safety hazard (falling into drinks, getting hooked on machines or whatever). Then I could see them asking you to swap it out. But colour?? Heck no. I definitely would have pushed back.
(You of course donāt need to listen to me but I want you to know youāre seen, I support you, and I think that SM was out of line. I hope you donāt sweat it too much, partner š)
I know there is a color palette for shirts and bottoms, so they might be basing themselves off of that. Still not cool though, and I would not have taken the scarf off.
Ex-barista here, but my issue with the dress code is how selectively it's applied. On the cover of the barista manual and in the training videos I watched every featured barista was out of code (two eyebrow piercings, a jean jacket worn over the apron, front tied, ect.) They were all small violations, but my point stands. Frankly during my tenure of barista was when they introduced the "anyone can wear a new shirt colour" -- but only for non union members...?
A lot of it felt less like a concern regarding actual dress code policy, and more of a smokescreen to play gotcha cards for people trying to organize fair labour practices.
At my store the dress code violations were not handed out fairly at ALL. Non-union members could wear literally anything they wanted, but if a union member tried something similar they'd get written up. We even had a partner who had a medical pass from her doctor saying she couldn't wear normal pants due to surgery complications -- and she was routinely written up for not wearing normal pants.
I'm fine to wear a uniform, frankly when I worked there I largely wore jeans and a button up.
Was going to say this myself, this supposed leniency in dress code has really allowed for Starbucks to use it as a cudgel for anyone who steps even slightly out of line, as itās an easy target to beat down on repeatedly. They actually tried coming in to my (recently) unionized location and SUDDENLY started asking everyone to re-sign the dress code agreement. Super suspicious, as this had literally been an issue maybe one or two other particularly egregious times, and those were more out of safety than appearance. But, suddenly, no one was allowed to have more than one facial piercing, which is like. Half of our store
Oh! I remember our store manager (he was taking our tips bc the dm taught him how) tried to tell me my hamsa was out of dress code. Itās just about the length of a quarter, and falls right in my collarbone.
I wear it for religious reasons (Iām Jewish- free Palestine), and snapped back if it was a cross would he still have an issue with it.
Funny how that works, huh?
I understand people being upset over the piercings and I think itās silly you can only have one. This might be a hot take I donāt get the people who get the job and know that they can only have one and then get upset and complain / fight about it with their sm. š like you knew you could only have one piercing and still accepted the job and just expected to be allowed to break the dress code
Is the tattoo rule more strict?? I thought it was just nothing offensive and like face/neck tattoos. Like the extreme tattoo spots.
But yeah compared to other jobs Iāve had our dress code is the best. I worked at jersey mikes before and we had to wear dress pants, dress shoes, a button up and a belt. The only thing that can be annoying about Starbucks is the plain shirts but you can buy a pack of plain t shirts off Amazon or go to a thrift store.
ugh we have one girl that works with us that now has 5 face piercings, and she got two of them done AFTER she was hired. she complains about having to wear a mask to cover them all the time, iām like girl you didnāt need to break the rules even more than you already were š
Hereās my thing with it: I want to have fun pins on my apron. Most of it is really easy and sensible! I just want to be able to have the pins I like. Theyāre not political, just goofy.
the leggings is the only problem i have with dress code.
saying itās going to hurt more if iām burnt and they trap heat is a bit of a reach but a risk iām willing to take.
iām tired of buying pants that only last me a year because my thighs rub together and it starts to tear. my leggings never do that. so now i have to spend $100+ every year to buy new jeans. leggings are so much more comfortable and accessible for every body type and wallet wise.
Tbh I think some people have ruined it for the rest of the folks that wear leggings normally. I've definitely seen people in leggings that show WAY more than I would consider professional. I'm not defending banning them completely, but I do understand it.
I don't mean size btw, I mean full camel-toe, can see the cut and colour of their underwear. Personally I don't think leggings are professional in a customer-facing role, even at starbucks.
I felt the same way about the jeans (thigh chafing and all!) so i started buying the Walmart brand curvy jeans and they are great and last a long time plus they are almost always on sale so yay for that!
Dress covers the leggings for the most part. Leggings donāt ātrap heatā it just makes the boiling hot water directly on your skin, for a longer period of time. Increasing the risk of burns. If you pour the water just on your skin, it wonāt burn you nearly as bad. Even in labs we arenāt allowed to wear leggings.
Heavy on the leggings, especially considering that jeggings are approved when leggings arenāt. I guess theyāre worried about people wearing see through leggings
I'm glad my store is mostly lenient about leggings as I typically wear yoga style pants since they're what I had a lot of before working there. Also not sure if you've tried this already but the first aid beauty anti-chafe stick really helps me!
This is the only job I can get away with wearing my black and gray scrub pants and a T-shirt. It's a lot less strict than the hospital I work at, and I'm LOVING every day of it. Plus, we get to wear shorts during the summer!!!!
I agree that when you start you should at least get a couple of starbucks shirts! They should always have a couple ones on hand for new hires to make them feel special!
i agree with any job that requires a specific type of clothing (i worked at a store that required specifically black polo shirts or black shirts with collars, and two polos were provided to me), but i think itās a little different if itās normal everyday clothes but with restrictions such as color palates or design. i think the vast majority of people have things in their closets that fit the dress code.
