How to choose the right kitchen attire?

Are you starting out in the restaurant industry? Are you an experienced professional looking for additional advice? Do you just want clarification on kitchen attire in general? We offer you this blog article in which we will address the different components of a complete outfit, the technological advances in this sector, while offering you a selection of relevant products for practicing your profession.

Although customizable according to professional needs and personal preferences, the outfit is often defined in advance to convey the values of a brand, share the identity of an establishment while respecting a well-defined theme or color code.

Table of Contents:

• The Different Garments
• Headwear
• Jacket
• Apron
• Pants
• Shoes
• Proper Protection
• Hygiene-Compliant Attire
• Suitable Fabrics
• The Price of Uniforms

As its name suggests, this serves to cover the head, and thus preserve hygiene by preventing hair from ending up in dishes. It also adds a neat touch and will complete your outfit. You can opt for a toque that gives a very professional look, but it's also possible to equip yourself with kitchen caps.

The jacket's main role is to protect you, whether from burns or dirt. It plays a predominant role in terms of hygiene and comfort. For increased freedom of movement, some jackets are equipped with removable sleeves. Different materials are offered to best meet everyone's expectations. The combination of cotton and polyester is increasingly common. Indeed, polycotton combines the advantages of both materials and makes it possible to obtain lighter garments that are more comfortable and more breathable.

The Robur brand has developed 37.5 technology designed to regulate your body temperature. This technology, approved by athletes, provides better perspiration wicking to achieve absolute comfort regardless of the environment. During kitchen rushes, it will allow you to protect yourself from ambient heat, but will also help preserve your body heat when you need to go to a cold room, for example.

You can now find the Broto jacket previously presented in the video.

Besides the additional protection it represents, the apron will have the main function of completing your outfit to protect you as much as possible, but will also allow better accessibility to your utensils. Indeed, some aprons are equipped with central pocket(s) that will allow you quick access to your equipment. Note that several types of aprons exist. Short aprons, mainly intended for dining room service, long aprons that will be more suitable for kitchens and will only cover the lower part of your body. Finally, bib aprons with a tie around the neck and a large protective surface will allow you to work safely.

The Robur brand also offers aprons featuring 37.5 technology like the Songe available now.

It is important that the pants are well cut and without cuffs. They must be comfortable to facilitate mobility as much as possible. To do this, the Molinel brand has developed pants with an integrated honeycomb belt that will ensure optimal well-being and support. These next-generation pants are anti-odor and anti-perspiration thanks to their breathable polycotton material. To be even more efficient, don't hesitate to check out the Flex'R pants.

Safety shoes used must comply with the EN ISO 20345 standard for maximum protection. They must be equipped with a non-slip surface, but also with a protective shell to face impacts. The Bonix shoe from the Robur brand presents these criteria that will meet your needs.

Safety is the key to working with peace of mind. We recommend that you have a complete outfit that will protect you from all possible individual risks. Opt for a good quality jacket, even if the cost is significant, safety is priceless.

The purpose of kitchen clothing is also to avoid any food contamination. Some positions are messier than others, particularly dishwashing, waste area maintenance, etc. 

It is strongly recommended to acquire a breathable, antibacterial and comfortable outfit. The Benak jacket with short sleeves from the Robur brand, as seen in the previous video, is perfectly suited because it features 37.5 technology. Indeed, this makes it an anti-odor, breathable jacket that regulates temperature, all in polycotton and with fast-drying capacity.

A suitable fabric will allow you good performance at work. Most fabrics are specially designed for your comfort, your safety and your hygiene.

→ Cotton absorbs moisture, is very insulating and thick. However, this material makes the garment heavier and its drying time is longer.

→ Polycotton is a blend of polyester and cotton. The strengths of this fabric are robustness, flexibility and insulation. It is very durable, easy to maintain and soft thanks to the cotton. It's one of the most used materials today, because it's a complete fabric in different aspects and will provide you with maximum comfort. Polycotton is not a defined material, it can vary depending on the polyester/cotton ratio present in the garment.

→ Honeycomb is a fabric made of an open mesh, which guarantees breathability, resistance and lightness. It's a very comfortable material that requires very little maintenance.

→ Tencel, an ecological material, is more focused on moisture absorption and wicking. It is very pleasant to the touch, resistant and easy to maintain.

Some garments have a stretch material, composed of elastane. This adds more freedom to your movements and also additional extensibility.

The price varies depending on the material, materials and desired details. If you are starting out in this field, it would be wiser not to go directly for the high-end.

For experienced professionals, many premium quality garments are available, these outfits will have an additional cost in production with more advanced details and this will have an impact on the price.

For many pieces of equipment, customization is possible on request, embroidery with the restaurant's brand, the name or initials of the chef and many other solutions are available.