There's no mistaking a chef. The chef's uniform that includes a double-breasted white jacket and a tall white hat is what chefs all over the world wear every day. Most people take this uniform for granted, but there are good reasons for each piece of clothing.

The typical chef's jacket is made of heavy white cotton. This fabric is important because it acts as insulation against the intense heat from stoves and ovens. Also, the cloth is thick enough to prevent the chef from being hurt by hot liquids or spattering hot oil. The jacket has knotted cloth buttons that withstand frequent washing better than plastic or wooden buttons. Since there are two rows of buttons, the chef can re-button the double-breasted jacket to hide the stained part!

Chefs wear either black pants (common for executive chefs) or "hounds tooth" black and white checked pants. The checkered pants hide lots of stains.

Chefs wear white neckerchiefs, knotted in the front. These were originally designed to absorb perspiration, since in the days before air conditioning, kitchens were unbelievable hot! Nowadays, chefs wear the neckerchiefs to keep the tradition and finish the look of their uniforms.

The most interesting part of the uniform is the tall white hat, called a "toque." These hats were first worn during the sixteenth century, when chefs (like many artisans) often had to hide in monasteries to avoid being persecuted for being too "creative!" In those days, the toques were just like ones that monks wore, only they were gray to make them different from the monks' black hats.

During the middle 1800's Chef Marie-Antoine Carême redesigned the uniforms that chefs wore. Carême thought the color white would be best, since it showed cleanliness in the kitchen. Also, Chef Carême thought of the idea of having different size toques—chefs wore the tall hats and the younger cooks wore shorter hats, more like a cap. The taller the toque, the more prestigious the chef. Carême himself wore one that was 18 inches tall!

You may notice that today's toques have many pleats. Tradition tells us that pleats were added to show that there are more than 100 ways that a chef can cook an egg.

Along with the other conveniences the 1950's brought, paper toques were invented to look like cloth but they could be thrown away when they were soiled. And, some chefs like to wear unusual jackets and different style hats. For the most part, though, cooks and chefs around the world wear the same clothing today that became traditional more than 400 years.