Ever wondered why a chefs uniform is white?

We are all familiar with the look of a professional chef. They are all dressed in white, looking stressed and usually calling “service please” from behind a hot plate. Has anything about this image ever struck you as odd? Why would someone dealing with food all day actively choose to wear white? It probably strikes fear into anyone with a washing machine.

The chef’s jacket is now an iconic feature and has become symbolic of the role itself. There is actually a reason that a chef’s uniform is white, so here we take a dive into the history of what a chef wears and why.

Where did the chefs jacket come from?

It is believed that French restauranteur Marie-Antoine Careme is the main reason that most chefs wear white. He chose this for his chef’s uniform in 19th century Paris as he felt it created a positive perception of chefs. This meant his restaurant gained a more respectable and professional reputation thanks to its existing association with science and medicine. The theory behind the choice of white is that it helps to differentiate a good chef from a bad chef, as a good chef should not make any mess.

This set a trend that has spanned the next 200 years, but these days, the colour of the jacket serves a different purpose. Nowadays, the colour shows your position within the hierarchy of the kitchen, with some head chefs opting to wear black in order to stand out from the rest of their staff.

White has also been typically chosen for hygiene reasons. With food stains standing out so clearly against the white fabric, it became easier notice when a uniform was soiled and needed to be washed.

The chef’s toque

The iconic chef’s hat, known as a toque, is recognised the world over and is thought to have first been invented to keep hair out of food. The height of the hat is also significant, and it was meant to signify the rank and station of the chef who wears it. The tallest hat belonged to the executive chef, and the hats got gradually shorter as you worked your way down the hierarchy.

Marie-Antoine Careme himself is reported to have worn a hat that was 18 inches tall and needed to be supported by pieces of cardboard, so that he could demonstrate to everybody what his level of expertise was. Whilst things do not tend to be this extreme anymore, the tradition still persists.

Why wear a uniform?

Whilst the colour might be up for debate, the importance of a chef’s uniform is not. The main purpose of it is to maintain the highest hygiene standards. By wearing a uniform, there is less risk of you contaminating your food with things such as dirt or pet hair that you might bring into the kitchen on your normal clothes.

There are other factors to think about when it comes to a chef’s uniform, including hair coverings such as hats, nets and beard snoods as well as avoiding wearing jewellery to work. This is because bacteria can lurk in the crevices of some items of jewellery, and there is always a risk that small stones and gems may fall into the food unnoticed.

A chef’s uniform is also there to provide protection to the chef themselves. There is a lot of equipment in a kitchen that works at high temperatures, and it can create a very uncomfortable working environment. A chef’s uniform should allow airflow and breathability and should be properly fitted to ensure that a chef can move easily and remain comfortable all through their shift.

Chef jacket designs

As there are no rules on what colour a chef should actually wear, more kitchens are now moving away from the traditional white jackets and opting for an injection of colour instead. This might be to fit in with the brand or theme of the restaurant, particularly if the chefs have open kitchens when they are on show to the public.

Black, grey and navy jackets now not only look stylish but also help to hide marks and stains, keeping them looking more professional throughout a service. However, high-end restaurants still tend to stick with white in order to command respect. Another popular choice at the moment is the black and white chequered or houndstooth design, particularly for chefs’ trousers.

Many kitchens now like to add to their branding and professionalism by adding their business logo to their jackets. This helps to make the brigade look more like a team, and in some cases, the name of the chef and their position is embroidered onto the uniform as well.

Colour hierarchy

The colour of a chef’s jacket does not have much meaning, but it has at times been used to identify your position within a kitchen. For example, whilst the main cooks and head chef might sport a white uniform, the prep cooks would be dressed in black and all other kitchen staff could be found in blue. The chequered trousers were once offered to lower and mid-level cooks, with solid black trousers being the reserve of upper-level chefs.

You might think that the choice of buttons on a chef’s uniform is nothing more than a fashion statement, but this often has significance too. In years gone by, lower-level cooks and apprentices were required to wear white buttons, whilst the more qualified chefs were allowed black ones.

We now live in a world where much of this does not make any difference, but there will be some restaurants which still abide by the traditional rules.

Whilst tradition has dictated that a chef’s uniform should be white, there are no rules that say you need to stick to this. You are now free to make your kitchen look the way you want it to, whether that is sticking with the old school white or branching out in to colours that reflect the brand of your restaurant. There are so many designs and combinations available that now you are only really limited by your imagination.