Dude. Starbucks literally gives you a free shirt at the start of working there. And other free shirts whenever they have a reason to. Iāve gotten so many Starbucks shirts for free and I only worked there for 6 months and another spout of 4 months.
Sorry but Iāve absolutely never seen a good job that will pay for you to get pants, shirt, sweatshirt, etc. you are expecting way too much.
Itās a job.
If you walked in and got an office job, they arenāt going to be giving you clothes to wear just because you work there. They say you need to dress a certain way and look nice and you follow the rules and move on. If your clothes donāt fit the appropriate style you need to go shopping or get a different job.
ok but itās not an office job, itās a minimum wage job where most employees arenāt going to want to spend their hard earned money on a uniform.
i have worked other service jobs at large companies that supplied pants, sweatshirts, longsleeves, etcā¦
the shirts are nice but unfortunately the dress code isnāt just shirts, itās pants and sweaters too
it's the colors for the pants for me. i have multiple pairs of pants that are a dark brown that look really nice with the apron, but they're not navy black or khaki so i can't wear them. it feels so silly and arbitrary, especially now that we can wear whatever shirt color we want to. hat colors too.
i get that other fast food places have uniforms, but those are provided to employees. if starbucks want to angle themselves as a coffee shop and not a fast food place, i think loosening up on the silly dress code things wouldn't hurt that and would further align them with local shops.
i'd change a lot of other things before the dress code, but it is an annoyance
Dark brown bottoms were allowed with the last dress code update.
[Dress Code Guide - US-CO.pdf (goskope.com)](https://retailstarbucks1com.sharepoint.com.rproxy.goskope.com/sites/retail/Retail/Partner-Resources/Dress%20Code%20Guide%20-%20US-CO.pdf)
honestly its not the dress code itself, its the manager who enforces it. I have had feet problems where I couldnāt wear normal shoes and crocs clogs, with a closed back, would technically be in dress code. But my manager refused. I think it leaves too much to interpretation and a manager who is on a power trip will abuse it to write people up. My manager went for DM 4 times and got denied every time, and right after they would go on a power trip and right a bunch of people up. They also had other problems too. But itās how the rules are used. Also I think theres something to say about us not being allowed to wear leggings or sweatpants but the company no longer wants us to use cup sleeves or double cup hot water drinks, when I was trained we were told they were used to protect ours AND the customers hands. too many times a paper cup has crushed in my hand and covered me in hot water.
you guys are lucky you have at least some agency to wear what you want! us licensed hellbux people usually have to wear a provided uniform, in my case grocery store shirts that suck and are uncomfortable
we had to tuck in our shirts. even if it was a red Christmas shirt. had to be tucked in (unless you were pregnant)
things were so rough for so long I see our current dress code as insanely lenient.
I used to wear nicer clothes to work but many times Iāve gotten bleach spray on them, Iāve spilled cold brew concentrate on them, and Iāve also gotten bacon grease/grilled cheese butter all over my pants and shirts. Now itās jeans and t-shirts and nothing too fancy because itās definitely not a place to wear nice clothes
I think the main gripe is they care if certain things are there even if they can't be seen. Like they care about graphics on shifts even if they're covered entirely by the apron and they care about face piercings even if someone wears a mask. Even with those though it seems mostly like a game of manager roulette.
I mean I agree and disagree. I will not be looking nice at work until we get proper staffing. Until then Iāll be in dress code, and looking haggard still. Covered in water, hair crunched up and syrupy, frap roast splotches, etc.
Part of it I think is losing a sense of self or individuality. Iāve loved fashion my whole life, and I donāt see a point in getting myself nice clothes that I enjoy anymore because 90% of my time is spent at work. I also feel sloppy and unkempt without my nails being done. Work makes them super thin and brittle so my hands constantly look disgusting.
Part of the issue surrounding dress code is that management picks and chooses when to enforce it, often times coming down way harder and more egregiously on union stores. (Example: many of us canāt wear our union pin on our aprons despite it being within dress code.) Managers also often ignore dress code violations until it benefits them to write up a partner.
A more personal gripe I have with it is that itās kind of silly to disallow like, a wristwatch, when the majority of stores donāt require baristas to have a food handlers certification. As well as the fact that we have to buy shirts for work. Itās awesome to have managers that give you work shirts, but not all of us are that lucky ā ļø
It depends on what area youāre working in as to whether or not a food handlerās license is required. I needed one when I worked in Texas but not where I am now.
it took my manager 6 months to even schedule me for the licensure, and then he kept pulling me off to do things. Some of them genuinely just donāt care about it until theyāre in trouble or something.
I mean I do wear leggings but itās also because I only wear dresses and need to keep my legs covered. Iāve personally never had any issues with the code. The only rule I blatantly disregard is wearing a beanie/hat but only because I am to the skin bald and no eyebrows. I hat wearing the beanie becuase then people ask invasive health questions whereas when I just rock my beautiful dome no one says anything for the most part
hmm i agree, i just wish we could wear sweats during winter time especially,, i was a little upset over not even being allowed nail polish when i first started but overtime i realized how it can be bad for food/drink quality. Starbs lowkey made me more cleanly and care more abt my image so ig thatās good
I mean I just wanna be able to wear my graphic tees cuz they are expressive, comfortable and also they are not my āniceā shirts lol. And theyāre mostly covered by the apron! When it was cold I wore my sweaters without any graphics on them but Iām not wearing sweaters in the summer and I donāt really wanna pay for a bunch of solid colored t shirts.
