Hello Madison,

I think it great that you are interested in cooking. It can be a lot of fun and very rewarding, though it is hard work with long hours. About your question concerning the uniforms I can give you a brief summary. A long time ago in France, during the Revolution, the rich nobility had private chefs, but when the rich were hunted the chefs had to flee. Many found safety in the church monestaries. The Priest dressed the chefs like religious men so the would be safe, but eventually the chefs switched their clothes to white to differenciate themselves from the Preists. The hat was used in the church to show position with the taller the hat the higher up in rank the wearer was. The chefs, calling the hat a toque used the same system.

The jackets traditionally were double breasted which allowed the wearer to switch it and cover a stain, but the real reason for the double breast was an added layer of insulation. The cuffs on the sleeves were very long and rolled up, but in a pinch they were handy pot holders. The buttons were cloth knots so if they ever fell into the food they would be seen, or if bitten atleast they were safe.

The checkered pants (usually refered to as checks) hide stains in the pattern, though many chefs are wearing all kinds of different and unique uniforms today. The important thing about the pants is that hot liquids will roll off and not soak through to your skin. The other important thing is to make sure they are long enough so if liquids do spill and run down the don't end up in your shoe.