A subway employee in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou has apologized after a woman perceived to be wearing “inappropriate” clothing was denied entry at a local station, domestic media outlet The Cover reported Wednesday.

According to a post Sunday on social platform Douban, the woman said security staff at the Qianjiang Century City station would not let her through a checkpoint until she put on a coat to cover her mostly-bare shoulders.

“According to subway regulations, only bare feet and nudity are not allowed,” the Hangzhou subway employee told The Cover. “There is no rule stipulating that wearing a spaghetti-strap top isn’t permitted.” The employee did not say whether the security staff member would face punishment.

This is not the first time passengers have been denied entry at subway stations in China because of their appearance. In May of last year, a woman in Guangzhou was told to remove her Goth-style makeup before being allowed through security, leading to an online selfie campaign in protest. Months later, people in the same city were discouraged from wearing Halloween costumes on the subway. (Image: Moment Open/People Visual)