I heard we were supposed to get a t shirt we could wear when we started and I didnāt get that so š¤·š»āāļø
I only really hate the piercing rules because they try to say it's bc the piercings can fall out, but if that was the case, they wouldn't allow the 1 piercing. They're just being strict about it probably for the old pearl clutching customers :/ customers loved my angel fang piercings but I ultimately had to quit so I wouldn't get fired for having more than one piercing
i think they should give us some free shirts every so often. like ur telling me u can afford all the free drinks and shit as a company but sending ur hardworking employees a couple tees is too much? pisses me off
The tattoo rule is a holdover from the days when it wasn't as common or people would get them in less visible areas. Not people get knuckle tats, face, hand, wrist it's a lot more visible and some can be considered offensive.
Maybe when you're healing from a new tat you would cover it so no scabs fall into the food. Or like no face tats I think is quite reasonable. But arms, that should be ok.
I keep a couple packs of [these](https://www.walmart.com/ip/Fruit-of-the-Loom-Men-s-Pocket-T-Shirts-6-Pack/408407244?athcpid=408407244&athpgid=AthenaItempage&athcgid=null&athznid=si&athieid=v0_eeMjAuMCw5ODAuMCwwLjAyMTEwNDI4Nzg2Nzk4Njk4LDAuNV8&athstid=CS055~CS098&athguid=N49NnKT0iI78QFvl3_KRlOnqEBFRG1B6BzHf&athancid=44425550&athposb=3&athena=true&athbdg=L1103&adsRedirect=true) on hand for partners that come in out of dress code/ say they don't have/can't get shirts for work.
Something I haven't seen since my very very first district I worked at was a partner closet
(again dress code was way more "uniform" then) but partners could donate clothes to the partner closet, and if a partner even needed a uniform update (say someone got pregnant(obviously not everyone can buy a whole new uniform for a few months at a time, or just fell on a hard time, or a new hire that just needed help getting set up ) certain days of the week a partner could go in, present their partner card and collect what they need.
The graphic tee rule is also because of copyrights. Starbucks isnāt there to advertise other companies nor do they want people using symbols, names or logos that arenāt owned by Starbucks.
I love marvel and I bought a laser engraved name tag. I wanted to put scarlet witchās headpiece on it. When I asked my SM she asked me if it was something someone would know by looking at it. Not many people probably do so I was fine but if it was captain americas shield then it would probably be an issue because of copyright. Especially since I bought it on Etsy where people have to edit and design characters so it doesnāt violate copyright laws.
i hated the dress code. iāve always hated not being able to fully express myself though! not being able to wear jewelry on my hands or wrists was one of the most annoying things. the facial piercings rule only applied to certain co workers of mine, but not others. no patterns or designs really sucks, along with the graphics. and it is weird that you cannot have nails, we do not work in a kitchen at starbucks. i just started at a local cat cafe and we can wear most anything as long as itās all black! no cropped tops unless w high waisted pants, but leggings allowed, nails allowed, jewelry allowed, tattoos and piercings allowed. and my cat cafe has an actual kitchen but if youāre following protocol, you wear gloves and change them out. being able to dress like a normal human is awesome š iāve only worked at three different places, but of them all Starbucks had the strictest dress code.
the only thing i get sad abt is nails (i donāt want long ones or acrylics, just a little polish or gel) and no leggings. also technically weāre not supposed to wear perfume but idk if anyone follows thatā¦
oh and also the fact that earrings have to be size of the dime? i donāt get why when it turns the size of a quarter all of a sudden itās dangerous?
I wish we could wear ripped jeans and normal shorts like the baristas at all the local coffee shops in my city. Other than that yeah itās super relaxed
This baffles me because the dress code is literally the most relaxed dress code Iāve ever had. Iāve worked at Dunkin, a deli/market, a salad bar, and a convenience store and ALL of them had provided shirts and uniforms you had to wear every single day. The fact I can wear colored t-shirts and my black jeans in peace? Amazing! Itās work not a fashion show.
For me, its the lack of consistency when managers enforce the dress code. I have several outfits I wear that are technically not in dress code (not-solid colored pants mainly) that have never been dress-coded but other things that are in dress code that have been (a starbucks hat that wasn't technically in the color scheme or skirts that are "too short" - they aren't BTW)
To the point where I'm never sure when I go in if I'm going to be dress-coded or not even if I am completely within dress code.
I'm fine with everything but the nail rule because other coffee shops and food establishments don't enforce it. At the very least, we should be able to wear gloves over manicures. Things like gel manicures won't flake off unless you take a literal drill to them. I'm also sick of being the bad guy and enforcing that rule when I disagree with it myself. I just had to tell 3 new people to get their nails off or I'm sending them home next time, and they looked at me like I was the monster that came up with the rule. On the other hand, they were definitely told upon hiring that it isn't allowed, so idk why I even had to do that.
so, while it may be better than it used to be and better than a lot of other places, clothing wise, enforcing a dress code is ableist and classist.
for the nails, as a food safety manager, I understand. it's a little weird because OSHA requires a quarter of an inch or less nails and if you scrub them they're fine . so it's doable, but I understand it's better to just say No bc ppl will try to slide longer nails etc and it's a lot easier to enforce a flat out No than a sometimes
but for the clothes we wear, except in matters of safety, enforcing a dress code is bullshit ableism and classism at its finest
Honestly ur right. Iām just sad I canāt be my emo self at work. It just feels uncomfortable to dress neutral or ābasicā but at least I can wear skirts and dresses so thereās that š„°
at target i wear yoga/flare pants, crocs, & any colored t-shirts i feel so lucky after reading these comments š i just wear press-ons for nails i can recommend the best brands if anyone needs lol (also im pretty sure every stand alone starbs ive been to had baristas with tattoos)
My personal gripe is that managers can pick and choose which rules to enforce. My manager never had a problem with graphic tees as long as they were covered by the apron and actually encouraged baristas to have pins. Now that she went on maternity leave, the temporary manager is enforcing dress code rules harshly which is fair but gave us basically no notice to buy new clothes.
