Ta ta’s with your latté?
In Seattle you’re more likely to see someone clutching a mocha, than holding an umbrella. Seattle by no means invented coffee, but we sure did put espresso on the map in America. We are the birth place of Starbucks. And since espresso is so popular and successful, everyone and their mom decided to open an espresso stand. Hmm. Which, we’ll get to that whole mother daughter thing in a moment.
So how is someone supposed to compete in an industry that is so over saturated? In the Seattle area you can pretty much throw a rock in any direction and hit an espresso stand. So how do you get your business to take off? Well you take it off. That’s right, multiple espresso stands have started stripping down, give an eyeful of ta ta’s while passing out lattés. And it’s been working. I’m sure the women customers have decreased, but the hoards of men that pull up with their tongues lolling more than make up for it.
Yes, I’m a woman, so my reaction is probably a little biased. But am I the only one on this who inwardly cringes, wondering why women would willingly put us a step back in a world where we’re constantly told ’sex sells.’ I am by no means a loud and proud feminist. I’m kind of a middle of the road girl, and I do write erotic romance. But I’ll be honest, this bugs me. And here’s a couple reasons why.
I saw this one nauseating story on the news, showing one barista in negligee and another in a bikini. But that wasn’t the yuck factor. The yuck factor was that the girl–not technically a woman–in the bikini was seventeen, and the lady in negligee was her mom. So did anyone else just throw up a little in their mouth? (See I told you we’d get to the mother daughter part) I mean, they looked good, but still, the idea of it…
Then there’s another story that just hit the news about an existing espresso stand that went under new ownership. The new owner told all ten employees that there would be a new skimpy dress code and if they didn’t like it, they could quit. Part of his dress code? Military Monday, Cowgirl Tuesday, Bikini Wednesday, Schoolgirl Thursday and Fantasy Friday. Any one else just get a dirty old man running this shop vibe? Here’s a few of their fabulous responses:
“I’m not gonna wear lingerie or negligees to work. It’s not how I represent myself.”
“I think it’s demeaning to women and you shouldn’t have to wear that kind of clothing to make a living.”
“I make coffee, I don’t sell my body, you know?”
All ten employees quit and the idiot boss was actually surprised.
You know I have a book coming out in January from Samhain called Dangerous Grounds. In this book my heroine decides to open a coffee shop, and even comments how dressing sexier sells. Only she was referring to cleavage. I wrote this a few years ago when low cut top and tight jeans were about as bad as it got.
So what’s your opinion on this whole this whole coffee and near nekkidness? Does anyone else get a bit riled up over the whole thing? 
Or does this not even faze you? 
August 27th, 2007 at 1:13 am
Are you kidding me? I’d tell any boss who suggested such a ridiculous thing to
Unless there are nearly-naked underage men serving coffee along with the women this is a series of major lawsuits waiting to happen. I can’t WAIT to watch.
August 27th, 2007 at 1:16 am
I’m not sure if anyone at the espresso stand that had the ‘new wardrobe change’ was underage. I know some were grown women trying to pay off their mortgage. Seriously, that new boss is such an asshat.
August 27th, 2007 at 1:25 am
*cough* I’m a woman and I wouldn’t mind the view… ;)
Smartassitude aside, I don’t necessarily think it’s a bad thing in and of itself… but I feel pretty much the same way about stripping. If a woman chooses to do such to make a living, well, that’s her choice.
That said, I think what happened with the new owner and the existing shop was totally sleazy.
August 27th, 2007 at 1:28 am
Hey Nonny, that’s a good point. It is a bit like being a stripper, just selling coffee. I hadn’t thought of it in that light. Good argument!!
And yes, the existing stand/new owner, I repeat. What an asshat.
August 27th, 2007 at 1:41 am
Though I gotta add… maaaan, do I feel sorry for any of those chicks who accidentally spill coffee on themselves… meeeep!!
August 27th, 2007 at 1:44 am
Ummm yeah, oooouch!
August 27th, 2007 at 2:26 am
1.Worker’s Comp is going to go through the roof for these places. Hello? Boiling water and exposed navels are problematic.
2. Yeah…mkay….underage girls plus lingerie in the workplace. What is the word I am looking for..oh yeah…JAILBAIT.
3. Almost all baristas wear aprons, and aprons just look stupid with bikinis.
August 27th, 2007 at 2:49 am
LOL so true, Gwen! Seriously. Some chick is totally going to be suing for a new rack when she dumps steamed milk on her chest.
August 27th, 2007 at 9:43 am
From what I hear, this kind of thing isn’t new — in Florida, they had topless donut shop, topless car wash (we had one up here, too) and then of course there’s Hooters, etc. We were driving down one of our main roads here yesterday, and the kids at the high school were having a carwash — and several young, scantily clad girls were out with signs on the roadside, one that said “Come on, you know you want to.” If she were my daughter, I would have taken her by her little blonde pony tail all the way home. Sorry, but to me, that’s just unacceptable, and yet it’s all over the place.
If adult women want to wash cars naked for leering men, well, I suppose that’s their right. No employer should require it of employees who signed on not agreeing to such, and frankly, it’s all kind of gross to me, but it’s out there, unfortunately.
Sam
August 27th, 2007 at 9:57 am
I’d sooooo never get a job
August 27th, 2007 at 10:33 am
This is crazy. The whole burn yourself while wearing lingerie is a serious risk - ouch man!
And that boss with the suggested theme days? OMG what a creep! I would definitely tell him to
Cos that is just wrong. And gross. What a perv.
August 27th, 2007 at 11:08 am
I think the new owner is trying to become a franchise of stands that already do it. So he’s probably just a perve seeing $$$.
