Chef’s pants are not only an integral part of your restaurant’s overall branding image, but they’re about much more than just aesthetics: Every aspect of chef pant design centers on functionality. For this reason, it’s important that you put a lot of thought into finding your restaurant’s right fit–literally. What style of chef’s pant will work best in your restaurant? Here are some things to consider:
Comfort.
It’s not unusual for chefs to be on their feet in a bustling kitchen for ten hours or more at a time. Chef pants need to be comfortable, above all else. Factors that affect comfort include fabric, waistband, and cut. Look for breathable materials that will feel comfortable against the skin for long periods of time, waistbands that don’t pinch (drawstring are ideal), and cuts that are baggy enough to allow for plenty of movement and air circulation.
Style.
Because chef pants must be comfortable, style is often a secondary consideration. However, style is important, in that your chef’s pants will ultimately lend to your restaurant’s image. For this reason, you will need to choose pants that coordinate with your restaurant branding, and that fall in line with what your other employees are wearing. Fortunately, you have many style options to choose from, especially when it comes to chef works pants, and you can significantly alter (and upgrade) the look of your chefs pants by topping them with an appropriate coat.
Quality.
Think about what chef’s pants must go through: They are exposed to every kind of stain threat imaginable, and they must endure frequent, heavy washings and still look good after all is said and done! Fabric quality is an extremely important quality to consider when sizing up your options. The fabric used to make your chef pants should be durable, stain and wrinkle resistant, and attractive to the eye even after it has been literally run through the ringer. Before you commit to a chef pant style, verify with your supplier that the fabric quality is backed by some sort of guarantee.
Function.
As previously mentioned, chef pant design centers on functionality. What you may not be aware of it is the multitude of ways in which this is true. For one, the pants must be thick and heat-resistant enough to protect the chef’s skin from burns in the event of a boiling spillover. Secondly, the pants must be loose enough to enable the chef to bend, squat, and run as needed. Lastly, chef’s pants should have pockets that are large enough to hold things like towels, cooking utensils, and sometimes even ingredients.
As you can see, there is a lot to think about when it comes to choosing the right style of chef pants for your restaurant. Keep all of these points in mind when shopping your options.
Image credit: Wikimedia Commons