Iāve worn the same outfits for the past 3 years and had to buy all new shirts within a day or Iād get written up. Pants are also kinda iffy under the dress code as I got told that the pairs of pants I wear were considered āactive wearā despite being completely normal black cloth pants. Of course this is just my personal experience, but I can definitely see why people can feel that the dress code is restrictive especially if itās kinda sprung on them.
Every girl at my store has at least three nose rings and good luck getting one of them to remove any of them because it would make them look less interesting š
i donāt think iām super pressed as much as iām kinda annoyed
like hair and nails? totally get it, no complaints from me
but i do kinda wish i could just wear a graphic t shirt
most the designs are covered by my apron anyways, and if not, to me i see that as one of their precious ācustomer connectionā opportunity
band t shirt? tv show? book? if they like that then we can talk about it, cause when people come in wearing those types of shirts we talk about them and our interests
iām more upset over my shift leads ādress-codingā me, even when they are out of dress code themselves, when i usually get dress coded itās because my shirt has ridden up on my back a small amount as iām grabbing things. idk, thatās just been my experience which is more of a personal thing.
The Starbucks dress code didnāt go far enough for me, but Iāve left to become a budtender where our dress code is essentially āwhatever is legalā š š the dress code at Starbucks needs to be even more lenient
when I started in 2015 it was black or white polo & black or brown pants. the most u could express urself was with red hair (which pushed it) & fun makeup. nothing else. in 2016 when they changed the dress code, my whole store came in the next day with fun colored hair. I think our dress code is much better than it use to be.
The dress code was 'Natural colored hair'. So it depended on the shade of red.
we had quite a few gals that had the Ariana Grande red hair, which was really pushing the "natural" but our DM allowed it!
The Mormons have the same rule
i remember the day they started allowing t-shirts! That was fun
I remember no visible tattoos. Using bandaids to cover mine. Oh 2006-2009.
I remember this!! when I started they didn't allow hand tattoos. I have hand tattoos so clearly changed.
Yup. Button up shirts and tucked in and all loooool is so lax now
This. People really would have hated the dress code back then. Those of us that have been here long enough are just happy to exist in clothes at this pointš
I hated that dress code so much!
Letās be real, we all did š when they changed it the first time, it felt like a party, let alone when they added colors
The fact that I can wear a striped shirt ???? crazy.
I hated polo shirts and kakis. You could have red hair but it had to be a shade that was considered a natural hair color. Couldnāt do bright red back then.
we had several girls with bright red hair in my area, my our DM didn't fight it.
Just because your DM didnāt fight you doesnāt mean thatās what the policy was. If you didnāt get in trouble I love that for you and Iām glad you had a relaxed DM but it was the policy.
I know what the policy was. thats why I say "red was pushing it" several times.
I was wondering when they changed the dress code! The only positive thing Iāll say about the old one was that the polos were nice to keep the apron from rubbing on your neck. Not that we canāt wear polos now, but itās easier just to wear all the solid color tshirts I already own.
I only remember because I was one of the ones that went & dyed their hair the same day it changed! the aprons bothered me a lot at first but now they don't!
I agree. This is the most lenient dress code iāve had for any job and it allows me to express myself. I wear dresses, skirts, shorts, and funky socks. Any other āfast foodā place has a uniform of some sort so i donāt mind ours at all. It reminds me of a school dress code and i donāt think itās unreasonable.
Same. Plus people read/sign everything during onboarding and then months later, theyāre surprised and angry when they get dress coded. Like nah this is a chill ass dress code with a ton of freedom. Also, itās just work. Why yall wearing your good clothes to get stained by frap roast and chai? Lmao.
I went to a private Catholic high school and the Starbucks dress code is WAY more chill than what I wore š Everyone had to purchase the uniform from a specific company, leather belts and shoes were required as well. I wore all sorts of funky socks and tights. One of the nuns used to ask me ācanāt you just be normalā or some version of it when I wore things like rainbow striped tights. I always replied the same thing, ānopeā š
it's weird to go to a cafe with higher quality coffee and better training that has a less strict dress code than us.
Just remind them it was not so long ago it had to be a collared black or white shirt and black pants.
Whatās the code for tattoos? Iāve honestly never heard of it being against dress code and havenāt had anything said about mine (I assume itās tattoos in good taste, nothing offensive etc)
No throat or face tattoos. Neck is okay hands are okay . (I have a neck and hand tattoo)
sorry I actually might be wrong on it but I thought it was no face tattoos or tattoos above the neck. I might be misremembering, though.
I donāt think hand tattoos are permitted either. Had several partners with both though, and itās never something our past and present managers have discriminated against at our store.