August 27th, 2007 at 11:50 am
that might even get me to drink milk with my coffee
August 27th, 2007 at 12:13 pm
What an interesting idea. I bet their male visitors have tripled and their female ones have dwindled. It’s been used in other businesses too like Hooters, and been successful, but it wouldn’t be necessary if they just had good food and good coffee…
August 27th, 2007 at 12:28 pm
Naughty, Naughty, Michael.
That’s pretty much true, Missy. If you’re serving crap, people aren’t going to become your faithful customers.
August 27th, 2007 at 12:48 pm
Man with all that steam and hot milk there’s got to be some liability there!!!
And FWIW I don’t wanta minor in lingerie serving me my latte….
August 27th, 2007 at 1:26 pm
They wouldn’t lose me as a customer, only because I don’t drink any kind of coffee. I can’t believe that new owner was actually surprised they quit!
August 27th, 2007 at 1:39 pm
All that hot liquid, steam, and bare skin. What a combo. I wonder, wouldn’t there be health code issues here?
Plus, I’m with Denise. At a place like that, I’d never get a job. My figure left when my children arrived.
August 27th, 2007 at 2:14 pm
Geez, I’m against it.
Then again, maybe my mocha would taste better if prepared by a hot, half-nekkid hunk. I’ll never know…
August 27th, 2007 at 3:51 pm
I’m a bartender who makes her money by wearing cleavage baring tops. Would I wear a bikini? No. But if I was 20 years old, tryign to pay for a college education adn could only work 8-12 hours a week, I probably would. Because the tips you can make it that amount of time is equal to what some people make in a week.
I think it’s demeaning if you let it be. Or if can also be empowering if you do it because it gets you what YOU want. And how a person acts can be way worse than what they wear…trust me, I;ve seen women very well covered up behaving in very very shameful ways. And not inteh sort of “bad” that I like my characetrs to be..but in truly embarassing ways.
August 27th, 2007 at 5:37 pm
Sooo, uh, do I need to change Dangerous Grounds to Naked Grounds? *grin*
And really? ta-tas with an apostrophe? Have I taught you nothing?
August 27th, 2007 at 5:41 pm
Hm. Well I recently got mistaken for a hooker and I was wearing a plain dress. I mean, I was at a brothel, but still.
Anyway, Seattle is really cold. I’ve been served by chicks in bikinis in Hawaii and Mexico a few times. But in Seattle? brrrrrr.
August 27th, 2007 at 6:56 pm
I can see the arguments for a bit of skimpiness but the thing that really stuck in my mind about your blog, Shelli, was the age. I’m sick of walking into stores and seeing what amounts to slut-wear for children. It appears that we’re sexualising them at younger and younger ages.
And the scary thing is the 17yo daughter with a condoning mother. By putting this skimpy wear on her underage daughter, do the visiting customers also see this as tacit approval to regard *all* underage girls as available? I **really** don’t like where this is going.
August 27th, 2007 at 9:02 pm
Hi everyone (sorry left town and am slooow dial up catching up) I think yes, my biggest issue were the two I listed. The minor and her mom, and then the convert or be fired boss. If it’s two women who are of age, just trying to make money I guess I can see it. (Good point Sasha on the bartender comparison!)
And Laurie, eeek! I totally was looking at ta ta’s and thinking… maybe that ‘ shouldn’t be there. LOL. Sigh. Good thing you’re my editor
And yes Feisty…it’s freaking cold here and rainy. So yeah. Honestly those men were still coming to the stand when the girls wore tight shirts and lots of makeup. They just like having girls to flirt with.
August 28th, 2007 at 2:51 am
OK! Man time!!
One…that girl could be my daughter so my first thought was “GAHHHHH!”
Second after my mind wandered back to its guttery home I thought “Well maybe if I wanted skim….she is way too skinny!”
Face it… dumb idea. Burns, creeps and well more creeps. Insulting too.
Open up a coffee shop where the women wear size 16 and up and have a low cut blouse and a smile and this man would buy stock! You don’t need to be in lingere or bikinis to be hot!
ok… the Man is leaving, you may throw things at me
August 28th, 2007 at 8:33 am
That picture does nothing for me. Too young, too normal to be interesting.
Personally, I can’t stand lattés, cappuccinos, mochas and all the rest of the fancy ‘coffee’s so this wouldn’t affect me at all. I make a very good cup of coffee, thank you.
And that asshat manager needs a quick whack in his privates with a crowbar. They’re your employees, jerkoff. Not your property.
August 28th, 2007 at 10:37 am
Open up a coffee shop where the women wear size 16 and up and have a low cut blouse and a smile and this man would buy stock
*likes Johnny*
Come back anytime hon!
August 28th, 2007 at 11:00 am
Aaah you boys are so sweet. I love it when men say exactly what you want them too!
August 28th, 2007 at 7:49 pm
Sorry Sam, you got caught in the filter this time! (weird!)
That’s crazy about all those shops in Florida!! And I’d pull that chick home by her home by her ponytail, too.
August 29th, 2007 at 3:47 am
I’m with Amie. *likes Johnny*
And I totally agree onteh underage thing, adn worry that kids are being sexualized too early. But I also think stopping that from happening is a parents job - as is teaching them to think for themselves and have thier own moral code.
Although, I’m not a parent and even I know that’s harder than it sounds.
August 29th, 2007 at 4:00 am
Sasha that’s a blog topic I could go on and on about. Kids getting sexualized too early. I chaperoned a 5th grade field trip once, and I swear to God the things out of these boys mouths made my jaw hit the floor. And maybe it was 4th grade.
August 29th, 2007 at 6:44 pm
I’m a parent of a 14 yo who struggles each and every day to make sure her daughter goes out the door more dressed than undressed ~ to think that she might have to “undress” just to get and keep her first job makes me feel more than a little sick.