At my shop, we just do logo t-shirts, but we are getting really grungy, and need to place an order for more.
However, I think it is time to "up our game". We're considering colored chef's coats, but then we'd have to get pants too. Also, they look so heavy and cumbersome. But I think the perceived value by our clients would go up, and we certainly need to raise prices.

I'll note here, and no offense to those who do polo shirts, I despise polo shirts. Not sure why, but I have a serious aversion to them. (My family is trying to get me to go for polo shirts, and I just can't do it!)

Not sure what to do, so I thought I'd pick some brains!! Also, if you have an online uniform place you swear by, I'd love a referral.

Thank ya!

I say t-shirts for actual work & chef coats for when you interact with the public, be it a delivery or consultation.

I'm with your family - Polo shirts look quite smart and seem to wear better than regular t-shirts.

Chef coats don't look comfy or practical to me. Very professional-looking though.

I agree with the polo shirts too. thats what I'm gonna have made with my logo along with a chef coat.

I hate the polo shirts, too, but I know why. When I worked in corporate america, this was the uniform for trade shows, etal. To me, it was "here's a man shirt and oh yeah by the way, the women can wear them too." Now back in those days, I was a full make-up, hose-n-heels, business suit type of lady. I HATED having to dress like "one of the GUYS" just because they didn't want to put any thought or effort into finding a look that would work for BOTH sexes.

To me, a polo shirt is a man's shirt that "they" casually tossed over to "us girls" and said, "here throw this on ... it's not like you really matter."

Nah ... no issues HERE!

When we're on a catering job, my staff wears black pants, white or black shirt, and I supply the red apron. I wear black pants and my white or black chef jacket (lets everyone know who's in charge). When I deliver a cake, I always wear a chef jacket.

Light pink polo with black logo. Very comfy. I'm thinking about getting a chef's jacket for deliveries. I would sweat my butsky off if I wore it while working though!

My white chef jacket is 3/4 sleeves and is heavy material; very hot. My black one I got at GFS (on sale for ten bucks!). It's short sleeved and very lightweight. Not hot at all.

Check out www.allheartchefs.com I get a lot of things from them and they have really good prices. Also I have never had any problems with returns. I bought two chef jackets from them along with vests for my staff. Hope this helps.

Gordon Food Service. A food distribution company. I'm fortunate because I'm just 15 minutes away from one of their retail stores so it's easy to pop in and pick up what I need, in between truck deliveries.

I'm self-taught, no formal training, so would feel funny wearing a chef's coat. What would be the next best thing?

Don't. Do you know how many people in the food industry are self taught and wear a chef's jacket? It is just a uniform in their eyes.

Yup, the jacket is uniform, it's the toque (the "funny looking hat") that's the mark of a "chef".

I'd say make sure you're wearing aprons (many linen services will also rent you white aprons along with your kitchen towels) over your shirts, be they polo or tee, to ensure that the shirts stay nice looking longer!

Yip, I once had someone tell me that it was insulting to "real" chefs for non-chefs to wear the coats. I asked what defined a "real" chef, and made sure to note that education wasn't a factor, because there are plenty of "real" chefs that never went to culinary school. I never got a clear answer, lol

I have found tons of chef's jackets at the Goodwill and Salvation Army, all for about 5$.
I've only bought 1 (pink!) but it's too heavy for me.
I don't even wear coats in the winter when it's freezing, I don't like the feeling of being constricted in my clothing.
I'm having my mom sew me up a few of these
http://www.carolynskitchenonline.com/Apron1.html
..minus the garter of course
I love these and they fit my sense of style perfectly!

I say t-shirts my sister just started this business, and she will be providing me with my logo design. Then I just choose the best one and the t-shirt color.

Okay, well the problem with wearing t-shirts in the back kitchen, and chef coats for the public is, my staff and I are back and forth, from working in the kitchen, to helping folks in the lobby all day long!
(And we do absolutely wear aprons over the t-shirts.)
Is there such a thing as a lightweight chef coat?

This may be a dumb question; you don't wear an apron over a chef's coat, do you?? (We're so used to our aprons, we're going to be a real mess if we go to chefs coats, he he he!)

Right now I also do black and white clothing, like indydebi's staff, for trade shows. I also felt a bit weird considering a chefs coat, as I've not been to culinary school. (Been working in cakes for 19yrs, no "formal" training). It's insane to have these confidence issues.

So, those of you who wear chefs coats, what are you doing for pants?
I really appreciate all the input to this discussion!!!

When I deliver cakes I ALWAYS wear my black chef's coat (it's a medium weight, with the net panels (you can't see the panels) under the arms and I think in the back too to allow breathability) it has 3/4 length french cuffed sleeves. I love the thing...I think it's very comfortable. Generally I just wear a pair of pressed dark jeans with it and a black apron that just goes around my waist. So only my knees down show from the front anyhow...and then butt down shows from the back. People always treat you with more respect when you have on the chef's coat!

Oh indy........I had no idea you could do that with the chef's coat...I always wondered why the double buttons...I figured it was in case you got too fat tasting all of your creations then you could use the buttons close to the edge of the coat lol

I have black t-shirts (not big and baggy t's, they fit nice) with my logo. I wear nice dark or black jeans.

I think colored aprons with your logo and either a nice tee or polo would look nice, for front and back in the kitchen. I like the half aprons too, but those might only work for the front; not enough material for powdered sugar explosions!

The gals at a custom stationary store near me wear purple polos and black aprons with their logo, so aprons aren't just for kitchens anymore.

I thought when I finished school I'd burn the chef coat Then I started working without it and got chocolate and whatever all over my clothes and got burned several times on the arms where the coat would have been had I been wearing it. It made me realize how functional the coat really is, so now I wear my old school coats in the kitchen and I got a lightweight (inexpensive) one with my business name embroidered for deliveries. Turns out that lightweight also means it usually has to be ironed--every wrinkle shows!!!! I hate ironing I'm going to go back to the ones we wore at school when I order again.

In the kitchen, I wear the coat with jeans. For deliveries, unless I'm coming straight from the kitchen, I wear nice black pants. Hate the houndstooth pants. Those I really do want to burn, along with the neckerchief and stupid baker's cap

And yes, you can wear an apron with your chef coat. Where else do you put the ever=present towel but tucked into the apron strings? Not fond of the half aprons we used a t school. The chefs had full aprons and stayed relatively clean. We students had the half things and were always a mess.

Really, really love the idea of being able to button the coat the other way when I get scuzzy, but I'm usually messy on the sleeves or somewhere where reversing the buttons doesn't work. Gotta work on that--just get messy in the proper places

look into a cobbler apron. I LOVE MINE! I hate normal aprons but this goes over your head and covers the front and back and ties on the sides. Get your logo on the front and it makes a great uniform but also protects the employees clothes!