The Colors Starbucks Employees Are Not Allowed To Wear

Starbucks is the largest coffee chain in the world. According to Zippia, the company earned a whopping $29 billion in gross annual sales in 2021, so it's no surprise that it's a household name.

There are a number of unique rules that Starbucks workers have to follow — and several of them have to do with everyday appearance. Starbucks employees are allowed to change their hairstyle, but it must be a permanent change — meaning, you can dye your hair, but you can't style it with temporary hair glitter. Also, you've likely never seen a Starbucks employee with multiple facial piercings. That's because, according to Insider, although a 2019 dress code change allowed for septum piercings, employees are limited to one "no larger than the size of a dime." Other forms of jewelry are banned as well, such as bracelets and rings. The company has pretty strict rules about clothing, too; baristas are even limited to specific colors.

While Starbucks doesn't necessarily want to hinder employees from expressing themselves, the coffee company does make it clear that bright colors won't work in their stores. The Washington Post reports that when employees are hired, they're told they need to come to work in colors that are more subtle. That's why you'll never see a Starbucks employee wearing bright pink; instead, they mostly wear "subdued" hues like black, dark blue, or a shade of gray. Dyed hair, however, can be any color according to Insider.

On top of Starbucks workers needing to obey a number of rules, employees have revealed in the past that there are unwritten rules they wish their customers would follow, too. Business Insider notes that issues like adding items to an order after paying, messing up the sugar station, and trying to get into the shop before it opens (or after it closes) are all things that employees wish customers wouldn't do.