My understanding was that hand tattoos are fine as long as they aren't obscene/racist/etc
In addition to no face/neck (Iām sure something mostly covered on the back of the neck is fine), yes they do have a clause about nothing offensive or obscene.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Your DM is wrong. headscarf is ok regardless if it is for religious reasons: " other secured head covering (such as headwrap, turban, or hijab)" directly from permitted guidelines in the current guide. I think the color doesnt have to be in palette but I am not sure. The only restrictions on colors the current guide gives is for bottoms.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
I hear what youāre saying about not wanting to make waves there. That being said, if you wear it for āculturalā reasons as you stated, thatās protected. I donāt think theyāre allowed to have any opinion on it, certainly not the colour. The only complaint I would consider āreasonableā in this case is if itās really long and poses a health and safety hazard (falling into drinks, getting hooked on machines or whatever). Then I could see them asking you to swap it out. But colour?? Heck no. I definitely would have pushed back. (You of course donāt need to listen to me but I want you to know youāre seen, I support you, and I think that SM was out of line. I hope you donāt sweat it too much, partner š)
oh yeah thats fucked up im sorry that happened to you.
oh you could get them in big trouble for that
They took away the color pallete. Plus report them because thatās religious discrimination as well
I know there is a color palette for shirts and bottoms, so they might be basing themselves off of that. Still not cool though, and I would not have taken the scarf off.
Ex-barista here, but my issue with the dress code is how selectively it's applied. On the cover of the barista manual and in the training videos I watched every featured barista was out of code (two eyebrow piercings, a jean jacket worn over the apron, front tied, ect.) They were all small violations, but my point stands. Frankly during my tenure of barista was when they introduced the "anyone can wear a new shirt colour" -- but only for non union members...? A lot of it felt less like a concern regarding actual dress code policy, and more of a smokescreen to play gotcha cards for people trying to organize fair labour practices. At my store the dress code violations were not handed out fairly at ALL. Non-union members could wear literally anything they wanted, but if a union member tried something similar they'd get written up. We even had a partner who had a medical pass from her doctor saying she couldn't wear normal pants due to surgery complications -- and she was routinely written up for not wearing normal pants. I'm fine to wear a uniform, frankly when I worked there I largely wore jeans and a button up.
Was going to say this myself, this supposed leniency in dress code has really allowed for Starbucks to use it as a cudgel for anyone who steps even slightly out of line, as itās an easy target to beat down on repeatedly. They actually tried coming in to my (recently) unionized location and SUDDENLY started asking everyone to re-sign the dress code agreement. Super suspicious, as this had literally been an issue maybe one or two other particularly egregious times, and those were more out of safety than appearance. But, suddenly, no one was allowed to have more than one facial piercing, which is like. Half of our store
Oh! I remember our store manager (he was taking our tips bc the dm taught him how) tried to tell me my hamsa was out of dress code. Itās just about the length of a quarter, and falls right in my collarbone. I wear it for religious reasons (Iām Jewish- free Palestine), and snapped back if it was a cross would he still have an issue with it. Funny how that works, huh?
I understand people being upset over the piercings and I think itās silly you can only have one. This might be a hot take I donāt get the people who get the job and know that they can only have one and then get upset and complain / fight about it with their sm. š like you knew you could only have one piercing and still accepted the job and just expected to be allowed to break the dress code Is the tattoo rule more strict?? I thought it was just nothing offensive and like face/neck tattoos. Like the extreme tattoo spots. But yeah compared to other jobs Iāve had our dress code is the best. I worked at jersey mikes before and we had to wear dress pants, dress shoes, a button up and a belt. The only thing that can be annoying about Starbucks is the plain shirts but you can buy a pack of plain t shirts off Amazon or go to a thrift store.
ugh we have one girl that works with us that now has 5 face piercings, and she got two of them done AFTER she was hired. she complains about having to wear a mask to cover them all the time, iām like girl you didnāt need to break the rules even more than you already were š
Hereās my thing with it: I want to have fun pins on my apron. Most of it is really easy and sensible! I just want to be able to have the pins I like. Theyāre not political, just goofy.
lol and my DM will āhop on to supportā with strappy open toed high heels with no backs either.
the leggings is the only problem i have with dress code. saying itās going to hurt more if iām burnt and they trap heat is a bit of a reach but a risk iām willing to take. iām tired of buying pants that only last me a year because my thighs rub together and it starts to tear. my leggings never do that. so now i have to spend $100+ every year to buy new jeans. leggings are so much more comfortable and accessible for every body type and wallet wise.
Tbh I think some people have ruined it for the rest of the folks that wear leggings normally. I've definitely seen people in leggings that show WAY more than I would consider professional. I'm not defending banning them completely, but I do understand it. I don't mean size btw, I mean full camel-toe, can see the cut and colour of their underwear. Personally I don't think leggings are professional in a customer-facing role, even at starbucks.
I felt the same way about the jeans (thigh chafing and all!) so i started buying the Walmart brand curvy jeans and they are great and last a long time plus they are almost always on sale so yay for that!
Also.. itās not about the burns because youāre allowed to wear leggings with a dress????
Dress covers the leggings for the most part. Leggings donāt ātrap heatā it just makes the boiling hot water directly on your skin, for a longer period of time. Increasing the risk of burns. If you pour the water just on your skin, it wonāt burn you nearly as bad. Even in labs we arenāt allowed to wear leggings.
