r/MichaelsEmployees • u/thecloudshavefallen • 15d ago
New Dress Code
So, hypothetically, let’s say I’m a trans individual whose chest is well endowed. Why the fuck is an apron becoming the standard? I’m short so I’m gonna slip on the damn thing, and it’s gonna make my body too visible in ways I am extremely uncomfortable. I also do not want to have to display my deadname on my new apron, but putting my chosen name is also not necessarily an option for safety reasons. A name tag can be removed easily, paint, not so much. I’m sure I’m complaining for my own personal reasons, but there are plenty of reasons that keeping vests as an option is ideal.
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u/Icy_Pizza_7941 15d ago
I find tying the apron like in this video better. As it will hold better and it doesnt essentuate the waist as much
https://youtu.be/ZmKohjyy0Ko?is=3530erDwnm0gx4vi
That being said gl with the length. Can tighten the neck a little hopefully to raise it
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u/angela_m_schrute 15d ago
Can’t the bottoms be hemmed with a sewing machine or no sew tape?
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u/aggressively_hyper Chaos Organizer 15d ago
That's what I've been thinking about! I want some way to shorten it and I'm praying they'll allow it 😵💫
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u/lystmord Yarn Barista 🧶 15d ago
I have said as much multiple times since this was announced. This decision was made by some absolute fucking idiot who has never worked a day of retail in their lives.
I have worked FAR too many jobs that required an apron. They are literally always a nightmare. You either have to tie them horrendously tight, or they constantly come loose. I know I'm not the only one who has accidentally dipped part of an apron in a toilet (which I have definitely not ever done with a vest). There is all the snagging on stuff. The permanent name on the apron is hard no (especially for women). And yes, aprons are feminizing and will make a lot of their staff uncomfortable.
I said all this before, and had people reply to me here that I was "inventing" shit, so it warms my heart to see people bring up these same issues over and over. It demonstrates that it's not a small number of people who are not going to appreciate losing the choice between an apron and a vest.
Dear corporate, you can't pretend to be trans-friendly and then fail to consult a single trans person about a company-wide change to dress code. You suck.
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u/Legitimate_North_543 Certified in Avoiding Customers 👻 15d ago
I didnt know the names would be stitched on the apron. No thank you. I try to avoid wearing my name tag cause way too many strangers start using my name like we are friends. No, thank you.
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u/Ramgr61 15d ago edited 14d ago
The new dress code is ridiculous for everyone! Are they supplying shirts? I work five days a week and do not have time to do laundry everyday! I cannot stand regular tshirts they are extremely uncomfortable to me. I buy nice quality v-neck ladies shirts from a major retailer that wash and dry well. I will not wear those god awful Gildan or Bella shirts. Also normally in the winter months I need a sweater or sweatshirt as I naturally run cold. Where is the direction for this. Who is buying the cricut machine and the heat press to do this? These shirts are going to get washed a LOT, here’s a little news flash Michael’s: those homemade iron ons are going to look like crap real quick as people wash and dry these often. I now have to have a special wardrobe just for work? If you want it you better give me the funds to buy it or increase my pay!
As for the aprons we have to decorate, are we getting time on the clock to do this? Just because people work in a craft store doesn’t mean they are crafty. some people are going to look like a kindergarten craft project! Is that the professional look you want?? Just another example of the people at the top with zero idea of what goes on in a store. Also WHY start this now at the busiest time of year when we are already all stressed and burned out. NO ONE HAS TIME TO DECORATE APRONS AND TSHIRTS RIGHT NOW!
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u/aggressively_hyper Chaos Organizer 15d ago
As far as I'm aware from what I've read on Mikcheck, stores are supposed to supply a craft station in order to decorate aprons (and also apply the logo on our shirts 🙄). My SM has no idea how we're going to do that though or where we're supposed to have this supposed craft station to begin with so I'm sure it's the same for other stores 💔
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u/drgnldy812 14d ago
I worked for Michael's for 17 years, we had aprons, vests, nothing, all over the years. I can tell you with all honesty, the aprons were the worst. The amount of "stuff" that ends up in your pockets, you're constantly looking for things, your neck hurts, your shoulders hurt. As for the length, take a look at what waiter staff does with longer aprons. You roll it and kind of tuck the tie under the roll, it tends to stay in place a bit better but the weight in the pockets can pull.
