How To Size A Chef Jacket: The Complete Fit Guide Ordering a chef jacket the way you'd order a t-shirt, by label size alone, is how most fit problems start. A jacket that's wrong for your body restricts movement across the shoulders, gapes at the chest, or hangs loose enough to catch on equipment. In a fast-moving kitchen, none of that is a minor inconvenience. This guide covers how to take accurate body measurements, how Chef Works sizing works in practice, and how to choose between fitted and relaxed cuts. Why Chef Jacket Sizing Is Different From Everyday Clothing A chef jacket is workwear, built for range of motion, heat management and repeated industrial washing rather than a fashion silhouette. That changes the relationship between your body measurements and the size on the label. Chef Works size charts are built from body measurements, not garment measurements. The finished jacket is intentionally larger than your body to allow for movement, and how much larger depends on the cut. If your chest measures 96cm and that falls into the Medium bracket, you're matching your body to the size, not to the finished garment. The ease is already factored in. How To Take Accurate Measurements For A Chef Jacket Three measurements cover jacket, shirt and pants sizing across the Chef Works range: chest, waist and, for women's specific cuts, hips. Chest: Measure around the fullest part of your chest or bust with your arms relaxed at your sides. Keep the tape horizontal and snug, not tight. This is the key measurement for jacket sizing. Waist: Measure around your natural waistline, roughly the narrowest point of your torso above the hips. It matters more for fitted women's cuts than for relaxed styles. Hips: Measure around the widest point. Relevant for women's jackets with a defined silhouette or any cut that tapers below the waist. Once you have your measurements in centimetres, check them against the Chef Works measuring guide below. If you fall between two sizes, the right call depends on the cut, covered further down. Women's Jackets: Alpha Size Men’s Jackets: Alpha Size Understanding Cut And Fit: Relaxed, Tailored And Women's Specific Chef Works uses a fit coding system across its jackets. Knowing the difference before you order saves a return. Relaxed or Classic Fit The traditional chef jacket silhouette, sitting away from the body with generous ease through the chest, shoulders and sleeves. It suits chefs who layer underneath or need full freedom of movement. Most men's jackets, including the Bastille Chef Jacket, fall into this category. Modern or Tailored Fit A trimmer cut through the body that reduces excess fabric without restricting movement. This suits chefs who want a cleaner line on pass or in a customer-facing kitchen role, while remaining fully functional. The Hartford Men’s Chef Jacket fits this description. Women’s Specific Fit Women's chef jackets from Chef Works are built to a distinct pattern, not a scaled-down men's garment. The Hartford Women's Chef Jacket, for example, is built to a modern, tailored fit with a feminine silhouette and a slightly relaxed cut through the body, accounting for differences in shoulder width, chest and waist-to-hip ratio. Always size women's cuts against the women's chart. If you're a woman choosing a men's or unisex cut for a looser fit, use the men's chart and expect a broader shoulder seam, longer sleeves and more fabric through the torso. What To Do When You're Between Sizes Falling between two sizes is common, and the right call depends on the cut and what you wear underneath. For a relaxed-cut jacket, sizing down is usually the safer option unless you consistently layer a heavy base underneath, since relaxed cuts already carry significant ease. For fitted or women's cuts, size up if in doubt, particularly if your shoulder measurement runs larger relative to your chest. For team orders, default to sizing up when someone falls between brackets. A slightly loose jacket causes far fewer problems on a kitchen floor than one that restricts the shoulders or arms. Popular Chef Works Jackets and Sizing Notes Hartford Men's Chef Jacket The men's Hartford Chef Jacket uses the same Cool Vent™ construction and polyester-cotton blend, with a zipper closure and a slim cut through the chest and body. Springfield Chef Jacket The Springfield Chef Jacket has an easy-fit silhouette that skims the body, with a modern, tailored cut through the chest. Arcadia Chef Jacket A high-visibility jacket in the range, the Arcadia Chef Jacket takes a more modern approach to the traditional chef jacket silhouette and is available from S to 4XL. Find The Right Jacket For Your Kitchen A well-fitted chef jacket supports the physical demands of the role and gives the person wearing it the confidence to focus on the job rather than the clothing. Chef Works jackets are built around that understanding, combining thoughtful construction, quality materials, and a range of fit options to meet the needs of hospitality professionals who take their work seriously. Browse the full Chef Jacket range at Chef Works. Frequently Asked Questions How Do I Measure My Chest For A Chef Jacket In Australia? Measure around the fullest part of your chest with your arms relaxed at your sides. Keep the tape horizontal and record the figure in centimetres, then match it against the Chef Works size chart Should I Size Up Or Down In A Chef Jacket? If you fall between sizes, size up, especially for relaxed-cut jackets worn over base layers. For fitted or women's cuts, size up if your shoulder or chest measurement sits at the top of a bracket. A jacket that restricts movement is a functional problem on a kitchen floor, so err larger when unsure. What Is The Difference Between A Fitted And Relaxed Cut Chef Jacket? A relaxed cut sits away from the body with generous ease through the chest, shoulders and sleeves, the traditional kitchen silhouette. A fitted or modern cut is trimmed closer to the body for a cleaner line. Women's specific cuts are built to a distinct pattern accounting for shoulder, chest and hip proportions, rather than a scaled-down men's garment. Can Women Wear A Men's Or Unisex Chef Jacket? Yes. Some prefer the looser cut and longer sleeves of a men's jacket. Use the men's chart and measure at the chest. Expect more fabric through the waist and hips compared to a women's specific cut. Where Can I Try On Chef Works Jackets In Person? Chef Works operates a showroom at 12/17 Power Ave, Alexandria NSW, where the team can advise on sizing and assist with team orders. Book a showroom visit here. Explore the full Chef Works Chef Jacket range and find the right fit today.
