For these five Canadian chefs, personal style is on the menu, too | Canada Voices

Of all the ways FX’s The Bear has contributed to pop culture since its premiere in 2022, perhaps none are as surprising as how it single-handedly redefined the meaning of chef’s whites.

The plain white T-shirt worn by Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto as he runs the series’ titular restaurant has spawned countless Reddit threads and articles by fans eager to track down the not-so-simple basic. (For the record, the character has worn tees by Merz b. Schwanen and Whitesville.)

With season four of the feverish dramedy premiering this week, we decided to speak to some of Canada’s top chefs about what they wear in and out of the kitchen, how they stay comfortable working long hours on their feet and, of course, how they care for their favourite white T-shirt.

Trevor Lui

Trevor Lui has been slowly developing his style over the years. As president and chief executive of Highbell Hospitality Group, which includes Toronto’s Fat Bao as well as a new pizza party series, he takes pride in how he presents himself. Looking fashionable, he says, provides a certain level of confidence.

Favourite white T-shirt

I rarely wear white T-shirts because I’m clumsy. My favourite black T-shirt is from Stone Island. I always hand wash and hang-dry it. The price tag is hefty, but I got tired of the fading that happens after one or two washes with lower-quality ones.

Comfort shoe of choice

In the kitchen, I’m rocking Nike mules or Birkenstocks because they’re easy to slip your feet in and out of. I’m a total sneakerhead. I love a pair of Nike Jordan 4s, Adidas Sambas or dad shoes like Asics or New Balance.

Personal style recipe

I like to find items that stand out. In high school, for example, I wore pocket squares. Lately, my thing has been vintage scarves. If I’m travelling, I love to look for vintage Hermès, McQueen or any silk scarves that pop out to pair with a good suit or simple T-shirt and jeans.

Siobhan Detkavich

The youngest ever and first Indigenous woman to compete on Top Chef Canada, Siobhan Detkavich says both her food and style pay homage to her Hawaiian and Cowichan Tribes heritage. Whether she’s home in Kelowna, B.C., or travelling, Detkavich likes to inject her staple wardrobe of Mark’s tank tops and Patagonia shorts with interesting finds.

Favourite white T-shirt

I bought a T-shirt from a department store called Dunnes in Ireland last November. It’s the perfect tuck-into-your-pants shirt, so I bought multiple shirts before coming home. I’ll try not to wear too much foundation or makeup when I wear my whites, and I simply wash it and hang it to dry.

Comfort shoe of choice

Teva sandals. They are the comfiest things I have ever walked in.

Personal style recipe

My style is inspired by the places I’ve travelled to and spent time in, as well as my Indigenous heritage. One thing I always have on are my rings – one is a claddagh ring from Ireland, another a puzzle ring I found in Florence – and I wear my necklace often: a gold necklace with a hook pendant, engraved with tribal art, based on a Hawaiian god.

David Schwartz

Whether he’s testing dishes for MIMI Chinese or Sunnys – two Michelin-recognized restaurants in downtown Toronto – or entertaining A-list guests like Drake at Linny’s, his latest restaurant, David Schwartz enjoys looking put-together.

Favourite white T-shirt

I go for something affordable, durable and easy to care for because of my proximity to grease. Uniqlo Airism shirts are the best for that. In the kitchen, we do chef’s coats with an apron, and we have a laundry service take care of that. I’m sure my wife would hate it if I put my cook-wear in the washing machine with her clothes.

Comfort shoe of choice

I found a European brand called Barrow while on my honeymoon this year. Their Vulky trainers have become my go-to for comfortable shoes. I pull out my Common Projects Black Tournament high tops when I want to be bougie.

Personal style recipe

I like utilitarian pieces. My favourite stores around Toronto are Lost and Found, Uncle Otis and Loreak Mendian, because they curate the brands and style of stuff that I like: well-crafted, subtle pieces.

Maria-José de Frias

Before immigrating to Montreal 18 years ago, Maria-José de Frias studied fashion design in Belgium. These days, similar to how she creates dishes at Le Virunga, her Michelin-recognized restaurant, the chef incorporates her Congolese roots into her style. Frias still makes a lot of her own clothes – and linens for the restaurant – and often incorporates African motifs.

Favourite white T-shirt

In the kitchen, I usually wear black, or, for formal days, one of the chef’s coats I made for work, which I bring to the dry cleaners for a press. For my whites, I let them sit in a mixture of baking soda and vinegar for half an hour and wash them after that.

Comfort shoe of choice

Birkenstocks or On’s Cloud 6 shoes in the kitchen. Outside of work, I usually wear ballerina shoes or loafers in burgundy red, black or metallic silver. I like to add some bling bling with my shoes.

Personal style recipe

A mix of classical cuts and good fabrics paired with African motifs. I like to wear linen often, because of the silhouette it creates and how it folds, and I’m fond of leather, wool, cotton and silk. At work I’ll often wear a headwrap, which brings my own sense of style into the kitchen. Liputa is a Linagala word from Congo that describes the vibrant fashion I like to wear.

Nick Iaboni

Nick Iaboni describes his taste in clothes and in food in the same fashion: curated, refined and constantly evolving. He left Bar Prima, a Toronto hot spot, earlier this year, and is working on designs for his next restaurant: a refined coastal Mediterranean eatery he plans to open in late 2025/26.

Favourite white T-shirt

It’s German, from Merz b. Schwanen. For caring for chef white’s and white T-shirts … for all clothes, actually, my biggest advice is to invest in an iron.

Comfort shoe of choice

I’m a clean, square-toed Blundstone guy. They have a strong look and pair well with jeans or black pants and a chef’s jacket. Outside of the kitchen, I’ve been wearing the Birkenstock Bostons in deep olive or Common Projects sneakers.

Personal style recipe

In the kitchen, we have a saying: purposely random. It’s something we bring into plating: creating a random look for a specific aesthetic. I like pieces that command attention without yelling. I like pairing a pop of ox blood, deep olive, burnt orange or ink black that may be on my sneaker’s trim with a simple, well-fitting outfit. It’s like finishing a rich steak sauce with a hit of vinegar to balance the flavours and make it stand out more.