Hello be2,
Thank you for your question.
San Francisco Cuisine has good information on the history of chef's uniforms:
http://www.sanfranciscocuisine.com/ceo.asp
"...The Chef's Hat (Toque) has changed many times over the years, but
most stories about its origins are variations of the following.
A prominent origin is that the Chef's Hat originated when a royal cook
in the employ of King Henry VIII started going bald. Henry found a
hair in his soup, had the cook beheaded, and ordered the next Chef to
start wearing a hat (the cook was only too happy to comply).
Some say the Toque can be traced to the seventh century A.D. when
Chefs were considered learned men ("Epicurean" derives from the name
of the Greek philosopher, Epicurus). Learned men were often persecuted
and often took refuge in the local church, donning clergy costumes,
including hats, as a disguise. Not wanting to incur the wrath of God,
they started wearing white hats instead of the black hats worn by
Greek Orthodox priests, and, voila, the Toque was born.
Another prominent story is that it comes from the ancient Assyrians.
Since one of the more common ways to "do-in" His Royal Highness was to
poison his food, Chefs were chosen carefully, and treated very well,
often holding rank in the King's court. Legend has it that the Chef's
high position entitled him to wear a "crown" of sorts, in the same
shape as the king's, though made out of cloth and without all of those
bothersome jewels. The crown-shaped ribs of the royal headdress became
the pleats of the Toque, originally sewn and later stiffened with
starch..."
As you can see, the origin or the hat is the stuff that legends are
made from. There are a variety of stories that claim the origin.
They continue regarding the uniform:
"...Today Chefs and Cooks around the world wear the same attire that
has traceable origins back to more than 400 years...
...Much of the Chef's uniform has evolved out of necessity. The
jacket, for example, is double-breasted so it can easily be reversed
to hide stains, and the double layer of cotton is designed to insulate
the Chef's bodies against the heat of the stove and splattering of hot
liquids. The knot-red cloth buttons are fashioned to withstand
frequent washings and abuse from contact with pots, pans and heavy
equipment. Though Executive Chefs often wear black pants, Chefs in the
United States usually don pants which are patterned with black and
white checks while in European countries the checks are generally blue
and white. The purpose is the same, a camouflage for spills, splashes
and soiling. Today, neckerchiefs are primarily worn for aesthetic
purposes, to give uniforms a more finished look, but originally cotton
cloths were draped around the Chef's neck to soak up body sweat while
working in the inferno-like kitchens of yesteryear.
Although to traditional Chef's uniform is the standard of the culinary
profession, since the mid-1980's a legion of Chefs began to wear
non-traditional "fun" chefs attire. These "nouveau uniforms" run the
gamut from pinstriped baggy pants and denim jackets to full blown
wildly patterned outfits with chili peppers, flowers and logos. While
some Chefs may nay-say these new style uniforms as non-professional,
others retaliate that they are more comfortable and give Chefs an
opportunity to express their individuality through their clothes as
well as their food..."
ChefTalk has an article of interest regarding uniforms:
http://www.cheftalk.com/content/display.cfm?articleid=45&type=article
Jackets and Toques The History and Evolution of the Way We Dress
By: Joseph George
While echoing (almost verbatim) the SF article, they add:
"...It wasn't until the middle 1800's that chef Marie-Antoine Carême
redesigned the uniforms. Carême thought the color white more
appropriate, that it denoted cleanliness in the kitchen; it was also
at this time that he and his staff began to wear double-breasted
jackets. Carême also thought that the hats should be different sizes,
to distinguish the cooks from the chefs. The chefs wore the tall hats
and the younger cooks wore shorter hats, more like a cap. Carême
himself supposedly wore a hat that was 18 inches tall! The folded
pleats of a toque, which later became an established characteristic of
the chef's hat, were first said to have been added to indicate the
more than 100 ways in which a chef can cook an egg...
...Along with the other conveniences the 1950's brought, paper toques
were invented to look like cloth but could be disposed of once they
were soiled..."
You might also like reading "The History of the Chef
From Domestic Help To Television Celebrity" at the following link:
http://members.localnet.com/~jgeorge/chefhist.htm
Finally, Rose Hill Lodge notes the following on Chef's Uniforms:
http://www.rosehill-lodge.com.au/uniform.htm
"...A COOK'S UNIFORM IS WORN FOR SAFETY REASONS TO:
Protect the body against burns from boiling hot liquids.
Protect the body from heat rays from ovens and grills.
FOR HYGIENIC REASONS TO:
Be easily laundered look clean and fresh and appear smart.
FOR HISTORICAL REASONS TO:
Show professional respect and portray a commercial image.
A CLASSICAL PROFESSIONAL COOKS UNIFORM CONSISTS OF:
A cook's white hat.
A white necktie.
An optional nametag.
A long sleeved double cuffed double breasted white jacket.
White or black buttons.
A dish cloth or "torchon".
A white knee length apron.
Check trousers or slacks.
Sturdy slip resistant shoes.
Now, to butlers!
The Butler's Guild has an article on butler's attire that should be of interest:
http://www.butlersguild.com/guests/dress_for_success/butler_attire.html
"...The way a Butler is dressed for his daily duties varies greatly.
It depends on the country you are working in, your employer, the
climate, and the functions you perform.
There are Butlers in the Caribbean who work in shorts and T-shirts and
there are Butlers wearing jeans in the U.S.A. Others wear a simple
business suit or a blazer. Still others wear the classic butler
uniform...
...A classic Butler?s attire is a morning suit for day work and a
tail-coat for evenings. Although you may not be required to wear it,
it is wise to have at least one set of a classic Butler?s attire. It
should consist of:
1 Morning suit
1 Tail-coat
5 White shirts with standard collars
2 White shirts with wing collars
1 White shirt with stiff front
5 Neckties in grey and black
1 Black bow-tie
1 White bow-tie
6 Pairs of white gloves
6 Pairs of black socks
2 Pairs of black shoes
For a normal routine day a Butler wears
a morning suit, which should be:
Short black jacket.
Black or grey waistcoat
Pinstripe trousers
White shirt with standard collar
Necktie
Black socks
Black shoes...
...Practical considerations play an important role in deciding what to
wear for a routine day. If it is part of your job to do the shopping,
care for the pool and wash the cars, one cannot expect you to do these
tasks wearing a tailcoat or a morning suit or change clothes four
times a day. In a case like this, you might decide to wear black
trousers, a black or grey sweater, a white shirt and a dark tie during
the day, and change into the morning suit for dinner service in the
evening. Set a pair of shoes apart for work you do outdoors..."
So you can see that modern day butler's wear fairly standard dress
clothing with nothing of major significance.
You might also enjoy their article on Looking Your Best:
http://www.butlersguild.com/guests/dress_for_success/look_your_best_males.html
Try as I could, I could find nothing more definitive on butler's
uniforms. It appears that classic dress suits, formal wear and of
course, white gloves are required and that butler's dress to the
desires of their employers.
Search Strategy:
"chef uniform" +meaning
"chef uniform" +history
Toque +history
"butler's uniform" +history
"butler's uniform" +history OR meaning OR origin
"butler's attire" +history
I trust my research has provided you with a useful answer to your
question. If a link above should fail to work or anything require
further explanation or research, please do post a Request for
Clarification prior to rating the answer and closing the question and
I will be pleased to assist further.
Regards,
-=clouseau=- |
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