Chef Jacket

I have seen and done both ways . Here is a reverse . The NYC Health Dept  1 ordanence says "you can't wear street clothes in the kitchen'' if it applies to the reverse? it does not say.

I worked a sterile area (delivery room) in a busy Labor and Delivery unit.

Back in the day we wore our street clothes in and changed to scrubs.

Now, as I understand it you can wear your scrubs from home and then put on a "sterile" covering as well as the tall shoe coverings (blue paper boots) and hair cover, mask...blablabla.

Ok by me.

Think of your chef coat as the "sterile" covering for your kitchen.

Keep it (and I suggest you have more than one) in your locker or whatever, put it on when you get ready to enter the kitchen proper and remove it before going for a smoke or whatever.

Is this what you were looking for, ed?

I don' wear mine outside due to my own principles.  I think its completely unacceptable to wear your jacket and/or apron outside of the restaurant.  I think people who do either want to be seen in their jackets or don't care enough about their craft and think its ok get their clothes dirty.  But I'm also a stickler for making sure no towels or aprons are worn in the bathroom or while your having a smoke.  I think it's all unprofessional.  My only compromise on this is if you go out back where no one can see you to suck down a cigarette or take a quick phone call....but, I guess thats hypocritical. Otherwise don't be that guy who strolls around in your whites.

For me, there are "kitchen whites" ( working clothes that stay in the kitchen) and FOH whites (dress up clothes worn to meet the public).
 

I'm basically  BOH cheffin, but visit FOH to make brief mingle-appearances during banquet service.

I have enough trouble keeping my jackets clean just thru prep, cooking and service without wearing

them to Starbucks for a latte'-run... HOWEVER, if I'm late for work I have been known to *cough* drive to work in it.

BAD Meezy! I usually wear black (stays cleaner) but have a white knotted as well--my choice.

AFTER work though, all bets are off--too tired to change, I wear it home, to get something to eat, whatever,

spray-n-wash and toss it in the wash. 

Glad I got that said, thank-you. :-p

This is a great thread/question.  I never thought about it before.  I like to wear a chef coat when I'm just doing cooking stuff at home.  It makes me feel good.  I think now for future reference, I will dress at work, for the professional GP standards of it.  I'm not going to undress for breaks or such though.  I'm still too much of a dinosaur.  Thanks Strummin365 for bringing this up. 

the restaurant i work at supplies us our jackets and black pants, but I'm super picky about my pants. I wore tuxedo pants out of sheer comfort, wearing a heavy chef jacket in a 100 + degree kitchen is silly enough, so I go for super fine, light tuxedo pants that I wear to work. So, I wear the pants to work but I change my street shirt into a jacket when I get there and throw it in the hamper when I leave. But, I don't necessarily agree with chefs wearing their uniforms outside of work, I see no reason to be wearing the jacket outside of the restaurant.

I never wear my whites out in public. The furthest I get from the BOH (or if doing a catering, the "line", as it were) in uniform is when I'm visiting a table (in which case I make sure my uniform is spotless) or making a quick run to the FOH for whatever reason. Otherwise I liken it to a Police Officer or Firefighter walking around in uniform off the clock. I think it's unprofessional, and a little bit show-offy for my tastes.

Even if I'm just making a quick run to the convenience store during a break, I will change into my street T, and back into my jacket upon my return.

I have done both depending upon conditions. Now I get dressed in my uniform and go. What if you wear checked pants as I do should you change them also. I spend enough time at work without the added enjoyment of having to get dressed again when I arrive, take a break and then again when I leave.I really do not see what a big deal this is except from an ego standpoint and the common sense of doing more laundry but then again I am older and starting to really streamline my movements and time.
 

Well this thread makes me feel bad haha

I wear my coat to work (just in the car) but sometimes if I have a few errands to run after work I keep it on.

Not to show off , but cause my undershirt is usually dirtier than my coat. (sweaty and stuff)

Never knew this was poor taste or bad practice

I'm young and dumb

It's not "poor taste" or "bad practice".  Those are just the opinions of some people.  We all get to have opinions.  You may be young, but you are not necessarily dumb.   Not for wearing a chef's coat outside of a kitchen anyway.   Our profession ain'te rocket surgery ... we work in kitchens.

I feel as though anyone managing this issue has a larger ego problem than someone who wears their clothes outside of a kitchen. I'm a chef therefor I must act all professional and do this and that and make it known to the world! You put it out there more than a person who keeps his coat on to run a few errands but keeps quiet.

The sanitary part I can kind of understand, however if you're that worried about sanitary issues in your kitchen, you may want everyone to remove ALL of their clothes, take a shower in some disinfectant solution in a sterile room, and change into a protection suit before entering the kitchen. Realistically, changing just a shirt/jacket isn't doing much to prevent germs. 

I'll generally ditch the coat when I'm done for the day, but if I have to stop at the store on the way home I'll still have my houndstooth pants on.  I'm not taking extra pants with me! 

I put mine on in the morning and wear it in to work, and continue wearing it on the drive home, except on very hot and exhausting days.

I frequently walk outside to the other kitchen, sit in offices for discussions, pop by the break area for a quick chat, go downstairs to our storage in the parking garage, etc.

If I shouldn't wear the coat anywhere but the kitchen I'd be constantly changing clothes.

And if you knew anything about me you wouldn't even suggest I do it out of egotism.

It's a uniform signifying what I do, not who I am.

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeteMcCracken 

For me, there are "kitchen whites" ( working clothes that stay in the kitchen) and FOH whites (dress up clothes worn to meet the public).
 

This is what i am accustomed to. I have nicer chef jackets with borders/patches/embroidery on them that I wear when doing table touches, representing the restaurant and wearing to and from work. Then I have some nice plain whites I use while actually working in the Kitchen. I haven't heard anything about federal or state law about wearing chef clothes outside of a kitchen but I also live in Missouri. But I do know this.. when I was working with Cooking Interns from places like England if they were caught wearing whites outside of work they would get fined I think that or it would be a health violation against the restaurant. Something to that extent, Yet I could be wrong this is a long while back now and I may have my facts messed up but it was something to do to that degree if you were caught.

my place of employment supplys uniforms ,so it's not an issue for me. As far as wearing a uniform to outside the work place to be showy, i never considered seeing someone in a chef jacket to be impressive, like people would be turning their heads like they saw a rock star walk by.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robo 

my place of employment supplys uniforms ,so it's not an issue for me. As far as wearing a uniform to outside the work place to be showy, i never considered seeing someone in a chef jacket to be impressive, like people would be turning their heads like they saw a rock star walk by.

In france and some other countries, chefs are at the top of the totem pole. At least from what I heard. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cookers 

 

In france and some other countries, chefs are at the top of the totem pole. At least from what I heard. 

This can be true, if the Chef is well known, but Chefs in the EU, like here in the USA, are also EVERYWHERE. The Big difference in the EU, they don't have as much food-centric programing/networks, so there is more respect towards the craft. Here, I see kids in their whites on the metro, and it's like they wear it as a sign of arrogance, and pompousness. 

I guess it all depends on who is doing the interpreting. 

With our company, employees are urged NOT to wear uniforms while commuting. They are urged to get to the unit 15min prior to shift to allow for changing into uniform. We have never had a problem, employees who rely on public transportation PREFER to travel in their own, comfortable cloths. For those that drive into work, wearing the uniform is no biggy, for me really. I just don't want to run into an employee on a payday Friday, that has ventured to the local pub, is getting a buzz on, and wearing our logo on their chest/jacket. I would like to reserve a little more couth, and carry themselves better than that, as while in uniform(especially with logo), you are still an ambassador to the company, off the clock or not.