chef hat

• Toque Chef Hat

  Toque Chef Hat is a historic hat used to prevent hair from falling into the food while cooking; It is also the symbol of seniority. The longer the crown, the higher the seniority. In most traditional French restaurants, it is still the most sought-after hat.

• Tall Chef Hat

  Tall Chef Hat can sit on the head so well as a straight hat. It has pleats as well, and the length still symbolizes knowledge and seniority.

• Chef Skull Cap

  It is a tight-fitting shallow crown rounded hat with or without the adjustable ribbon tie at the back, giving it a casual and laid-back appearance. These hats are more popular in Oriental culinary establishments of Korea, Japan, and China. At times, it is worn by waiters and chefs alike.

• Chef Beanie

  Chef Beanies and Skull Caps are often considered the same. A skull cap fits much more tightly than a beanie, while the beanie has a snug but slightly loose fit.

• Chef Baseball Caps

  A baseball cap is a very new addition to the chef’s uniform. It makes the chef look much more fashionable. More popular in fast-food establishments, baseball caps give a sporty look.

• Mesh Top Chef Skull Cap

  Just like the skull cap, meshed top skull cap is also a deviation from the traditional Toque. It represents the great pride a chef takes in his profession.

• Restaurant Bouffant Cap

  It is a mix of a Toque and a Slouchy beanie. You can think of these as a moderate school of thought chef hat. It is fashionable and has enough room for tying your hair in a bun and covering it.

• Bouffant Skull Cap

  It is a mix between a normal skull cap and a restaurant bouffant cap. The bouffant skull cap is brimless and made of mesh material, making it breathable for hot weather. Similar to the restaurant version, it can easily cover a hair bun.

• Chefs Turban

  It is more popular in South-East Asian countries such as India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Because of religious mandates, chefs have long hair tied in a bun. These are either covered in traditional turbans or the specific cloth chef turbans, quick and easy to tie behind the back. It is light-weight and breathable as compared to traditional multi-layered Turban.

• Bakers Skull Cap

  It is a typically raised skull cap that sits neatly on the top of the head. It is round with a flat crown and fits well but not very tightly on the head. It doesn’t give full coverage. It can have a mess top to make it more breathable because baking ovens can generate a lot of heat.

• Chef Bandana

  It is more of a broad hairband that keeps the hair in its place and prevents them from falling into the food. It is perfect for chefs with long hair and therefore mostly preferred by women. It makes the wearer look very relaxed and sophisticated.

• Flat Cap

  It looks like any other flat cap or a golfer’s cap. These are very comfortable and breathable for hot kitchen environments. It has a pointed front and a raised but flat back, which gives it a forward slanted look of a slide.

• Duckbill Cap

  It is a brimless close cousin of a flat cap but reversed. The front is broader than the back, and at times it has a baggy fit. It is very popular in oriental establishments. The two most common patterns are plain and striped ones.

• Chef Beret

  Think of a Toque without a neck, and you have got yourself a Chef Beret. It is very popular in French restaurants and mostly in French Pastry Shops.

• Chef Captain’s Hat

  This is very similar to a cabbie cap and is perfect for the head chef at a cruise ship.

• Hair Nets

  The most popular headwear in fast-food establishments these days are hairnets. Their only purpose is to prevent hair from falling into the food. They are not fashionable but are very inexpensive and therefore preferred by multi-outlet food chains that need to be cost-conscious.

Reference: Types of Chef Hats – 16 Different Styles of Chef & Bakers Hats

A hundred folds in a chef’s toque represent a hundred ways to cook an egg.

In the early days of French cuisine, the number of pleats was intended to represent the number of recipes a chef had mastered for a given food, like egg or chicken. Having a hat with 100 pleats meant you were a master chef.

This idea also applied to the height of the hat. The taller the toque, the more a chef knew. If you saw a chef with a towering cap, you could be sure they were likely the head of the kitchen.