All about chefs uniforms

The chefs wear uniforms that actually have a history as well as a purpose behind them. The uniform began in the 1600s, but was formalised by one of the first celebrity chefs, Marie-Antoine Carême in the 1800s. It was Carême who created the distinctive jacket, trousers and high hat that chefs still wear today. Each piece of clothing looks stylish and has a purpose as well.

Chef's jacket

The typical chef's jacket is double-breasted and tailored, and has knotted buttons. The reason for the double-breasted coat is that it can be unbuttoned and rebuttoned to hide spills. The double layer of cloth also helps to insulate the body of the chef from the heat of the stove. The double layer also helps to protect the chef from being burned by hot pots and pans. variations can include coats that have hidden buttons as well as panels in the back to allow for the chef to feel cooler.

Trousers

The chef usually wears checked trousers that are black and white or blue and white. The chef pants also look stylish in contrast to the plain chef's jacket. The trousers can actually have a purpose as well. The checks are not only stylish, but they help to hide spilled food. Just as with the jacket, these two pieces of the chef's uniform help to give the impression of cleanliness even when an accident with spilled food may occur. The trousers can have flat fronts or waists that are adjusted with a drawstring.

Hat

The chef's hat has an interesting history. The custom of wearing a tall hat began in the 1600s, when artisans were distrusted and chefs took refuge in orthodox churches and wore hats modelled on those worn by the priests. Carême wore the hat when he was a chef, and it was a taller than usual one at that. The tradition with the hat or torque, as it is called, had distinctive folds along the sides. According to some chefs, the number of folds correspond to the number of ways in which one can cook a egg. Some chefs prefer to wear skull caps which are shorter and closer-fitting to the head.