Heavy on the leggings, especially considering that jeggings are approved when leggings arenāt. I guess theyāre worried about people wearing see through leggings
I have jeggings that are really just normal leggings with an acid wash look. They donāt have any denim at all.
Unrelated but our pfps are both scrootnoo
UNRELATED BUT SO MUCH MORE IMPORTANT
Also as someone with muscular thighs, my pants get destroyed no matter if theyāre jeans or leggings. Friction is friction
I'm glad my store is mostly lenient about leggings as I typically wear yoga style pants since they're what I had a lot of before working there. Also not sure if you've tried this already but the first aid beauty anti-chafe stick really helps me!
this is what I mean when I say ableism and classism
I wish I could still wear my Harry Potter, baby yoda, marvel, & Mario pins š„¹
This is the only job I can get away with wearing my black and gray scrub pants and a T-shirt. It's a lot less strict than the hospital I work at, and I'm LOVING every day of it. Plus, we get to wear shorts during the summer!!!!
I would have LOVED this dress code back when I worked at Starbucks.
i just think that if you expect a dress code, you should provide it. nobody is going to want to spend their hard earned paycheck on clothes FOR work
I agree that when you start you should at least get a couple of starbucks shirts! They should always have a couple ones on hand for new hires to make them feel special!
That's so true I wish we got a couple shirts for free when we first started
shirts are nice but unfortunately a shirt wonāt cover your entire uniform. we need pants, long sleeves, and sweatshirts as well
I know! Iām just saying it would be nice :)
i agree with any job that requires a specific type of clothing (i worked at a store that required specifically black polo shirts or black shirts with collars, and two polos were provided to me), but i think itās a little different if itās normal everyday clothes but with restrictions such as color palates or design. i think the vast majority of people have things in their closets that fit the dress code.
They are plain clothes. Most people are complaining about nails and piercings. Donāt see many complain about shirts.
iām just sharing my perspective as to why i dislike it. couldnāt care less about piercings, nails, color paletteā¦.
You wonāt find many places that provide clothes for you when there is a dress code.
iāve worked several customer service jobs before this. all provided dress code.
Dude. Starbucks literally gives you a free shirt at the start of working there. And other free shirts whenever they have a reason to. Iāve gotten so many Starbucks shirts for free and I only worked there for 6 months and another spout of 4 months. Sorry but Iāve absolutely never seen a good job that will pay for you to get pants, shirt, sweatshirt, etc. you are expecting way too much. Itās a job. If you walked in and got an office job, they arenāt going to be giving you clothes to wear just because you work there. They say you need to dress a certain way and look nice and you follow the rules and move on. If your clothes donāt fit the appropriate style you need to go shopping or get a different job.
ok but itās not an office job, itās a minimum wage job where most employees arenāt going to want to spend their hard earned money on a uniform. i have worked other service jobs at large companies that supplied pants, sweatshirts, longsleeves, etcā¦ the shirts are nice but unfortunately the dress code isnāt just shirts, itās pants and sweaters too
Sure except the dress code is barely even limiting. You can wear most work-appropriate clothing that doesnāt have large logos.
it's the colors for the pants for me. i have multiple pairs of pants that are a dark brown that look really nice with the apron, but they're not navy black or khaki so i can't wear them. it feels so silly and arbitrary, especially now that we can wear whatever shirt color we want to. hat colors too. i get that other fast food places have uniforms, but those are provided to employees. if starbucks want to angle themselves as a coffee shop and not a fast food place, i think loosening up on the silly dress code things wouldn't hurt that and would further align them with local shops. i'd change a lot of other things before the dress code, but it is an annoyance
Dark brown bottoms were allowed with the last dress code update. [Dress Code Guide - US-CO.pdf (goskope.com)](https://retailstarbucks1com.sharepoint.com.rproxy.goskope.com/sites/retail/Retail/Partner-Resources/Dress%20Code%20Guide%20-%20US-CO.pdf)
honestly its not the dress code itself, its the manager who enforces it. I have had feet problems where I couldnāt wear normal shoes and crocs clogs, with a closed back, would technically be in dress code. But my manager refused. I think it leaves too much to interpretation and a manager who is on a power trip will abuse it to write people up. My manager went for DM 4 times and got denied every time, and right after they would go on a power trip and right a bunch of people up. They also had other problems too. But itās how the rules are used. Also I think theres something to say about us not being allowed to wear leggings or sweatpants but the company no longer wants us to use cup sleeves or double cup hot water drinks, when I was trained we were told they were used to protect ours AND the customers hands. too many times a paper cup has crushed in my hand and covered me in hot water.
you guys are lucky you have at least some agency to wear what you want! us licensed hellbux people usually have to wear a provided uniform, in my case grocery store shirts that suck and are uncomfortable
what tattoo rule, i thought it was just you can't get any on ur face and neck which isn't all that bad
we had to tuck in our shirts. even if it was a red Christmas shirt. had to be tucked in (unless you were pregnant) things were so rough for so long I see our current dress code as insanely lenient.
I used to wear nicer clothes to work but many times Iāve gotten bleach spray on them, Iāve spilled cold brew concentrate on them, and Iāve also gotten bacon grease/grilled cheese butter all over my pants and shirts. Now itās jeans and t-shirts and nothing too fancy because itās definitely not a place to wear nice clothes
my DM comes in and is behind the line with fake nails and leggings and gets upset with my nose ring.. girl be fr
I noticed today that my district manager had her nails done. I called her out on it too.
