Kitchen Clothing Trends for 2014

Kitchen clothing needs to be comfortable and easy to move in. After all, most chefs and cooks work long hours. However, just because you work in the kitchen doesn’t mean you don’t want to be stylish and look professional. The kitchen clothing trends below show that chef’s wear can be both functional and stylish:

1. Eco-friendly chef’s wear. One major trend for 2014 is the increasing number of chef’s pants, coats and aprons made of recycled cloth. Recycled cloth is made from discarded clothing and helps to reduce the average of 68 pounds of clothing each American discards into land fills each year.
2. Gingham. Several chef’s wear retailers are featuring red/white, navy/white and black/white gingham checked, semi-tailored shirts in lieu of the traditional chef’s jacket this year. Gingham offers a casual, yet still professional look for open kitchens or outdoor kitchens.
3. Cool Vent™ technology. Style, fashion and functionality come together with moisture management technology that wicks heat and moisture away from the skin. Keeping moisture off the skin allows cool air to flow and promotes evaporation. Cool Vent apparel with ventilation and moisture management technology is making its way into chef apparel, restaurant uniforms, aprons and hotel uniforms.
4. Black is still hot. Forget about kitchen whites. Black is not only slimming, but it hides a multitude of stains and scorches. Chefs around the United States have learned that by wearing black, they can go from the kitchen to the dining room easily, without having to change into clean clothes. Colors, such as sand, grey and even red are also making an appearance in the kitchen.
5. Chef’s wear for women. For too many years, female chefs and cooks had to adapt kitchen wear designed for men to their often smaller statures. No longer. Many kitchen wear manufacturers are marketing kitchen pants and jackets cut for a woman’s shape.
6. Chef’s cargo. We all know that it can get hot in the kitchen. Another trend in chef’s clothing is foregoing the traditional trousers in favor of comfortable fit cargo pants. Chef’s cargo pants are especially popular behind the line where temperatures can soar.
7. Vibrant aprons. No longer do restaurants have a choice of only black or white aprons. Today, aprons come in virtually every hue, from bright red to kelly green to lavender. It’s a way chefs can let their personalities shine while still keeping to traditional pants and coats.
8. Separate looks for separate stations. Chefs and kitchen staff don’t have to all dress alike. A popular kitchen wear trend is for different stations, such as the pastry chefs, line cooks and head chef, to all have a slightly different outfit. Some of this is due to different job requirements. For instance, the line cooks need to keep as cool as possible working next to the stoves and ovens, whereas the pastry chefs need lots of pockets and more fitted sleeves that won’t drag in the icing.

So, don’t think you have to sacrifice style just when it comes to chefs apparel and restaurant uniforms. Chefs and staff can look chic and professional while still being comfortable in the kitchen.