I usually just try to look professional. Not dressed like a bum, but not exactly like Im going on a job interview either. Just nice, I guess. Ill bring an apron if I think I may need it. I usually wear my hair up to keep it out of the cake. lol. I think it looks better too when your dealing with food. When I go to meet customers for a consultation, I will dress as if Im going on a job interview. lol. Probably not necessary but I do it anyway. 
I keep saying I'm going to ready a set or two for deliveries...casual pants(khakis or the like) and either a golf/polo type shirt or an oxford styled shirt with logo on it and possibly an apron depending on if there's any assembly work required after delivery...I haven't gotten 'round to it yet though
I still am usually running down to the wire and am covered in icing and colors...but my clothes are technically clean and I've had a shower within the last week and most of my hair is still in it's scrunchie
Chef's coat, religiously, ever since I read one CC'er's observation about how different you are treated. In a chef jacket, I'm a food professional and I get lots of help, doors held open, offers of carts, free to park anywhere I like, etc. In street clothes, I'm "the cake lady" and I"m on my own. Even with a business van that's lettered, parking is viewed differently when I'm in a chef coat.
It's an AMAZING difference.
I'm with indydebi on this one.........I just recently bought a chefs coat (a black one)
see here http://www.chefwear.com/store/item.asp?ITEM_ID=214&DEPARTMENT_ID=8&
and she is so right!! You get treated so much differently.....people see me walking in with a box and instead of going...can I help you?? Acting like, are you supposed to be here?? They say "oh, you must be here with the cake......right this way" I love it! I feel so much more professional and look a lot nicer! I do still wear jeans (nice ones though) and a pair of black shoes and my hair is up in a french twist sort of pony tail thing ( I have very long hair and it's curly...so I kinda gather it into a pony tail and twist it like a french twist, add a clip and let the excess with curls fall down over it like a pony tail , but it looks cute and yet kept back)
HTH
vistaprint.com keeps offering me free t-shirts. I keep thinking about that too, but I think it costs extra to put a personal logo..
I order from Vistaprints.com as well and its free when they say its free, but the only down fall is is that you have to pay shipping and as well the way it looks on the screen for free is the only way to get it unless you start picking options that they give you and of course, they all cost more! lol
Happy Chef has really good prices, also will do embroidery,etc for you. I agree with Debi that your definetly treated much differently in a chef's coat than not. I usually dress casually but always were a chefs coat and my hair is always up. I also have gloves I wear as well. Before the chef jacket I was treated almost like I didnt belong there. Now they see me walking in and help me, know that Im a professional. I dont think you have to go as far as dressing up in a dress or anything like what I would wear to a job interview, but atleast look clean and professional. Especially you dont want people to think your unclean. In any food profession you wouldnt want your waiter to come to you wearing yesterdays soup. So I think rule of thumb here is treat your customers and deliveries they way you would want them done if it was your wedding.
Awesome! Where do you guys buy that?
I wear a chef's coat I got from www.happychefuniforms.com
I got the white one with pink collar and pocket. I LOVE it!
I also got pink pants (scrubs) to match.
I also have magnets on my car I bought from Vistaprint for like $20.
I think people treat me like I am a professional versus just a gal who bakes out of her home. They always accomodate me and let me in early and steer me right to the closest entrance. NICE!
I think a chef's coat is the proper attire when dealing with food. I'm not professioanlly trained either. I don't mean it disrespectful if others who are formally trained think it's inappropriate. I'm wear scrubs for my 9-5 job and was formally trained for that and I would not take offense to someone who has not been trained in the medical field to wear scrubs for practical purposes. IMO. An apron would be great too! I want to get one with my logo on it, but it's so expensive to do custom embroidery.
definately a well fitted Chef coat or (Nice clothes). I always wear slacks and nice shoes too... People aren't just paying for your cake. They're buying the whole package, Cake , You, and even your delivery vehicle... let's face it you gotta park that thing in front of the event hall and be seen carrying the cake in... DO IT WITH CLASS!!
Thanks
Mike
I think you guys have convinced me 
I went ahead and ordered my chef coat from Happy Chef
I can't wait to get it!
! I want to get one with my logo on it, but it's so expensive to do custom embroidery.
Contact your local high school's home ec department (or whatever they call that class these days) and ask the teacher how much they would charge to do the embroidery for you. I spoke at my local high school (4 classes, so I was there all day), and during one class, the teacher took one of her jackets, embroidered my company name on it, and gave it to me as a gift. That's how I got my first one. So now, when I buy new ones, I contact her and pay her to embroider them for me. It takes her all of 5 minutes with the computerized programmed sewing machines they have now.
