Coloured hair gets green light
Starbucks relaxes dress code, now allowing dyed hair, striped clothing and hats
First Starbucks embraced pink and purple drinks for summer — now baristas are allowed to dye their hair any colour of the rainbow.
They can also rock a fedora or knitted beanie, colourful socks, and shirts with small stripes or plaid under new rules revealed Monday for all locations of the coffee giant in North America.
“We listen to our partners (employees) and care about what they want,” said Sara Presutto, vice-president of partner resources, Starbucks Canada. She noted the number one thing the largely young workforce requests is “the ability to celebrate their individuality” through personal style choices.
“The new dress code provides them the opportunity to show the real person behind the green apron — their unique style, personality and individual flair — which makes up the unique fabric of our company,” she said in an interview.
Starbucks last revised their formerly strict dress code in 2014 allowing baristas to display tasteful tattoos (no swear words or hateful messages) as long as they’re not located on the face or throat. It also included untucked shirts, black jeans, wedding bands and nose studs.
The newly relaxed rules now allow servers to wear dark blue jeans minus rips, tears or patches and all manner of head gear minus Starbucks branding. Other changes include: Any permanent or semi-permanent hair colour;
Arange of shirt colours beyond the current black and white, including grey, navy, dark denim and brown. Small stripes, tone-on-tone plaids and tight patterns are also acceptable with a base colour of the new colour range;
Pants, shorts, skirts or dresses can be worn in grey, navy, brown, khaki and black;
“Accessorizing” with scarves or neckties and bright socks.
The current Starbucks dress code allows for solid black or white shirts with collars, turtlenecks or mock turtlenecks; khaki or solid black bottoms, including black denim, pants, shorts or skirts; hats with a Starbucks logo and black or brown closed-toe shoes.
But no bright or “unnatural” cloth- ing colours.
In 2013, competitor McDonald’s Canada revised its dress code policy — also driven by employee feedback — to permit stud piercings on the face area, including the eyebrow, nose, lip and tongue, along with “non-offensive” visible tattoos.
Restaurant crew uniforms were also redesigned to be more simple and modern, and headwear options go from a baseball cap and visor to a headband or hijab. (Starbucks also allows these options.)
“Our intent is to give partners more flexibility with how they represent the brand as we continue to evolve,” explained Starbucks spokesperson Madeleine Löwenborg-Frick. “There is no need to buy new clothes but we encourage them to have fun with these new choices and explore the options they already have in their closet,” she said.
Robert Carter, executive director of market research company NPD Group’s food service division, said it makes sense for Starbucks to make changes to attract millennials, who not only make up most of the coffee behemoth’s workforce, but a big chunk of its customer base.
“The days of uniforms and regimented style just doesn’t fit with today’s culture,” he said.