# Why do chefs wear tall hats? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 15, 2002, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-chefs-wear-tall-hats/119021 "2002-07-15T07:39:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Stimpy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/779978/32.png) [@Stimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stimpy)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2002, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-chefs-wear-tall-hats/119021/1 "2002-07-15T07:39:57Z")
Why do some chefs wear tall white hats? The hat resembles a loaf, so is it a form of advertising? I understand the need for cleanliness, but tallness?? While I’m on the subject, why do English police officers wear tall hats? Has it anything to do with stature: that tallness go hand in hand with strength and authority? Chefs like to stamp their authority, in my experience. Does the hat help? ---
**Author:** ![Incubus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c68b51/32.png) [@Incubus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Incubus)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2002, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-chefs-wear-tall-hats/119021/2 "2002-07-15T07:50:06Z")
Well, just my guess here, but I would imagine it would help keep their hair away from your food. Hairnets are so blue-collar, so urban. A chef’s hat has an elegance to it that rises above some lowly food grunt 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Stimpy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/779978/32.png) [@Stimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stimpy)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2002, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-chefs-wear-tall-hats/119021/3 "2002-07-15T08:08:20Z")
like i say, i understand the need for cleanliness. but surely a tall white, fluffy hat is going to get in the way. you have those racks of pans… and fans… ---
**Author:** ![scm1001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@scm1001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scm1001)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2002, 9:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-chefs-wear-tall-hats/119021/4 "2002-07-15T09:26:13Z")
The english police are scaling down their tall helmets yet again - they used to be even bigger. Part of the reason they were so big was undoubtley intimididation, but also so they would be recognised from afar (and not confused with traffic wardens). Of course they are very awkward to wear when running etc, and don’t offer great protection [http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,3604,753769,00.html](http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,3604,753769,00.html) ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2002, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-chefs-wear-tall-hats/119021/5 "2002-07-15T11:32:33Z")
Professional kitchens are hot. A tall hat made of light material might help one to keep cool. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2002, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-chefs-wear-tall-hats/119021/6 "2002-07-15T13:08:52Z")
The hats are worn to keep hair out of the food. The size and shape of the hats help identify the user. The head chef had the tallest one so that he can picked out easily if someone needs him. ---
**Author:** ![Jane\_D\_oh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/839c29/32.png) [@Jane\_D\_oh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jane_D_oh)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2002, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-chefs-wear-tall-hats/119021/7 "2002-07-15T13:11:13Z")
It’s called a toque and there is some ifo here about it. [http://www.cheftalk.com/HTML/Education/past\_articles/jacket\_hats.html](http://www.cheftalk.com/HTML/Education/past_articles/jacket_hats.html) ---
**Author:** ![whitetho](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whitetho/32/1059_2.png) [@whitetho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whitetho)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2002, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-chefs-wear-tall-hats/119021/8 "2002-07-15T16:45:12Z")
Five responses. None with a link to Cecil’s column. For shame. Please report to the re-education camp. Immediately. Anyhow, according to [Why do chefs wear those tall white hats?](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_025.html) from page 25 of _Return of the Straight Dope_, “Lay scholars who took refuge in seventh-century Byzantine monasteries during persecutions adopted headgear based on that of their clerical hosts” and “The top of the cap got progressively poufier over the years as master chefs sought ways to indicate that they outranked the pot washers.”