A uniform tends to align us with a certain role, designating us as part of a collective. But it can also inspire confidence and a sense of belonging, while at the same time taking some of the decision-making out of our day as we no longer need to choose what to wear. For a long time, “fashion” has struggled to break into the professional kitchen – but that’s all starting to change.
A chef ’s kitchen is an environment heavily steeped in tradition, almost symbolic of the career. The chef ’s uniform was originally sketched by the world’s first celebrity chef, Marie-Antoine Carême, in 1822.
Image: Hanfred Rauch, styling: Bianca Jones.
Titled “Le Maître d’Hôtel Français”, the sketch showed two chefs standing next to each other, each in a white hat and a double-breasted coat, with an apron tied around the waist. It wasn’t until 1878 that the uniform became “fashionable” and was adopted more widely.