Buying a chef jacket—everything you need to know

Shopping for a chef jacket means making decisions around:

• price
• brand
• material
• colour
• size and fit
• style and customisation

On this page, we provide a general overview of everything you need to think about before you buy a chef jacket, and the options you’ll have to choose from.

Click a link below to jump to that section:

• How chef jackets are priced
• Materials used to make chef jackets
• Chef jacket colours
• Chef jacket brands
• Size, fit, style and personalisation

How chef jackets are priced

As with any piece of clothing, the cost of a good chef jacket varies widely between brands and depends on factors such as quality of material, sleeve length, customisation and so on.

Most manufacturers make jackets that span the full price range, from budget options starting at £10 to high-end, premium garments costing anywhere up to £125.

Below, we present a variety of quality chef jackets grouped by price, to suit whatever budget you have at your disposal.

Price guide

Chef jackets—under £25

To see our full range of chef jackets under £25, click here

Chef jackets—£25 to £50

To see our full range of chef jackets priced at £25–£50, click here

Chef jackets—£50 to £75

To see our full range of chef jackets priced at £50–£75, click here

Chef jackets—£100 to £125

To see our range of chef jackets priced at £100–£125, click here

Materials used to make chef jackets

Read our guide

Chef jacket materials—your options and how to choose

Kitchens are heated and busy hives of activity, and—as any chef will tell you—having a jacket that’s comfortable, breathable and able to protect against burning stoves and splashing liquids is essential.

For this reason, most chef’s jackets are made of:

• cotton
• polycotton (a blend of polyester and cotton)

Not only are these quality materials comfortable, but they offer much-needed ventilation in the stifling hot kitchen and great versatility when it comes to making both lightweight and heavyweight chef jackets.

The higher-quality chef jackets tend to be made only of cotton, using a high-end fibre or weave (such as Egyptian or Pima cotton). With polycotton, the general rule is that the higher the ratio of cotton to polyester, the better the quality of jacket.

Read more

• Why the material of a chef’s jacket is important
• The difference between lightweight and heavyweight chef jackets
• How chef jackets provide ventilation

Chef jacket colours

Read our guide

Chef jacket colours—what to choose and why

While the long-standing tradition has been for chefs to wear white—for reasons both of prestige and of hygiene—today, many professional cooks forego the white jacket in favour of different coloured clothing.

Chances are you've seen chefs wearing black. Black jackets have become particularly popular over time, both for their stylish look and their practicality in hiding food stains. However, it’s now possible to find chef jackets in a wide spectrum of colours, from red, pink and orange to yellow, blue and green. Nothing is off limits!

Many restaurants and hotels choose to kit out their staff in clothing that ties in closely with their brand and provides the desired impression in terms of look, aesthetic and atmosphere.

Read more

• What different coloured chef jackets mean
• Combinations and colour schemes for chef’s uniforms

Chef jacket brands

Read our guide

The best chef’s jackets—best brands, top 10 and how to choose the right one

At Russums, we sell chef jackets made by these high-quality, popular brands:

Chef jackets by Le Chef

Le Chef was founded in 1993 by Mark Gregory, former British Chef of the Year and member of the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts. Teaming up with Dennys, Europe’s oldest chefswear manufacturer, Gregory used his three decades of experience as a professional chef to design jackets that combine lightweight, technologically advanced fabrics with cutting-edge insight direct from the kitchen.

Best sellers

View the full Le Chef range from Russums

Chef jackets by Bragard

The established leader in professional clothing for the kitchen, catering and hotel trades, Bragard manufactures chef’s garments that combine tradition, modernity, innovation and creativity. Founded by Henri Bragard in 1933, the company is now synonymous with the prestigious Michelin star award, and its Grand Chef jacket is one of the best-known garments in the industry.

Best sellers

View the full Bragard range from Russums

Chef jackets by De Berkel

Dutch garment makers De Berkel began life in 1948 when the Ten Bruggencate family founded the company as a manufacturer of clothing for healthcare workers. In later years, the firm expanded its range to include chef jackets and other garments for the hospitality and food services sectors.

Best sellers

View the full De Berkel range from Russums

Chef jackets by Russums

A leading maker of clothing and kitchen equipment for the hospitality industry, Russums supplies chefs and food service workers throughout the UK and Europe. A sixth-generation family business independently owned and run by the Russum family, the company offers an extensive selection of branded chef’s clothing from the world’s best manufacturers.

Best sellers

View the full Russums range

Size, fit, style and personalisation

Size and fit

Comfort is paramount to any chef's outfit. Selecting a chef jacket that offers a nice, snug fit while providing room for ventilation and easy movement is the ultimate aim for any buyer.

At Russums, we sell garments from many different brands and manufacturers, and sizes vary widely in cut and style from brand to brand. Some chef jackets have a modern fit meant to hug the body, while others are made with a more generous fit that helps the wearer to move more freely.

Additionally, many clothing manufacturers now design chef jackets meant solely for women. Women and men can differ significantly in terms of body shape, and so women’s chef jackets are cut to provide a closer, more precise fit.

Read our guide

Women’s chef jackets

The table below shows general UK and European sizes for men’s and women’s chef jackets.

Chef jackets size chart

Style

While chef jackets are manufactured with appearance and aesthetics in mind, most elements of the overall design are concerned with the practicality of the garment and how it will be worn and used.

These elements include aspects such as:

• sleeve length—long or short sleeves
• type of collar—high collar, Mandarin collar etc.
• single-breasted or double-breasted
• type of fastening—press studs, knotted cloth buttons etc.
• type of ventilation—mesh panels, underarm vents etc.

Read more about design in our guide

The best chef’s jackets—best brands, top 10 and how to choose the right one

Personalisation

Many chefs wear customised chef jackets not only to convey their individual style but also to build their personal branding and portray a strong, professional image.

Often, the best way to do this is with embroidered detail, although there are other ways to customise a chef jacket, most of which involve some method of printing.

Read our guide

Personalised chef’s jackets—how to do it with embroidery

Related content

White chef’s jackets—how to find the ideal jacket for you

Black chef’s jackets—long-sleeved, short-sleeved, premium fabric & more

Chef jacket materials—your options and how to choose

Chef jacket colours—what to choose and why