Little-Known Facts About Chef Workwear

Whether we think of fancy, high-class restaurants or famous patisseries and bakeries, there’s one thing that commonly pops into our heads when we imagine who makes these delicious foods. We usually imagine trained and experienced people donning the classic, all-white uniforms that show their status as a chef.

What does the chef’s uniform look like?

The chef uniform, or chef whites as they are also called, is a recognisable outfit consisting of a toque (chef’s hat), a white double-breasted jacket with knotted buttons, trousers or pants in a chequered pattern, apron, and sometimes, special chef’s shoes. Did you know that this special outfit has been worn and celebrated by chefs around the world since the early 1800s? There’s a reason why it has been around for so long and used by nearly every chef and cook, from five-star chefs to local bakeries.

They wear them not just because of the prestige and symbolism, but because it’s extremely effective in doing its job. Each part of the chef workwear serves a function that many ordinary people might not know. For example, the chef’s attire is white because it serves to make food stains easier to see, and is also a hallmark of professionalism in the kitchen.

Interested? Here are some little-known facts about the chef’s attire that you should know about.

The toque

Perhaps the most recognisable part of any chef outfit is the chef’s hat, also known as the toque. Did you know that the toque is one of the first parts of the chef’s attire to be invented and popularised? It’s a hat that dates back to the 1500s and has been in use for centuries. Nowadays, it mostly represents the rank and also acts as head protection for chefs. In the kitchen, you may notice some slight differences in the hats they wear. Taller hats usually denote more senior chefs, with the number of pleats signifying the chef’s expertise.

The chef jacket

The chef uniform is incomplete without the chef jacket, which remains as the chef’s main source of protection for their torso. You may notice that the jacket is quite thick because it is double-breasted. This is to protect against hot food spills in the kitchen. They can also be easily reversed to hide stains. If you look closer, you may find that the buttons are knotted instead of a hard material, because these can be washed much more easily.

The chef trousers

Today, chef pants or trousers come in an array of colours and designs, but if you want to really get traditional, you’d go for the chequered pattern. Did you know that chef pants are usually patterned to hide the stains, unlike the other parts of the chef uniform that are white? They are also much thicker than normal pants because they also help protect against hot spills.

The chef’s shoes

Yes, many chefs wear specialised shoes as part of their chef workwear! Chef shoes are supposed to be sturdy, be good shock absorbers, and also slip-resistant. Chefs frequently move around in the kitchen, and in such an environment exposed to warmth, humidity, slippery floors, and more, it’s only wise to invest in comfortable shoes.

Ready to open your restaurant doors to the next batch of hungry customers? Not without dressing the part! Get chef’s uniforms and more with Wiz by Neptune, a uniform supplier in Singapore.