Sara here. Non member (yet) looking for some help. I am working on a fashion design project right now for uni, and am looking at redesigning the current chefs uniform. I am desperately looking for ideas (and wonderfully this classifies as research) or things people would like to see changed/added. Anything from detatchable oven timers, to changes in the shape of the jacket, or style of pants. Any help , ideas, or general wonderings would be very very greatly appreciated.
I hang a towel from my belt; maybe a built in O ring or something. I sometimes also hang a steel from a belt. Maybe some built-in toolbelt-style knifeblade-proof pockets?
Also, any chef’s uniform must include Birkenstock gardening clogs. I started wearing them when I worked as Perennials Manager at Chicago’s Fertile Delta, but have since found that they are indispensible when cooking; stading on your feet for a long time, and dropping messy shit. Nonskid, waterproof, and more support than any shoe out there.
Also, whatever you do, DON’T make the pants black&white baggies. If a dense pattern like that serves to camouflage food stains, then go one better: make the entire uniform of a paisley fabric, say brown and red and green. That will camouflage most food stains.
It may camouflage food stains, but it will look like one big food stain itself. Bugger though it is to keep clean, people want to see their chefs in clean white, or failing that, black and white. Brown, red and green just wouldn’t have the psychological impact of clean whites.
I think a heat proof leotard, with a big belt that will hold knives, salt/pepper grinders etc. It should say Chef on the front (or maybe just a big letter C )
Taking from lisseners suggestion a large towel would be useful, but it might get in the way, unless you hang it from the back of the outfit. Some comfortable heat and knife proof boots, and a simple scull cap to prevent hair getting inti the food would complete the costume.
A few years ago I saw a collection of Japanese inspired clothes made by a woman near Sydney. All the pieces were based on fishermen’s clothes and non-formal samurai clothing. All were black and white but some of the black inserts had intricate Japanese style silk screening. All the pieces were one-offs and although really simple they were very eye catching. So no practical advice from me just a nod toward something I would like to use.
I’d like to see a women’s chef jacket that was tailored for a female’s figure–brought in at the waist, a little more tapered in the arms. I’m tired of biq, boxy jackets–they make me look 3 sizes larger than I really am under there. Using a lightweight but heat-proof material that allows airflow in a thin strip down the sides would be a nice addition.
For pants, I’d like to see something that’s not so baggy–a little more tailored, but able to stretch and breathe in the kitchen. And no houndstooth checks–I’ve always hated that pattern, and I had to wear them for two years of my life. Ick. I’d much rather see plain old black instead.
I’ll also second lissener’s idea with the Birkenstock clogs. Those have saved my feet (and ankles, knees, and hips) countless times. Best shoes, ever, for having to be on your feet all day.
Tailored, not good, I think. A: many chefs are fat; making chef’s uniform to a high-fashion norm would make even the kitchen unsafe for all non-supermodel types. B: you need to reach, to move, and to sweat: baggy, baggy, and baggy.
But just because most chefs are fat (funny, I’ve been in this business for several years and most chefs I see are in the normal-to-slightly-chubby range, but then again, part of that could be because I’m in L.A.) doesn’t mean that some female chefs wouldn’t mind something that looked a little nicer than a big white box. And when I mean ‘tailored’ I’m not talking skin-tight, but just something with a bit more shape to it. If it’s designed well, the jacket and pants will be able to handle the movement that’s required on the line. Besides, clothing that’s too baggy is just as unsafe, when a loose jacket can catch on a pot handle, etc.
phoebo32, Can you give us some more information about this assignment? The reason that I ask is that as a one-time chef, I do have a few ideas about things that I would have liked to have had in my chef whites, but they are based on practical concerns. If this is more of a “fashion” thing where you have been asked to change the basic look of a sacred badge of an honorable trade that has evolved organically over the centuries I will be of less use to you (not that I find the very idea of a “fashion” chef wear sacrilegious or anything).
For example, I would like to see the chef coats a little longer (more tunic like than shirt like). This is because, to be honest, I have had more that an eyeful of butt crack from chefs bending over to get things than I care to recall. Another note on the tunic: the buttons should be the cloth knot kind. This is because (and I know from experience) if you spill a large amount of hot liquid on yourself, it is good to be able to rip the tunic off fast.
The pants should be those kind with the elastic waist and a drawstring and baggy rather than anything with a button and a zipper.
The Birkenstock clogs are mandatory.
I don’t really have any use for the towel or knife holster type idea. Towels are easy enough to tuck into aprons, and knives (as well as all of the tools I would use) pretty much reside on my workstation.
Where abouts in New Zealand are you? If you are in Wellington, check out the Arrow Uniforms showroom, and look for their “Super Chef” range (66 Pharazyn St Lower Hutt) of Chefs Jackets. I outfitted my Chefs for my last business in the Wellington Colours, and they were quite distinctive and functional…
(Yes, thats me :: hangs head in shame :: )
…the traditional chefs uniform is white, and the most important person in the kitchen is “supposed” to wear the tallest hat-although that tradition has changed in the last few years. Sous Chefs and above traditionally wear black pants, while the rest wear the blue and white checkers.
Practicality and functionality are your two primary concerns when designing your uniform-as stated by others, no loose straps, non-flamable materials, long sleeves, pop buttons. SAFETY FIRST. The uniform has to look smart on anybody-the Super Chef jacket looked great on almost everybody, but you can see looks a bit funny on my pot-belly. (Thank goodness I hardly ever had to wear it!)
I’m actually in the process of starting a new catering company, and co-incidentally the issue of Brand identity and uniform came up last night! We decided that we wanted to stay with the traditional Black and Whites, but wer’e looking for something a bit non-standard-ie adding a different colour trim, adding black to the uniform, etc. For my last catering company, we considered getting a shorter sleeved Chefs Jacket, with Polynesian fabric trim around the cuffs and the neck, similar to this:
I think she’s responding to your implication that those of us who are more horizontally challenged should wear clothing that is boxy and baggy. But just because you’re fat doesn’t mean you should wear a muumuu.* Properly fitting clothes are both more comfortable and safe. Perhaps you’re misunderstanding the use of the word “tailored.”
Look at the shoulders of most men’s and “unisex” clothing. The shoulders are way too wide for most women so that the shoulder seams fall halfway down the upper arms. The result is a garment that is unflattering and even somewhat uncomfortable. If the shoulders are cut properly, you can still tailor the torso of the garment so that it is loose and breathable. Javamaven mentioned that she’d like something that was brought in at the waist a little more. Again, that doesn’t mean that she’s asking for something that is severely fitted. It’s just that with most of those “unisex” garments, there is so much extra fabric in the back that you could smuggle a #10 can of tomatoes in there and nobody would be the wiser.
*I know you didn’t say that. I just like typing muumuu. Muumuu.
I said many; she quoted me saying “most.” As a fat person myself, I’m tired, tired, tired of having most clothing out there make ME stand out. The traditional profile of a chef’s uniform is a rare safe haven of not having to deal with that shit. PLEASE don’t take it away.
Yeah, for the most part I think that the chef’s garb has been pretty much tweaked over the centuries just about as far as it can go. Form pretty much follows function, and no further dorking around is required.