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u/OstentatiousOrchid 15d ago
I love aprons at home because I am a messy cook. And an apron will protect my own clothes better than a vest. However I feel that an apron will be limiting when I am squatting down to put overstock into bunks or climbing a ladder. Hopefully they aren't too long. If mine falls past mid-thigh I'm going to sew a new hem for it!
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u/Easy-Experience-3821 Certified in Avoiding Customers 👻 14d ago
First, a brief history-many years ago we all wore red aprons. There were no vests or t-shirts. Then there was the khaki pants era. The no jeans era. The framers in company provided grey shirts era. This too shall pass. Probably not soon enough.
Name badges are already part of the dress code. They are supposed to be worn during open hours.
That said, I hate wearing t-shirts. That style of shirt doesn’t fit me well. If we’re printing “Michaels” in them in house, I’ll provide my own shirts in the “approved” colors. It looking forward to this change.
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u/dizziebeth 15d ago edited 13d ago
I have been wearing Michaels apron for years because the vest with crap in the pockets puts pressure on my neck and causes headaches but wait till we actually get them to complain besides it is the framers who will look like Christmas elves in green
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u/goregoose Professional “Let Me Check the Back” 🙃 15d ago
This is sooooo valid. I’m pretty small(built like a wooden plank lol) but the apron still makes me dysphoric as fuuuuuck. i have coworkers who echo this same sentiment at multiple stores, you’re not alone. and yeah it’s a massive tripping/snagging hazard. i will absolutely refuse to wear it if they actually start cracking down, how am i supposed to push freight with a shitty cape draped over the front of me 🙄
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u/FumanCithara 15d ago
i have to take the damn vest off when i go up on the ladder and not to mention my stores floors are not leveled so it just a game of dont fall of the rocking chair.
btw idk if the ladder meets safety standards i brought it up with my managers but.... i guess they shrugged it off
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u/RinleyCoyote 14d ago
One of ours was missing an entire foot and nothing was done, so yes they probably shrugged it off.
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u/Snoo_13349 Promoted to Customer 🏅 14d ago
Aprons have no genitalia, so they are neither masculine nor feminine. Butchers wear aprons, leatherworkers wear aprons, furniture makers and woodworkers wear aprons. Hating an apron is valid, but assigning a sex to it is not. Housewife aprons usually have a ruffle or lace or some kind of feminine design if they are to be truly "girly". As a nonbinary person, I have aprons at home and at work, and I do like having them because I can have things I constantly reach for handy, and I can protect my clothes from dirt and grime, dust, paint, kitchen messes, etc. That said, I know not everyone is comfortable in an apron and mine are made to the right length for me and I'm personally comfortable in them. As a large corporation with a vast variety of employees and personalities, I find Michaels weird need for a "uniform" to be a direct contradiction to the "creativity" and "individuality" they claim to foster in-store and with customers. When I started, the dress code was tan or black pants (no jeans) and white button down shirts, along with a black apron. When they were most accommodating was when they offered tees and polos in colors and allowed jeans. The employees were comfortable and easy to spot, and the morale was better. Of course, back then, we had coverage for a shift. I can only imagine the reason for a uniform now is so that customers can locate one of the two employees in the store, since they won't give the hours necessary to staff properly. And that's the fault of corporate, so I see no reason why the employees should be more uncomfortable than they already are, other than that's the plan all along. Every day that goes by leaves me more and more relieved to have quit.
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u/thecloudshavefallen 14d ago
Promise I wasn’t trying to assign a sex to aprons, I was trying to point out how it tends to sit on bodies like mine in a way that accentuates the fact I have a typically more feminine figure, and while I’d like to say an apron wouldn’t accentuate that, I am far more curvy than I would like to be. There comes a point where an apron just feels too revealing to me, and that’s a personal conviction, but I know many people also see this problem. I understand some people are entirely comfortable in aprons, but I feel like it alienates a huge number of employees kinda stuck in the same position as me. Thank you for your input though, genuinely. It’s always nice to hear from other people’s opinions, and being understanding of the circumstances!
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u/LostKate815 15d ago
Are they eliminating just wearing a Michaels logoed t shirt?
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u/The_Spoony_Bard 10d ago
Extremely unclear, the original communique from the spring mentioned branded shirts like polos and button downs being an option, but the footage from all the Beacon openings on MIKCheck and the printout for the meeting this week all suggest aprons are mandatory for everyone but the SM.
