Chefs' Uniforms - The Jacket

I never really thought about chef's uniforms, figuring they were more ceremonial than anything. What a surprise to find out that they serve the very practical purpose of kitchen safety.

More than simply completing the look of the chef, the parts of the typical chef's uniform play important roles in keeping workers safe as they operate in a potentially dangerous environment. The chef's jacket, for instance, is double-breasted, which creates a two-layer cloth barrier between the chest area and steam burns, splashes, and spills. The double-breasted design also means that the jacket can easily be rebuttoned on the opposite side to cover any spills. The sleeves of the jacket are long and should be worn long, not rolled up, to cover as much of the arm as possible in order to protect against burns and scalding splashes.

The Professional Chef, 7th Edition by The Culinary Institute of America