! I want to get one with my logo on it, but it's so expensive to do custom embroidery.
Contact your local high school's home ec department (or whatever they call that class these days) and ask the teacher how much they would charge to do the embroidery for you. I spoke at my local high school (4 classes, so I was there all day), and during one class, the teacher took one of her jackets, embroidered my company name on it, and gave it to me as a gift. That's how I got my first one. So now, when I buy new ones, I contact her and pay her to embroider them for me. It takes her all of 5 minutes with the computerized programmed sewing machines they have now.
That's a great idea, I think I'll do that as well
I paid about $12 for a local shop to write my biz name on a polo shirt, but I didnt really shop around for a better price.
Chef's coat... I've always felt that it is like an uniform, if you didn't go to school to earn one, you shouldn't were one, but I think I'm over reacting, always wanted to hear other peoples opinion on this. Could you guys say something about it.
I like them, I just don't know if I should be wearing one.
So for right now, I bought a white apron from Michael's got Inkjet printer transfer paper for T-shirts, printed my logo in the computer, and transer it to my apronI only use for the set-up time. I did it this weekend. And I love my apron!
Chef's coat... I've always felt that it is like an uniform, if you didn't go to school to earn one, you shouldn't were one, but I think I'm over reacting, always wanted to hear other peoples opinion on this. Could you guys say something about it.
I like them, I just don't know if I should be wearing one.
I felt the same way ..... I did not want to insult those who had paid the time and expense to get a culinary degree. But many CC'ers educated me that a chef jacket is a kitchen uniform .... even the dishwashers wear one. So they reassured me it was ok.
I've graduated from culinary school and take no offense to anyone wearing a chef jacket who's in the kitchen, and that includes the dishwasher and those who take out trash. In fact I prefer it. It is meant to protect the body while working. There are many dangers while working in a kitchen and the chef jacket can help save you from a few of them.
Now as far as deliveries go, I have no issue with that either. It gives a more professional look. When I wear my chef jacket it seems to command attention as compared to anything else. I also don't get questioned on who I am and receive better service and help from others at the venue. I recommend for those in the food industry to get a few and to even wear them while cooking, not just for deliveries.
I like to order from Culinary Classics. I also recently bought a few Dickies brand chef jackets and they are of good quality also. Try to buy a good quality one if at all possible. They can be pricey but you can tell the difference in quality and how they wash and wear.
(Can you tell I'm one of those who pushed Indy into my way of thinking 
)
If Jacque Torres wears a chef jacket on his first day in the kitchen, you can too 
... He's pretty open about the chef telling him without one hour of kitchen experience to be back within an hour wearing the proper chef attire he'd have the job, the answer is, it's a uniform, it's not about level of training unless you purchase an MOF jacket, but you're not likely to get one of those your first time around (they're also incredibly expensive)...
I'm with Indy all the way... When I went in there with a chef jacket (btw, have one that you only wear for deliveries that stays tidy clean and crisp), people while I was doing the WORK part of setting up would leave me the heck ALONE!!! I never had to deal with kids coming up to me asking "is it real" or poking it because they knew their parents would "kill" them or maybe it was the fear of the fact that I'm rather muscle bulked LOL... When you're in the jacket people assume you're there for a BUSINESS call, not a SOCIAL hour and want to jabber your ear off about bridezilla... I also NEVER got asked to produce my licensure/insurance info at sites notorious for asking when I had my jacket and hat on, they treated me like "I know you mean business"... OTOH, I know people who had cakes refused from the same site because they couldn't pull out paperwork (they'd go in dressed nicely, but who was the site to know if it was Aunt Bethany or Baker Bethany)...
With Indy all the way too. This was discussed on here a couple of weeks ago. Definitely the chefs jacket. I told a story about the decorator for the venue who via e-mail and telephone acted like I was just the "cake lady" The morning of the set up, I arrived in my pink chefs jacket and a new pair of deep pink scrubs.... she was so nice, had lovely chat and have since worked several of the same weddings. I know I got her respect by just what I had on. I order from crookedbrook dot com and talk to Veronica. They are great! I'm petite and they tailor my coat so it fits like a glove. I don't look like I'm wearing a flour sack from the kitchen. Definitely helps position yourself as a professional.
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