Challenge on Polo Ralph Lauren: Different Kind of Suit as Dress Code

type="text/javascript">additional plaintiffs. One of the newest plaintiffs is
Advertisements for Polo Ralph Lauren show a world26-year-old Janika Goff, who worked at the same
populated by beautiful trust-fund families on their leafystore as Young, where both Ralph Lauren Designer
estates. But how far should a company go to propelClothes and Polo clothes are sold. Over five years,
that image into the public consciousness? A fewshe sold shoes and clothes full time and made about
current and former employees say Polo crossed the$24,000 a year. Each season, she was entitled to an
line. Two onetime sales associates joined a80% discount off two pairs of shoes and a 65%
class-action lawsuit this week alleging that image was,discount off everything else, including the Polo clothes
in part, crafted illegally, by forcing salespeople to spendshe was expected to wear every day. “They
thousands of dollars a year on thewanted you to be in current season and wanted the
company’s latest outfits to project ashoes to look nice and not scuffed, but I was running
“lifestyle image.” The hired help, inup and down stairs, doing stock work sometimes, so I
other words, struggled to keep the shirt on their backs,would buy comfortable shoes,” said Goff, who
even with the in-house 65% discount. Accusationsnow works at a bank in San Diego. Goff estimates
against the posh clothing company ring true for manythat after five years at Polo, she had accumulated 65
salespeople, but few have taken their case to court,pairs of shoes, most of which she considers in great
said Dean Friar, spokesman for California’scondition but that were too scuffed for
Department of Industrial Relations, Division of Laborstore’s management to consider acceptable.
Standards Enforcement. The law says employersWhen Goff showed up in sandals one day, a manager
who require workers to wear uniforms must providemade her choose a pair of loafers to wear.
that wardrobe at no cost. “But we see,“The price of $50 was deducted from my
instead, discounts given out,” Friar said.paycheck,” Goff said. For Young, the
“That’s very common.”store’s expectations were clearly out of line
Industry experts, including representatives of thewith what she knew about retail. She had previously
National Retail Federation, the largest retail tradeworked at the mid-range clothing chain Bebe while she
organization in the world, have never heard of aworked toward a court stenographer’s
lawsuit similar to the one filed against Polo. They saydegree. “I did have to buy Bebe clothes, but
salespeople are traditionally expected to lookthey were a lot more lax about how current you had
presentable and sport some of the designer’sto be,” she said. “You could actually
product, but no one reached by The Times had heardgo to a secondhand store and buy a Bebe outfit for
of an employer forcing its staff to invest heavily inwork and not be questioned.” Another former
wardrobe. “This strikes me as a uniqueemployee who confirmed he has joined
lawsuit,” said Peter Arnold, executive directorYoung’s class-action lawsuit is Troy Greene,
of the Council of Fashion Designers of America. Thea former sales associate for eight years at Polo on
complaint against Polo was initially filed in federal courtRodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. Greene was earning
last month in San Francisco by Toni Young, a$87,000 by the time he resigned last month over a
31-year-old sales associate. Attorneys for Polo havedispute about new payment structures. He was
until Nov. 4 to respond to the complaint. Whenimmediately hired by Prada, also on Rodeo Drive,
contacted for this story, Polo spokeswoman Ellenwhich provides its employees with uniforms –
Maguire said that the company does not comment onat no charge – that must be returned at the
pending litigation. Plaintiff attorney Patrick R. Kitchinend of each season. “We get two pairs of
says Young, who earned $22,000 last year, hastrousers, four dress shirts, four knit tops, two pairs of
receipts that show she was required to spend moreshoes and a belt. All paid for,” said Greene, 40.
than $6,000 a year on Polo purchases since she“Gucci does the same thing.”
began working at the store in 1997.According to Young, Polo management received
“It’s a ton of money,” he saidcommissions on the “sales” they
by phone from his office near the Polo store wheremade to their staffs. Young, who is black, also filed a
Young still works. Young’s lawsuit also allegesracial discrimination suit against Polo in San Francisco
that Polo managers conducted “stripSuperior Court last month. Kitchin says that in addition
searches to ensure that all of their clothing is from theto being subject to cruel racial remarks by superiors,
defendants’ product lines.”Young has not been promoted during her five-year
“They would ask Ms. Young to take off hercareer at the store, despite glowing reviews from
sweaters – she had a shirt on underneathmanagers. “She was told her hair was too
– or take off her shoes, so they could checknappy, and she needed to straighten her hair,”
the labels,” Kitchin said. “In late August,Kitchin said. “Managers call out to her with an
all employees in the San Francisco store were toldexaggerated African American urban accent. They
they needed five new outfits from the fall collection.call her ‘Ms. Thang.’ ” This is
They had to come in wearing the outfits so they couldnot the first tussle Polo has had with its staff. In
be photographed and those photographs could beFebruary, the Equal Employment Opportunity
kept in a file sent on to headquarters in NewCommission said Polo Ralph Lauren Clothing Corp.
York.” Kitchin has posted the Web to attract