Before, in a galaxy far, far away and in a time more than past, chefs used to stay locked in the kitchen during the entire service. The sweat and the heat, the stoves and the rush of the orders that followed each other, one after another, remained sheltered behind a wall. And nothing happened. That was so.
Fast-forward to the year 2019 and the reality we see is different: the kitchens have knocked down walls, revealing themselves so that the client does not miss a single detail and, even, he can eat without taking his eyes off it – and striking up a conversation – with the cook who is preparing the food .
And if we zoom in even more, we will realize that the kitchen teams have taken advantage of being in the spotlight to get a little more vain , inundating themselves with tattoos, resorting to slicked back hairstyles and taking care of the image they want to give to the public in detail.
There's still a long way to go, because jackets don't breathe (thanks, polyester) and we almost always see the star chef with his tailored jacket , while the rest of the team wears those uniforms with little personality, which are too much on one side and too tight on the other.
At least in our country, because In the United States, little by little, a textile revolution has been cooking with entrepreneurial brands such as Tilit which, together with workwear brands such as Carhartt, Fossil, Lee or Levi's , specializing in denim like Dickies, or shoe brands as comfortable as Vans, have been shaping the style of a new generation of chefs.
Alex McCrery, former chef of Jerry Seinfeld, and his wife, Jenny Goodman, decided to arm themselves with courage in 2012, creating Tilit, a clothing brand for tailor-made hospitality , made up of never-before-seen pieces designed exclusively for chefs and room staff. They did it after she went back to college to get an MBA, while he signed up for classes to learn. basic concepts of cutting and sewing.
"We spent almost a whole year in tests, with samples and only launching two aprons, a shirt and a pair of pants," Jerry tells us from his New York office and as creative director of the company (which is now dresses chefs like Camille Becerra; Missy Robbins of Lilia, Mississippi; Angie Mar of The Beatrice Inn; Jeremiah Stone and Fabian Von Hauske of Contra, Wildair, A Neapolitan Pizza; and even the team of hotels like The Standard Hotel and New York's Soho House).
"We try to be conscious in terms of the materials we use, that are durable and can withstand the hustle and bustle of the hospitality world , but that in turn can be comfortable and functional. For example, our best-selling apron is made from wax-coated cotton that won't get wet. We've even created our own fabric for our line of pants and jumpsuits to make sure they're the right weight, the right stretch, colorfast and durable."
Not everything has been wonderful in the way of design and at Tilit they have taken note of each of the complaints they received from their clients, whose aprons climbed up their necks until they irritated their skin or pants that looked like pajamas. Thus, they included tabs to tie the straps well and pants with stretch fabrics with leather pockets that have been more than well received by the industry.
Although the great leap has been to see how garments such as his colorful work overalls have become cult garments for fashionistas who have nothing to do with the world of hospitality.
"Definitely, we are seeing the jump from the kitchens to the streets," they emphasize. "Especially with our overalls, jackets and pants. Artists and photographers are fans of them and there is even a TV weatherman on CNBC who wears them regularly," concludes Goodman.