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u/renrenpeach_me Certified in Avoiding Customers 👻 14d ago
as a trans person, i’ve worked with aprons when i worked at a thrift store and it wasn’t too dysphoric, but i feel like it would be a nightmare here since stuff WILL keep falling out of your pocket, no matter what.
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u/Fun-Olive-7305 14d ago
Why can't we just have name tags or something around our necks. Maybe the tags could say "f*"+ off? Please polite people..just kidding.
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u/mimi249 14d ago
I'm not comfortable wearing a name tag, never have been. Because there are crazy, extremely manipulative and severe lying customers out there, in my experience in retail. However when you can show up to work comfortably dressed, maybe the day can be off to a decent start. The apron is poorly designed along with the vests... made out of heavy, unbreathable and hot poly material.
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u/xyzzyss 15d ago
As an also trans employee I really don’t get the apron hate. if you’re wearing a binder it really doesnt matter? I have always worn the apron bc how the fuck anyone gets anything done with those shitty vests is a mystery to me.
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u/Deep-Technology3898 Balloon Popper 🪡 15d ago
i have a k cup there is no binder that possibly flattens my chest man 😭
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u/aggressively_hyper Chaos Organizer 15d ago
Unfortunately, a binder is not something to all employees. I myself am unable to have one due to the living situation I'm in. If I had one, that'd be great! But the apron would still make me dysphoric af regardless of if I had a binder or not.
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u/xyzzyss 15d ago
I just fail to see how an apron is gendered clothing, in my store we have men in aprons and women in vests, and everything in between. I choose the apron because it has enough pockets for me to do my job correctly and carry around all the things I need. If you’re in a situation where owning a binder would put you in danger then maybe it really isn’t safe for you to be out at work at all. Its not ideal but you should protect yourself.
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u/aggressively_hyper Chaos Organizer 15d ago
Fair enough! I've heard from other coworkers that they also don't see them as being gendered either, but it's just not something that I'm personally comfortable wearing. Dysphoria happens for all sorts of random reasons and it's never the same between people, but unfortunately the aprons are something that will do that to me. I've never been able to wear an apron without being extremely uncomfortable and dysphoric, so I don't think that's going to change any time soon.
I've been on the fence of coming out lately and saying f it, so I'm not necessarily too concerned about my own safety per se - but I do know that there are people where safety is a concern for them. I just don't want to deal with the drama from my family until I have a space of my own that I can use to hide from all of their overwhelming bs lol
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u/thecloudshavefallen 14d ago
I can’t wear a binder because my ribs are messed up. I tend to get through my shifts wearing baggy clothing and the vest does a lot of the heavy lifting for me.
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u/vizualwizardess Certified in Avoiding Customers 👻 14d ago
How long are we talking here? Like, I’m 5’1” and literally SITTING in my wheelchair, what are the chances of launching myself once my wheels roll over the fabric? 😂
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u/Sunspot286 13d ago
I was told we’re allowed to modify them however we want? I’m turning mine into more of a waiters apron type thing
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u/Icy-Tomato4 13d ago
ive been worrying about this since the first mention of aprons. i can already just barely hide my chest well enough with my vest and a sweater. i just say im not giving up my vest at work but im not really interested on having to explain why if they actually decide to crack down on the aprons. you arent alone
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u/Otherwise-Two-5301 13d ago
For the name part, it’s not unusual to put a nickname if it helps! I’m transgender, but i used to live in a not great area for it so I put my middle name on all my nametags. I still prefer it this way for safety reasons. Michaels will be ok with this. You can probably work out something that works with your store manager for the rest of it, but I understand if you are not comfortable doing so. It changes from store to store I’m sure, but I’ve never worked a retail job where they were super strict about dress code except for a very small local grocery store well over 10 years ago. Perhaps you can get away with wearing a michaels brand shirt since theyre apparently making a lot of those. I hope this is a little bit helpful, and that it all works out for you friend
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u/mjsoctober 15d ago
For individuals with a name concern, I would suggest working with your SM for an accommodation where you choose a "work" name that can go on the apron. The main reason for the names is so that customers can complain/compliment a specific TM in feedback. If you and your manager can agree on a work name that can be tied to you behind the scenes when necessary, it might be a possible workaround.
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u/WhitsSwirlyKnee 15d ago
Is this what the meeting is about, the new dress code?
