Earlier this month, Starbucks announced a new dress code. Why an official announcement was required remains a mystery, at least to me. The new rules seem perfectly reasonable:
That’s why, starting May 12, we’re evolving our dress code in all stores to focus on simplified color options that allow our iconic green apron to shine and create a sense of familiarity for our customers, no matter which store they visit across North America.
The more defined color palette includes any solid black short and long-sleeved crewneck, collared, or button-up shirts and any shade of khaki, black, or blue denim bottoms. We’re also making a new line of company branded t-shirts available to partners, who will receive two at no cost – including partner network options.
The company explained, "By updating our dress code, we can deliver a more consistent coffeehouse experience that will also bring simpler and clearer guidance to our partners, which means they can focus on what matters most, crafting great beverages and fostering connections with customers."
Focusing on making good coffee! Imagine that!
Apparently, employees at a Starbucks Roastery—a fancy, upscale version of the traditional stores—held a struggle session to complain about the oppressive new rules.
"The thing that Starbucks loves to do is allow partners to be themselves, or whatever that PR that they want to push," said a bearded character with a woman's voice. "I don't understand how that's in good faith of letting us express ourselves."
"I don't understand how that's supposed to embody craft and culture and bring us back to that coffee house kind of vibe that Starbucks is asking for," the he/she wearing a "Trans Rights" t-shirt complained.
Listen, toots. You're there to serve coffee, not celebrate your hormones and body mutilation or school us on your grievances. It's bad enough that Starbucks coffee is undrinkable, but then forcing customers to watch slovenly cosplaying workers making that swill? Nah. I'll stay home with my French-pressed Ethiopian Yirgacheffe that actually tastes like coffee.
Not to be undone, a clean-shaven man wearing a bandana on his head said, "Sorry, this is not a legal action that Starbucks is taking by unilaterally deciding what the dress code is going to be, and then creating this so called feedback session, where dress codes are already created, and we're just expected to let off some steam and still accept any of these partners feel manipulated by all of you, all who are also continuing to push this agenda on us. And that's all I really have."
He should've stopped at "sorry." I hope he calls the cops about this illegal dress code. Or maybe he can do a citizens' arrest. That'll teach 'em!
There's nothing illegal about having a dress code at work. Most people in the service industry adhere to them with no problem.
My first three jobs had very explicit dress codes. At Dairy Queen, we had to wear nurses' dresses hemmed to mid-thigh with a red DQ apron. I have no idea why we had to wear that, but I was making two bucks an hour, so I didn't complain (plus, I thought they were cute). At my bakery job ($1.75/hour), we wore all white to scrub mixing bowls and sell bread. At my third job, at a local Famous Recipe Chicken, we had to wear heavy blue polyester stretch pants and a hideous zip-up top with a built-in fake calico apron—ruffles and all. I'm pretty sure we had to pay for those out of our own pockets, too. No free t-shirts back then! That was my first job, making minimum wage—three dollars and change—and I would've worn a clown suit to make that kind of money.
But times have changed. Businesses are supposed to only and always care about employees "expressing" themselves, no matter how off-putting it is to customers, no matter how it hurts their bottom line.
A candidate running for Congress in Florida got right to the point:
And Starbucks welcomed them with open arms, prioritized them over veterans, openly hired illegals and then spit in the drinks of, verbally assaulted and threw law enforcement out of their establishments. I am proud to never have patronized this company.
— Raven Harrison for Congress (@RavenCongressFL) April 30, 2025
Prediction: These whiners will eventually get their way. Someone will hire a slip-and-fall lawyer, and Starbucks will cave. I hear the infamous Cleveland lawyer Tim Misney is available.
