The traditional chef's uniform (or chef's whites) includes a '' toque blanche'' ("white hat"), white

double-breasted A double-breasted garment is a coat, jacket, waistcoat, or dress with wide, overlapping front flaps which has on its front two symmetrical columns of buttons; by contrast, a single-breasted item has a narrow overlap and only one column of b ...

jacket, pants in a black-and-white

houndstooth Houndstooth is a pattern of alternating light and dark check (fabric), checks used on fabric. It is also known as hounds tooth check, hound's tooth (and similar spellings), dogstooth, dogtooth or dog's tooth. The duotone pattern is characterized ...

pattern, and apron. It is a common occupational

uniform A uniform is a variety of costume worn by members of an organization while usually participating in that organization's activity. Modern uniforms are most often worn by armed forces and paramilitary organizations such as police, emergency serv ...

in the Western world. The

chef A chef is a professional Cook (profession), cook and tradesperson who is proficient in all aspects of outline of food preparation, food preparation, often focusing on a particular cuisine. The word "chef" is derived from the term (), the di ...

's buttons also have a meaning: while qualified chefs wear black buttons, students wear white buttons.

Description

The toque is a chef's hat that dates back to the 16th century. Different heights may indicate rank within a kitchen and the number of folds can also signify a chef's expertise, with each pleat representing a technique that has been mastered. In more traditional restaurants, especially traditional French restaurants, the white chef's coat is standard and considered part of a traditional uniform and as a practical chef's garment. The thick

cotton Cotton (), first recorded in ancient India, is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure ...

cloth protects from the heat of

stoves A stove or range is a device that generates heat inside or on top of the device, for -Space heater, local heating or cooking. Stoves can be powered with many fuels, such as natural gas, electricity, gasoline, wood, and coal. Due to concerns ab ...

and

ovens file:Double oven.jpg, upA double oven file:Four à céramique - Japan Auréa - 2011-0403- P1070446.JPG, A ceramic oven An oven is a tool that is used to expose materials to a hot environment. Ovens contain a hollow chamber and provide a means o ...

and protects from splattering of

boiling Boiling or ebullition is the rapid phase transition from liquid to gas or vapor, vapour; the reverse of boiling is condensation. Boiling occurs when a liquid is heated to its boiling point, so that the vapour pressure of the liquid is equal to ...

liquids. The double breasted jacket is used to add protection to the wearer's chest and stomach area from burns from splashing liquids. This can also be reversed to hide stains. Knotted cloth buttons were used to survive frequent washing and contact with hot items. White is intended to signify

cleanliness Cleanliness is both the state of being clean and free from Germ (microorganism), germs, dirt, Trash (garbage), trash, or waste, and the habit of achieving and maintaining that state. Cleanliness is often achieved through cleaning. Culturally, cl ...

and is generally worn by highly visible head chefs. Increasingly, other colours such as black are becoming popular as well. The long, wide chef's apron serves many functions. It is primarily worn for safety purposes. The apron will take the main impact should hot liquid spill over a pot as the chef is carrying it, and can be quickly removed to get it away from the undergarments and legs. Aprons that are lengthy and cover most of the front side of the body are very useful in restaurants and commercial kitchens. Normally these are called bib aprons which can be available in adjustable neck straps just because of commercial usage as uniform. Traditionally, the purpose of the apron was also to protect the wearer's garments from food stains and smells. It is also used to provide a convenient cloth with which to wipe messy hands or to dry washed hands, although this would be considered unhygienic now. Sometimes, an apron will contain pockets, enabling a chef to easily carry the tools of their trade. These embellishments of uniform also serve as an indicator between the bounds of salaried, and casual or part-time staff. Chefs' clothing remains a standard in the food industry. The tradition of wearing this type of clothing dates back to the mid-19th century. Marie-Antoine Carême, a popular French chef, is credited with developing the current chef's uniform. The toques were already used, but he sought a uniform to honour the chef. White was chosen for the chef's coat to signify cleanliness. Later, the French master chef, Georges Auguste Escoffier, brought the traditional chef's coat to London, managing the restaurants at the Savoy Hotel and then at the Carlton Hotel.

References

{{reflist Chefs Cooking Uniforms