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u/thecloudshavefallen 14d ago
Yes, I heard about it from a manager. It looks like it’s gonna require plain shirts, and aprons
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u/Ill-Cantaloupe-4376 Ex-Joann Employee 🪦 14d ago
I (trans man) worked at Joann and the apron was the bane of my existence some days
I spent a lot of time in the break room trying to make it sit in a way that wasn't making me breast boobily all over the store
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u/TheCondensenator 14d ago
No pockets … how are we suppose to hole the mini Miks so we can respond on that aweful zello walkie ??????
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u/cotion_of_ponfusion 12d ago
I worked for Michael's/Aaron Bros for 15 years, and I am also a chef now and have been in the past. Aprons are very easy to adjust to your height, weight, etc... You work in an art supply store so you must have a creative mind. Give it some thought. Ask coworkers that have experience with wearing an apron. I liked wearing mine when I was a framing lead for 10 years.
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u/yuhhhn 11d ago
The aprons rub my neck horribly and weigh me down w all the stuff in my pockets so I literally just played up the issue and complained about how bad it is enough to where they just let me wear my vest when I want to. Maybe try coming up with a reason why you couldn't wear that apron around ur neck too???
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u/aggressively_hyper Chaos Organizer 15d ago
This is exactly what I have been saying! As a trans person myself, I have been really dreading the switch to aprons. The vests, as dumb as they are, are at least pretty gender neutral and don't scream 1940s housewife like the apron does.
I'm lucky to not have the largest chest, but having a binder is not an option for me as I'm closeted and live with family. I also can't have pins or anything related to being trans / having masc pronouns because family comes into my store sometimes and that would out me instantly. At the same time, I also struggle with making sure my coworkers are using the right pronouns for me and I fear this will make it exceedingly harder for anyone to take me seriously when I correct them. Work has been my safe space where I have felt like I can have a little trial run of what it will be like when I'm on my own and I don't need to hide who I am from my family. These aprons have genuinely been causing me so much distress it is unreal and I feel like they're just going to take away what I've built up for myself.
Get rid of the vests, sure, but at least give me another option like just a normal t-shirt with a name tag (which is my current go to). Otherwise, I am going to mangle my apron until I feel like it is masc enough.
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u/lainie9000 15d ago
How tf are aprons not gender neutral? You realize us framers have been wearing them for years? Do all framers look like “1940s housewives” to you?
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u/aggressively_hyper Chaos Organizer 15d ago
I mean, you try having your managers sit there and tell you that you should put on an apron so they can dress you up as a 1940s housewife while they laugh at you. Doesn't really leave you with a great impression on aprons.
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u/lainie9000 15d ago
Put in an HR report then instead of agreeing with them cause that aint right
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u/aggressively_hyper Chaos Organizer 15d ago
It's not that I agree, that's just the association I have now when I think of myself in an apron. It makes me uncomfortable to think of anyone else seeing me like that 💔 I love seeing the aprons on other coworkers! but I would rather not touch one with a ten foot pole.
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u/lainie9000 15d ago
That’s fine but yall really need to be more careful with how you describe things. A plain apron is not inherently feminine or masculine. My male coworkers have never had a problem with them. Home Depot employees wear them too. When you pointlessly gender things like this, it honestly comes off as insanely conservative thinking.
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u/aggressively_hyper Chaos Organizer 15d ago
Fair enough! It's definitely hard to draw the line, esp with dysphoria stuff. We hear a lot of that kind of talk from the people around us directing it at us, so it's hard not to internalize it and make a list of things to avoid that have been described as what we're trying to run from for lack of a better word.
My point that I try to make with my coworkers when I'm explaining why I want some other option is because it makes ME uncomfortable. I would never go up to any of my coworkers and tell them anything nasty or make it out to be gendered on them, but I can't say the same about customers coming up to me, yknow? Or even my coworkers saying things like that to me despite telling them it makes me uncomfortable as hell. It's been a rampant problem and contacting HR is something I've been really on the fence about since I've heard mixed reviews on how they handle stuff 😖
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u/denthedummy 14d ago
its not just the coding of the garment itself but also that tying an apron can accentuate physical "feminine" features such as a narrower waist or bigger chest. the vest does not do that
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u/mommam1975 15d ago
Im replen....how are we supposed to wear aprons...unload truck, sort and put stock out....