Re the chef's Whites. I've worked in kitchens before. Granted not York Uni or York local authority.
If you work in a kitchen you're provided with uniform. Obviously you can't wear it to or from work, you change into your kitchen uniform AT work. Expected to wear clean uniform every day but not provided with enough uniform to see you through the week. She probably had a locker and kept her kitchen shoes in the locker but would take home laundry daily and take fresh whites to work, a couple of times a week at least.