Our green apron is recognizable the world over, but few know its inside story. How did it come to be? Why do some have special symbols? And why do certain partners wear black ones instead?

When we opened in 1971, employees donned simple brown grocer’s aprons which matched both the coffee beans they scooped and our original logo. That changed in 1987, when our business model – and our apron – evolved. Baristas started serving handcrafted coffee and espresso drinks and sporting new green aprons featuring a more modern siren.

The green aprons have remained standard wear for partners ever since, but there are some notable exceptions. Partners certified in coffee knowledge get to wear black. Red aprons appear around the winter holidays, and, in the Netherlands, orange aprons commemorate King’s Day. Embroidered American flags celebrate veterans and military spouses, and, at Signing Stores, aprons spell out “Starbucks” in sign language.

Milestones

• 1987: Baristas swap their brown aprons for green ones.