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Chef Jacket

26K views 64 replies 32 participants last post by  leeniek 
#1 ·
Just out of curiosity, how many of you really, truly, don't wear your chef jacket into work as you walk through the door? I do... I like being prepared and just coming in, washing my hands, and getting down to business. Apparently it's unsanitary to wear the jacket outside for a brief moment? I don't really buy it... but if it's the industry standard and something that I'm just overlooking, then I will change my practice. Do you all take it off when you go out also? I generally just leave mine on as I walk out the door and go to the grocery store, just out of convenience. But it goes in the basket or the washer that night..

Thanks,

Chris
 
#2 ·
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.
 
#3 ·
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?
 
#4 · (Edited)
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.
 
#6 ·
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
 
#7 ·
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.
 
#8 ·
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.
 
#9 ·
  • I agree with cacioEpepe in the fact that I think people do this just to be seen in their chef coat... and I can't stand it!!! I get on my employees all the time about it, I fortunately have an office that I change in every day... however no excuse why you can't slip in the bathroom when you get to work and change (you shuold always be at work at least 10 minutes before your shift starts anyway). Definately wearing home after your shift is a complete "no no" especially if you're like some of my employees that can't keep a jacket white even for the first 10 minutes they are on the clock, because do you really want the public seeing you in a filthy jacket and have them know where you work and your filthiness is preparing their food?!?!?
  • I NEVER go in public in my whites (and mine stay pretty whtie), if I have to make a quick run to the store I take it off and just rock an undershirt until I get back to work.
 
#10 ·
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.
 
#11 ·
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.
 
 
#12 ·
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
 
#13 ·
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.
 
#14 ·
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. 
 
#15 ·
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! 
 
#16 · (Edited)
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.
 
#17 ·
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.
 
#18 ·
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.
 
#19 ·
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.
 
#20 ·
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.
 
#21 ·
See, the differences in opinion about what is professional or not confuses me. I went to a Le Cordon Bleu school and one of the biggest rules we had there was that during the cooking class hours, or any time that a uniform was worn in or outside of the class with the exception of changing clothes in your dorm room, you had to remain in full uniform. You could not even unbutton a button or untie the cravat, and the tope even had to be present. If you wanted to smoke, even. The apron, of course, had to be removed and placed on your assigned table not the prep tables but where we would take tests and write things down), along with the towels. But if we ever unbuttoned even one button, we were reprimanded for being unprofessional. If we decided to wear the coat to a gen ed class, we had to wear the coat, cravat, checked pants, shoes, and tope. ETC. If there was even a wrinkle in anything we wore, it reflected on our grades if it didn't get fixed. I guess it depends on where you are at as to what the health standards are or what they consider professional?
 
#22 · (Edited)
Interesting opinions in here.

I wear my blacks and my cap (with my restaurant name on it) to/from work without a change of clothes. I don't want to ruin my street clothes with sweat and the smell of food, and my hat hair is messy so I keep the cap on.

I even go to restaurants after a long shift to eat dinner wearing the same clothes.

Most of the time I try to keep my jacket clean with an apron (which I always take off before stepping outside or going to the bathroom.

Everyone in my kitchen sometimes runs out to FOH bar to get beer or liquor for a recipe, but no one dolls themself up for doing so.

Employees do enter through a side/back door though. And my workplace allows employees to drink at the bar after shift in our jacket and hat, even though the company bylaws don't allow it (we are a more laid back concept of the restaurant ownership group). 

Shit, some of the big bosses have even come in and drank while working or pulled our Exec chef out to the bar to have a shot of Fireball or two while discussing daily matters.

I just have the mindset that I don't care what people think about me. Even though I like wearing my jacket, I don't like the way I look in it--all black, everything is super baggy on me.

Keep in mind that when I work out in the gym, I wear a shirt with the sleeves and sides cut off down to the waist band and I have usually have a nipple showing--which to some people is extremely douchey. 

Cliffs on my opinion:

-Do what you want, don't care about what other people think. Lion doesn't concern themselves with the opinions of sheep.

-And ultimately depends on where you work. My restaurant is pretty laid back.
 
#23 ·
I am all about....clean.

I do not want kitchen staff in street clothes or chef coats from home.  Linen service is a perk as far as i am concerned.... Chefs do not have to launder their clothing and a new clean set is provided every day.

The issue with wearing whites into work, in my opinion is..... chefs must be on site before their shift starts long enough to change. For some that is considered a hardship :)
 
#24 ·
I am a accomplished & passionate Chef that has fortunately been able to open my own restaurants and I proudly wear my Chefs Uniform everywhere I go from the moment I leave home. I have worked extremely hard to get to where I am today and absolutely love what I do so I have no problem with walking around anywhere with my Uniform on. As a matter of fact I am constantly getting a ton of people coming up to me striking up conversation wanting to know where I work and as a result I have had so many new customers dropping by. So it turns out it happens to be great marketing who would have thought that. I encourage my crew to wear their uniform with pride wherever they go too! I hate dirty whites though so if it isn't clean then please take it off asap and change it! My advice to all of you regardless of your kitchen experience is to always do what feels good to you & ultimately makes you happy.
 
#25 ·
Its simple cross contamination.

I also dont want to ruin my personal washing machines. They clean uniforms thanksfully at my work. I M the only one getting my uniform laundered. Other people prefer to do laundry? I dont get it, never will and dont care why.

Change at work. Think of the cats dogs and god knows what else your co workers have in their apartments.

If I saw a cook in the " metro", or subway or bus ir whTever phblic transport, I would asume the poor sap doesnt have any clean streets to wear, not that they are pompous or anything. Been there.
 
#26 ·
Nope, not me. I change at work, and yes, I work alone and do all my laundry at home.

There's a couple of reasons WHY I don't wear chef's whites on the street...

-The first is, as many others have pointed out, cross contamination.  I can usually tell which customers have cats, which have dogs, and what colour their pets are.  Guess how I do that?  

-The second is that nasty bit of logic that dictates that if I was to wear whites before I got to work, then I'd have to wear the same whites back from work to home.  And I don't wanna do that
 
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