Tall, white chef's hats. If form follows function, why are they shaped that way?

Question

Unique and sort of silly-looking, what purpose does the design of these hats serve in the preparation of food? Historically, what functionality was addressed by the wearing of such headgear?

Answer 1

The toque blanche (white hat) was used by chefs to signify their position. The pleats represent the number of ways they can cook an egg.


From Wiki:
Culinary use
A toque blanche (French for "white hat"), often shortened to toque, is a tall, round, pleated, starched white hat worn by chefs. The many folds on a toque blanche are believed to signify the many ways that an egg can be cooked. Many toques have exactly 100 pleats.

The toque most likely originated as the result of the gradual evolution of head coverings worn by cooks throughout the centuries. Their roots are sometimes traced to the casque a meche (stocking cap) worn by 18th-century French chefs. The colour of the casque a meche denoted the rank of the wearer. Boucher, the personal chef of the French statesman Talleyrand, was the first to insist on white toques for sanitary reasons. The modern toque is popularly believed to have originated with the famous French chefs Marie-Antoine Carême and Auguste Escoffier.

Answer 2

First of all, the hat is functional in keeping hair out of our food. There is a pecking order with chefs that have to do with the number of pleats on their hat. It is a mystery to me, but that is what I have been told. These hats have been around so long, they remind me of medieval head wear. I assume that is something like the Pope's hat. Not exactly stylish today.

Answer 3

so people at Gasho can flip shrimp into them

Answer 4

they make it look more..... professional