Stylish Chef Coats: What's In and What's Out
Chef apparel design has come a long way from generic white coats, stiff aprons, and the forever-iconic chef hat. Today, anything goes. More and more, we’re seeing chefs invest in unique chef coats and uniforms that help them perform better while allowing them to showcase a bit of their personal style. Don’t get us wrong — we’re still big fans of traditional, double-breasted chef coats and toques, but we love seeing chefs rock stylish chef coats and apparel that breaks the mold.
In recent years, chef apparel has gotten some pretty cool upgrades. Advanced tech fabrics, functional designs, trendy fits, and ethical craftsmanship — we like to think we played a pretty big hand in that.
With so many new and improved culinary designs out there, it can be overwhelming to keep up with what’s hot and what’s not. Fortunately for you, we have a pretty good idea.
Here are our predictions for what’s in and what’s making its way out:
What’s In?
Street-fashion inspired stylish chef coats
One of the most notable trends in today’s unique chef coats and apparel is the evident inspiration pulled from everyday street fashion. Not only in terms of silhouette and hardware, but in terms of fabric. The Midtown Chef Coat in Denim is a perfect example. Not only does it feature a denim material that matches with almost anything, but its quick-drying and four-way stretching properties give chefs more comfort and overall function. They say denim is forever and this new-school take on our OG Hipster Chef Coat rings true to the saying.
Breaking traditions
Some rule-breaking chefs are replacing chef coats with stylish work shirts instead. As personal style is more and more integrated into culinary apparel, some chefs find that they prefer regular shirts to culinary coats altogether. Unfortunately, everyday shirts and polos lack breathability, flexibility, and moisture-wicking capabilities. That means they weigh chefs down, make them uncomfortable, and get in the way of their performance. For these rebellious taste-makers, pieces like the Utility Work Shirt are the answer to their prayers.
Slim, sleek fits
The unique chef coats and chef designs of today are embracing modern minimalist, slim fits that give culinary designs a cooler, more sleek silhouette. For the girls, that means body-hugging stylish chef coats like the Stephany Chef Coat. For so long, culinary designers produced unisex apparel that they assumed could work for everyone. Often, these one-style-for-all designs resulted in boxy, shapeless silhouettes. Today, ladies and gentlemen of the culinary world have the option to wear culinary apparel that looks professional, has a sleek, slim fit, and functions flawlessly.
Culinary duds made with science
No matter what the industry, advanced-tech fabric is changing the uniform game for tradesmen and women of all crafts. Today’s aprons and chef coats are unique in the innovative materials that they’re constructed with. Chef uniform designers have finally taken note of how poor and impractical most culinary apparel fabric actually is. Stylish chef coats alone aren't enough— they need to stand up to the heat and chaos of a busy kitchen. That means getting creative with tech-backed fabrics that keep chefs looking good while still keeping them cool, dry, and protected. Our popular, water-repelling Bib Apron does just that.
What’s Out?
Stiff, heavy, impractical material
If advanced-tech fabric is what’s hot then it should be no surprise that chefs are kissing heavy, impractical, poor-performing fabrics goodbye. With science and innovation at the forefront of culinary design, it’s easy to see why the sudden shift. We predict that these innovative, functional, and stylish chef coats made with mindful, high-performing materials aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.
Generic uniforms
With personal style being so heavily intertwined in today’s culinary culture, generic one-style-for-all uniforms are on their way out. From unique chef coats that let culinary workers showcase their punk-rock flare to more classic silhouettes with a modern, minimalist twist — even the uniforms inspired by more traditional culinary apparel are getting practical, contemporary upgrades that make generic uniforms pretty obsolete.
Form over function
Every chef is different and today, they’re embracing their quirks more than ever. They want cool uniforms and stylish chef coats that showcase who they are but not at that cost of sacrificing function. All too often, many culinary apparel designers will forego features like pockets, adjustable straps, moisture-repelling fabrics, or sturdy hardware for the sake of making something that looks cool or fits a certain aesthetic. That strategy may have worked once, but today’s culinary professionals aren’t keen on sacrificing functional uniforms to wear something trendy. They want the best of both worlds… and we think they more than deserve it.