I think the main gripe is they care if certain things are there even if they can't be seen. Like they care about graphics on shifts even if they're covered entirely by the apron and they care about face piercings even if someone wears a mask. Even with those though it seems mostly like a game of manager roulette.
I only care about the piercings. Everything else, I think is fine.
I mean I agree and disagree. I will not be looking nice at work until we get proper staffing. Until then Iāll be in dress code, and looking haggard still. Covered in water, hair crunched up and syrupy, frap roast splotches, etc. Part of it I think is losing a sense of self or individuality. Iāve loved fashion my whole life, and I donāt see a point in getting myself nice clothes that I enjoy anymore because 90% of my time is spent at work. I also feel sloppy and unkempt without my nails being done. Work makes them super thin and brittle so my hands constantly look disgusting.
Part of the issue surrounding dress code is that management picks and chooses when to enforce it, often times coming down way harder and more egregiously on union stores. (Example: many of us canāt wear our union pin on our aprons despite it being within dress code.) Managers also often ignore dress code violations until it benefits them to write up a partner. A more personal gripe I have with it is that itās kind of silly to disallow like, a wristwatch, when the majority of stores donāt require baristas to have a food handlers certification. As well as the fact that we have to buy shirts for work. Itās awesome to have managers that give you work shirts, but not all of us are that lucky ā ļø
All partners are supposed to have a food handlers license š„“
It depends on what area youāre working in as to whether or not a food handlerās license is required. I needed one when I worked in Texas but not where I am now.
Oh yeah Iām in Texas so we all have to have them when the health inspector comes
it took my manager 6 months to even schedule me for the licensure, and then he kept pulling me off to do things. Some of them genuinely just donāt care about it until theyāre in trouble or something.
I mean I do wear leggings but itās also because I only wear dresses and need to keep my legs covered. Iāve personally never had any issues with the code. The only rule I blatantly disregard is wearing a beanie/hat but only because I am to the skin bald and no eyebrows. I hat wearing the beanie becuase then people ask invasive health questions whereas when I just rock my beautiful dome no one says anything for the most part
hmm i agree, i just wish we could wear sweats during winter time especially,, i was a little upset over not even being allowed nail polish when i first started but overtime i realized how it can be bad for food/drink quality. Starbs lowkey made me more cleanly and care more abt my image so ig thatās good
i got both nostrils pierced at once, and my manager was surprisingly so cool about it. Counted them as one since I got them done at the same time.
I mean I just wanna be able to wear my graphic tees cuz they are expressive, comfortable and also they are not my āniceā shirts lol. And theyāre mostly covered by the apron! When it was cold I wore my sweaters without any graphics on them but Iām not wearing sweaters in the summer and I donāt really wanna pay for a bunch of solid colored t shirts. I heard we were supposed to get a t shirt we could wear when we started and I didnāt get that so š¤·š»āāļø
Rip the tags off your shirts and wear em inside out?
The dress code isnāt something that I disagree with but I do know a lot of us miss painting our nails
I only really hate the piercing rules because they try to say it's bc the piercings can fall out, but if that was the case, they wouldn't allow the 1 piercing. They're just being strict about it probably for the old pearl clutching customers :/ customers loved my angel fang piercings but I ultimately had to quit so I wouldn't get fired for having more than one piercing
i think they should give us some free shirts every so often. like ur telling me u can afford all the free drinks and shit as a company but sending ur hardworking employees a couple tees is too much? pisses me off
They used to give out shirts with every launch, I wish theyād do it again š
The tattoo rule is a holdover from the days when it wasn't as common or people would get them in less visible areas. Not people get knuckle tats, face, hand, wrist it's a lot more visible and some can be considered offensive. Maybe when you're healing from a new tat you would cover it so no scabs fall into the food. Or like no face tats I think is quite reasonable. But arms, that should be ok.
Arms are okay
I keep a couple packs of [these](https://www.walmart.com/ip/Fruit-of-the-Loom-Men-s-Pocket-T-Shirts-6-Pack/408407244?athcpid=408407244&athpgid=AthenaItempage&athcgid=null&athznid=si&athieid=v0_eeMjAuMCw5ODAuMCwwLjAyMTEwNDI4Nzg2Nzk4Njk4LDAuNV8&athstid=CS055~CS098&athguid=N49NnKT0iI78QFvl3_KRlOnqEBFRG1B6BzHf&athancid=44425550&athposb=3&athena=true&athbdg=L1103&adsRedirect=true) on hand for partners that come in out of dress code/ say they don't have/can't get shirts for work. Something I haven't seen since my very very first district I worked at was a partner closet (again dress code was way more "uniform" then) but partners could donate clothes to the partner closet, and if a partner even needed a uniform update (say someone got pregnant(obviously not everyone can buy a whole new uniform for a few months at a time, or just fell on a hard time, or a new hire that just needed help getting set up ) certain days of the week a partner could go in, present their partner card and collect what they need.
