Why do chef hats have pleats?

Online Answer
The pleats in a chef's hat, back in the day, were said to represent the number of ways the chef wearing it could cook an egg — 100 pleats being the ultimate goal and badge of honor, denoting the skill, experience, and rank of the chef. As well as the pleats, the height of the hat was also important.
Related Questions 📌
Pleated chef's hats have a two-fold purpose. ... In the early days of the toque blanche, pleats would often represent how many recipes a chef had mastered. So, a chef with 100 pleats may know 100 different ways to boil an egg or prepare a chicken.
The pleats in a chef's hat, back in the day, were said to represent the number of ways the chef wearing it could cook an egg — 100 pleats being the ultimate goal and badge of honor, denoting the skill, experience, and rank of the chef. As well as the pleats, the height of the hat was also important.