A chef hat, often known as a toque, is a tall, pleated hat worn by cooks. It’s sometimes made from white cotton or linen and has a spherical high and a large brim. Chef hats are worn to maintain hair out of meals and to guard the top from warmth and steam.
Chef hats have been worn for hundreds of years, and their design has advanced over time. Within the sixteenth century, cooks wore tall, conical hats made from felt or straw. Within the 18th century, the hat turned shorter and wider, and the brim was turned up. The fashionable chef hat was developed within the nineteenth century, and it has remained largely unchanged since then.