A federal court ruled that Washington States Bikini Barista’s must cover-up. This ruling upholds two ordinances in different cities in Washington state. Bikini Barista stands uses women in skimpy outfits to attract customers. The city of Everett filed an ordinance in 2017 ruling the baristas must cover-up. That ruling promoted legal action by a local company called Hillbilly Hotties and a few of its employees. On Wednesday the judge ruled in the cities favor, forcing all the bikini baristas to cover-up.
The laws enacted by the city of Everett were originally blocked by a district court because they were unconstitutional. However, yesterday the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the city. Their reasoning cited the baristas wear less clothing than the typical bikini. Everett received over 40 complaints before passing laws relating to bikini establishments.
Standing for female empowerment and confidence was the reasoning for the Hillbilly Hotties standing against the dress-code regulations. Not allowed under the new regulations are g-strings and pasties. The 9th Circuit Court wrote “All an officer must determine is whether the upper body (specifically, the breast/pectorals, stomach, back below the shoulder blades) and lower body (the buttocks, top three inches of legs below the buttocks, pubic area and genitals) are covered,” according to the LA Times. This ruling could lead to changes for bikini baristas across the state.
