History of chef uniform

Kyle Maddux
Chef Daniel Drumlake
Introduction to the Culinary Arts
9/5/13

The History of the Chef Uniform
The chef uniform was invented to make a profession considered to be performed by “a bunch of drunken working men” more dignified and respected (Ryan). French chef Auguste
Escoffier and Marie­Antoine Careme both played a huge part in the invention of the chef uniform (Ryan). Through the help of inspiring chefs like Auguste Escoffier the chef’s coat, hat, pants and scarf have become a huge part of cooking industry.
First of all, is the double breasted chef coat is most commonly seen in white. The chef coat “is white to show the cleanliness of both the chef and the kitchen” (Green). The reason for it to be double breasted is to protect the chef from hot water and grease and it conceals stains when it is reversed. The chef’s coat is usually considered the most important part of the uniform.
Second of all, is the chef’s hat or toque. The chef’s hat is white and varies in size. The taller the hat the higher in rank the person wearing it is. “At one time, a chef had 100 pleats in his hat to signify the 100 ways he knew how to prepare eggs” (Jones)
Last of all, are the chef pants and the scarf. The chef pants are a thick cotton material to keep the chef safe. They also have a hounds tooth or checkered pattern to hide any stains you might get. The scarf was originally white and used to soak up sweat while in the hot kitchen.
Now with new air conditioning systems they are more used to make the uniform look more finished. (Hill)

In closing, Auguste Escoffier and other chef’s like him made the chef coat, hat, pants and scarf what it is today.
Works Cited
Jones, G. Stephen. "Chef Hat ­ History & Facts." The Reluctant Gourmet. N.p., 08 June 2010.
Web. 04 Sept. 2013.
Ryan. "The Significance of the Chef 's Uniform." KNG. N.p., 15 June 2011. Web. 05 Sept. 2013.
Green, Connie. "History of The Chef 's Uniform and the Toque ­ How Henry VIII Played A Part in It 's History." Articlesbase.com. Article Base, 05 Apr. 2011. Web. 05 Sept. 2013.
Hill, George. "Cooks and Chefs Uniform." Salon Culinary. N.p., 1990. Web. 05 Sept. 2013.

Cited: Jones, G. Stephen. "Chef Hat ­ History & Facts." The Reluctant Gourmet. N.p., 08 June 2010.  Web. 04 Sept. 2013.  Ryan. "The Significance of the Chef 's Uniform." KNG. N.p., 15 June 2011. Web. 05 Sept. 2013.  Green, Connie. "History of The Chef 's Uniform and the Toque ­ How Henry VIII Played A Part  in It 's History." Articlesbase.com. Article Base, 05 Apr. 2011. Web. 05 Sept. 2013.  Hill, George. "Cooks and Chefs Uniform." Salon Culinary. N.p., 1990. Web. 05 Sept. 2013.