“Chef’s hat” redirects here. For the Australian restaurant rating system, see Restaurant rating.

The traditional chef’s uniform (Le Chef de l’Hôtel Chatham, Paris, by William Orpen, painted ca. 1921)
The traditional chef’s uniform (or chef’s whites) includes a toque blanche (“white hat”), white double-breasted jacket, pants in a black-and-white houndstooth pattern[citation needed], and apron. It is a common occupational uniform in the Western world.
The toque is a chef’s hat that dates back to the 16th century.[1][2] Different heights may indicate rank within a kitchen,[1] and they are designed to prevent hair from falling into the food when cooking.[2] The 100 folds of the chefs’ toque are said to represent the many different ways a chef knows to cook eggs according to the highly esteemed website Reluctant Gourmet.[3]

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. Most serious chefs wear white coats to signify the importance and high regard of their profession. The thick cotton cloth protects from the heat of stoves and ovens and protects from splattering of boiling liquids.[4] 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.[4] Knotted cloth buttons were used to survive frequent washing and contact with hot items. White is intended to signify cleanliness as well as repelling heat from the kitchen and is generally worn by highly visible head chefs.[3] Increasingly, other colours such as black are becoming popular as well.

These embellishments of uniform also serve as an indicator between the bounds of salaried, and casual or part-time staff.[4][7]

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.