Starbucks is taking a giant leap in the way its baristas will be dressing: they are streamlining the wardrobe to accentuate the green apron. Starting May 12, 2025 the baristas will have to adhere to a handful of color shades. Employees are to wear a solid black top either a crew neck or a collared shirt or a button-down shirt; black pants are good too, but khaki or blue denim pants or skirts would also be acceptable.
This new dress code serves as part of a wider ambition of giving all of its stores in North America a consistent look. In facilitation of the change, the company is providing each partner with two free black T-shirts.
“We’re evolving our dress code for all stores in a way that helps to simplify color options so that our iconic green apron can shine for our customers,” the company explained in a statement. “This creates a sense of familiarity regardless of which store customers enter.”
Symbol of starbucks since 1987
The green apron has been recognized as one of the uniforms of Starbucks since its issuance in 1987. With stricter supervision around this article, the dress code for others affords for the forward-maintenance and elevation of the integrity of the corporate brand.
The change for this coffee giant is not simply about dressing-the other side of it, the company says, is the customer experience. In support of a more uniform appearance, Starbucks hopes that customers can easily identify their staff, associating the acknowledgement of the baristas with good service and comfort.
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A departure from expressive style
These changes give a marked change from the past hopeful state of Starbucks. In the effort for a forward-looking, more personalized appearance for its employees, the chain has run into headlines again in 2016; have been equally charged with uniting themselves in the diversity of the style of the dress code, including muted tones like charcoal, gray, navy, and brown, and even allowing members to wear pink hair, tattoos, and fedoras.
Currently, baristas can wear tops with subdued patterns or solid colors and bottoms in gray, brown, or navy. All of that goes out the window starting in May.
A store vibe makeover
This new dress code is part of a bigger transformation within Starbucks. In a one last shareholders meeting, the CEO Laxman Narasimhan (rain-previously misquoted as CEO of Brian Niccol) unraveled the “Back to Starbucks” program, which restores not just the form of employee dress but also tries retouching store aesthetics in certain US branches to accomplish such.
Return of the condiment bars, serving coffee in ceramic mugs for in-store customers, and having baristas hand-write messages on cups with Sharpies, among other changes, are being tried for providing a more familiar yet inviting atmosphere.
“We’re working hard to make sure our coffeehouses have the right vibe,” Narasimhan said. “We want to be welcoming, showing great coffee, giving a comfortable space in which to hang out, and making sure it feels like time spent was worth it.”
Customers will generally expect a smoother and more consistent experience as Starbucks defines and redefines its brand and visual identity, starting with the green apron.
