Chef jackets

The clear answer depends on the material: 65/35 polyester-cotton blends (38 of 61 models in the range) are approved for 95 °C industrial laundering and are chlorine-tolerant – the standard for any business with an external textile service or in-house laundry running the EN 15797 process. 100% Cottonⁱ models such as KY007 or KY009 are designed for 60 °C and therefore retain their soft feel; at 95 °C they shrink and yellow more quickly. Lyocellⁱ blends such as CGW03680/CGW03685 we recommend washing at 60 °C. If your business needs to work in a HACCP-compliant manner and maintains a central laundry cycle, strictly choose the 65/35 blend – it is the only answer for 95 °C plus chlorine bleaching plus 200+ wash cycles without loss of shape.

White and black stand for the two great kitchen codes: white signals cleanliness, order and traditional cuisine and is HACCP-friendly, because any soiling is immediately visible and the jacket can be changed before guest contact. Black is the modern fine-dining code - serious, contemporary and visually robust against small splashes. The white-black combination (18 of 61 models) is the standard compromise between classic and modern for hotel restaurants and upmarket hospitality. Coloured models in blue, red or green are the corporate-identity tool for restaurant chains and concept kitchens - Karlowsky Lars/Gustav and CG Workwear Turin Classic cover up to six base colours per model and can be matched precisely to your corporate identity.

Der Kimono-Kragen (auch Mandarin- oder Stehkragenⁱ genannt) ist die moderne Fine-Dining-Wahl: er liegt eng am Hals, wirkt aufgeräumt und ist bei HACCP-Audits konform, weil keine Halskette oder Kleiderdetails am Kragen sichtbar sind. Premier Workwear PW664/PW665/PW900/PW901 und Karlowsky KY103 New Identity sind die typischen Vertreter. Der klassische Reverskragenⁱ mit umgeschlagenem Aufschlag ist der traditionelle Handwerker-Look – er signalisiert Erfahrung, passt zu Bäckerei, Metzgerei und Traditionshäusern und ist die richtige Wahl, wenn Ihr Konzept auf gelernter Handwerkskunst basiert. Beide Kragenformen sind in unserem Sortiment breit vertreten – die Entscheidung sollte am Konzept und der Zielgruppe hängen, nicht am Preis.

Die klassische Doppelknopfreihe aus Stoff geknöpft ist der Fine-Dining-Standard: ruhig, hochwertig, hält beliebig viele Industriewäschen aus, weil keine Metall- oder Kunststoff-Teile mitfahren. Der Druckknopfverschluss (Karlowsky Lars/Gustav-Serie) ist die pragmatische Antwort für Kantinen, Kliniken und Betriebe mit häufigem Wechsel im laufenden Dienst – öffnen und schließen mit einem Handgriff. Der Poppers-Snap ist der Sicherheits-Verschluss für Front-Cooking und Show-Küche: eine Reihe versteckter Druckknöpfe, die bei kräftigem Zug in einem Schwung öffnen – die Jacke lässt sich bei Fett- oder Wasserspritzer sekundenschnell entfernen. Karlowsky Noah (KY102) ist unser typischer Vertreter mit verdeckter Knopfleisteⁱ in Poppers-Ausführung.

For a 100% identical appearance with gender-specific fit we offer several model pairs: Karlowsky KY070 (Women Larissa) and KY038 (Basic) in the white-and-black standard cut, KY071 (Women Greta) and KY036 (Men Lars), CG Workwear CGW3100 (Men Turin Classic) and CGW3105 (Women Turin tailored) in six colours. For sustainably positioned establishments the Green Generation family with KY051 (Men) plus KY134 (Women) long-sleeved and KY052 plus KY135 short-sleeved. All pairs share identical colours, closures and details – the women's models are merely cut tailored with adjusted chest width and hip rounding. For kitchen teams with a purely unisexⁱ approach (30 models), the gender-neutral standard cuts are sufficient.

Karlowsky (19 models) is the German hospitality classic with the broadest range depth – from the Basic series through Green-Generation to the jeans-style trend. The right choice for operations that want to kit out all positions from head chef to prep worker from one brand family. Premier Workwear (11 models) is the British-professional fine-dining specialist with Coolchecker® technology and Mandarin-collar classics. CG Workwear (11 models) is the budget-friendly alternative with a strong colour palette and the Turin Classic range. Le Chef (9 models) focuses on premium positioning for Michelin-starred restaurants and upscale hotels. Dennys London (4 models) is the traditional British classic with an artisan look. Exner (3 models) rounds out the range with German classic models such as the chef jacket with a sleeve pocket. For organic and craft concepts, Karlowsky Green-Generation and CGW GreeNature are worth a look.

Kids chef jackets are not regularly in the range – for chef jackets we focus on professional hospitality kit from adult sizes XS/S upwards. For cookery events, kids cookery courses, show kitchens with a junior programme or family hospitality, please contact us directly: we will advise on suitable alternatives from the childrenswear range (e.g. fitted XS models for teens from 14 years) or on special orders from the brand manufacturers. For regular team kit in a hospitality operation, the standard cuts from XS to 4XL are sufficient – the 30 men's, 12 women's and 19 unisexⁱ models reliably cover the relevant sizes.

As a rule of thumb for the initial fit-out: five chef jackets per full-time kitchen employee – two on the body (one in service, one as a change if soiled), two in the wash and one in reserve. For operations with an external laundry cycle and a two-day wash cycle, three to four jackets are enough. For front-cooking positions with high soiling risk, plan for six to seven jackets. Important for the calculation: choose the same brand, same model, same colour – so you can easily reorder and the team look stays uniform, even if you expand the team in two years. Karlowsky, CG Workwear and Premier Workwear supply the same models stably over years – good for team-uniform concepts that are meant to last.