Kohl's enforces a strict "one color" dress code on its Sephora-at-Kohl's associates, requiring dark clothing and black footwear from the moment the store doors open, a policy most shoppers never notice.
The retail chain's internal appearance guidelines spell out exactly what Sephora counter employees must wear on the clock: dark-colored tops, preferably black, paired with black bottoms and black casual or active shoes. Black business-casual trousers and black denim both pass muster, but every item has to look neat and free of excessive wear. The company expects its workers to exercise "good judgment and professional taste" when getting dressed for a shift, The US Sun reported.
Kohl's says its associates' appearance "plays an important role in its culture and reputation." That language frames the dress code not as a suggestion but as a standing expectation tied to the brand's public image.
The retailer does hand out a few branded items, a T-shirt, a reusable face covering, a lanyard, and a name badge. Beyond that, employees appear to be on their own when it comes to supplying the required black pants and black shoes. The guidelines do not mention reimbursement or a clothing allowance for those purchases.
Associates who work in New York state operate under a separate set of face-covering requirements. Those employees can choose among three options: a Kohl's-branded reusable face covering, a Kohl's-provided disposable face covering, or their own solid-colored face covering. The guidelines single out New York but do not name the specific state rule or mandate behind the distinction.
No other state receives a similar carve-out in the reported policy language, leaving open whether the New York provision traces back to a pandemic-era regulation, a workplace-safety order, or some other local requirement that never got repealed.
Several practical details remain unclear. Kohl's has not publicly disclosed when the dress code was introduced or when it was last updated. The company has not said whether violations carry formal consequences, a write-up, a sent-home-without-pay policy, or something else entirely.
It is also unclear whether the all-black rule applies only to Sephora-at-Kohl's associates or extends to every employee on the sales floor. The reported guidelines focus on the Sephora counter staff, but the broader company language about appearance and reputation suggests a wider reach.
For hourly retail workers already stretching a paycheck, a mandate to show up in head-to-toe black, with the company supplying only a T-shirt, means the cost of compliance lands squarely on the employee. Corporate gets the polished look. The associate gets the dry-cleaning bill.
