Chef’s uniform

A chef’s uniform is a very special article of clothing. The traditional chef’s uniform is a standard for the chefs’ profession, but it is not a law. The time tested chefs uniform will continue to be the standard dress for all chefs, but there will always be a rebel in the mix.

The chef hat isn’t for style but sheer practical use. They are for preventing every food eater’s nightmare of finding hair in their food. They also denote how accomplished the chef is. If you’ve ever noticed the pleats on a chef’s hat and thought they were simply for sheer fanciness then guess again – they are the equivalent of stripes on the arm of a military person. The number of pleats goes up to one hundred, which would be the most accomplished a chef could be.

There is no single known origin of the toque, the French name for the chef hat. One widely accepted origin of the chef hat is it originated in the Henry VIII era. To the King’s horror he found a hair in his food. He then beheaded the person whose head it fell from, and thereafter ordered all of his kitchen staff to wear chef hats. The simple fact is it wouldn’t be too outrageous to assume some sort of hygienic head wear was adopted by the many refined cultures of the world, in some shape or form.

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