A Washington city's dress code ordinance saying bikini baristas must cover their bodies at work has been ruled unconstitutional by a federal court.
FILE - A barista at a Grab-N-Go Bikini Hut espresso stand holds money as she waves to a customer on Feb. 2, 2010, just outside the city limits of Everett, Wash., in Snohomish County. Everett's dress code ordinance that says"bikini baristas" must cover their bodies at work has been ruled unconstitutional by a federal court.
It is difficult to imagine, the court wrote, how the ordinance would be equally applied to men and women in practice because it prohibits clothing “typically worn by women rather than men,” including midriff and scoop-back shirts, as well as bikinis. In 2017, the city enacted its dress code ordinance, requiring all employees, owners and operators of “quick service facilities” to wear clothing that covers the upper and lower body. The ordinance listed coffee stands, fast food restaurants, delis, food trucks and coffee shops as examples of quick service businesses.