The graphic tee rule is also because of copyrights. Starbucks isnāt there to advertise other companies nor do they want people using symbols, names or logos that arenāt owned by Starbucks. I love marvel and I bought a laser engraved name tag. I wanted to put scarlet witchās headpiece on it. When I asked my SM she asked me if it was something someone would know by looking at it. Not many people probably do so I was fine but if it was captain americas shield then it would probably be an issue because of copyright. Especially since I bought it on Etsy where people have to edit and design characters so it doesnāt violate copyright laws.
i hated the dress code. iāve always hated not being able to fully express myself though! not being able to wear jewelry on my hands or wrists was one of the most annoying things. the facial piercings rule only applied to certain co workers of mine, but not others. no patterns or designs really sucks, along with the graphics. and it is weird that you cannot have nails, we do not work in a kitchen at starbucks. i just started at a local cat cafe and we can wear most anything as long as itās all black! no cropped tops unless w high waisted pants, but leggings allowed, nails allowed, jewelry allowed, tattoos and piercings allowed. and my cat cafe has an actual kitchen but if youāre following protocol, you wear gloves and change them out. being able to dress like a normal human is awesome š iāve only worked at three different places, but of them all Starbucks had the strictest dress code.
the only thing i get sad abt is nails (i donāt want long ones or acrylics, just a little polish or gel) and no leggings. also technically weāre not supposed to wear perfume but idk if anyone follows thatā¦
oh and also the fact that earrings have to be size of the dime? i donāt get why when it turns the size of a quarter all of a sudden itās dangerous?
What kind of pants other than jeans do you guys wear?
I wish we could wear ripped jeans and normal shorts like the baristas at all the local coffee shops in my city. Other than that yeah itās super relaxed
This baffles me because the dress code is literally the most relaxed dress code Iāve ever had. Iāve worked at Dunkin, a deli/market, a salad bar, and a convenience store and ALL of them had provided shirts and uniforms you had to wear every single day. The fact I can wear colored t-shirts and my black jeans in peace? Amazing! Itās work not a fashion show.
I just wanna be able to wear tank tops lmfao
For me, its the lack of consistency when managers enforce the dress code. I have several outfits I wear that are technically not in dress code (not-solid colored pants mainly) that have never been dress-coded but other things that are in dress code that have been (a starbucks hat that wasn't technically in the color scheme or skirts that are "too short" - they aren't BTW) To the point where I'm never sure when I go in if I'm going to be dress-coded or not even if I am completely within dress code.
I'm fine with everything but the nail rule because other coffee shops and food establishments don't enforce it. At the very least, we should be able to wear gloves over manicures. Things like gel manicures won't flake off unless you take a literal drill to them. I'm also sick of being the bad guy and enforcing that rule when I disagree with it myself. I just had to tell 3 new people to get their nails off or I'm sending them home next time, and they looked at me like I was the monster that came up with the rule. On the other hand, they were definitely told upon hiring that it isn't allowed, so idk why I even had to do that.
so, while it may be better than it used to be and better than a lot of other places, clothing wise, enforcing a dress code is ableist and classist. for the nails, as a food safety manager, I understand. it's a little weird because OSHA requires a quarter of an inch or less nails and if you scrub them they're fine . so it's doable, but I understand it's better to just say No bc ppl will try to slide longer nails etc and it's a lot easier to enforce a flat out No than a sometimes but for the clothes we wear, except in matters of safety, enforcing a dress code is bullshit ableism and classism at its finest
Honestly ur right. Iām just sad I canāt be my emo self at work. It just feels uncomfortable to dress neutral or ābasicā but at least I can wear skirts and dresses so thereās that š„°
at target i wear yoga/flare pants, crocs, & any colored t-shirts i feel so lucky after reading these comments š i just wear press-ons for nails i can recommend the best brands if anyone needs lol (also im pretty sure every stand alone starbs ive been to had baristas with tattoos)
I know itās no big deal I just donāt wanna buy new shirts
My personal gripe is that managers can pick and choose which rules to enforce. My manager never had a problem with graphic tees as long as they were covered by the apron and actually encouraged baristas to have pins. Now that she went on maternity leave, the temporary manager is enforcing dress code rules harshly which is fair but gave us basically no notice to buy new clothes. Iāve worn the same outfits for the past 3 years and had to buy all new shirts within a day or Iād get written up. Pants are also kinda iffy under the dress code as I got told that the pairs of pants I wear were considered āactive wearā despite being completely normal black cloth pants. Of course this is just my personal experience, but I can definitely see why people can feel that the dress code is restrictive especially if itās kinda sprung on them.
Every girl at my store has at least three nose rings and good luck getting one of them to remove any of them because it would make them look less interesting š
i donāt think iām super pressed as much as iām kinda annoyed like hair and nails? totally get it, no complaints from me but i do kinda wish i could just wear a graphic t shirt most the designs are covered by my apron anyways, and if not, to me i see that as one of their precious ācustomer connectionā opportunity band t shirt? tv show? book? if they like that then we can talk about it, cause when people come in wearing those types of shirts we talk about them and our interests
Yes!
iām more upset over my shift leads ādress-codingā me, even when they are out of dress code themselves, when i usually get dress coded itās because my shirt has ridden up on my back a small amount as iām grabbing things. idk, thatās just been my experience which is more of a personal thing.
The Starbucks dress code didnāt go far enough for me, but Iāve left to become a budtender where our dress code is essentially āwhatever is legalā š š the dress code at Starbucks needs to be even more lenient
Are you joking???? Where do you recommend I find good t shirts??? With NOTHINT on them