Wardrobes, or as the French call them armories, stands for a free standing closet used to store clothing. The first wardrobe was known as a chest. Oak and mahogany wardrobes started to develop as they began being utilized heavily by nobles and royals. The demand for luxury standards rose in castles and palaces, so in order to keep their clothing looking its absolute best. The chest developed into free standing storage units we know as wardrobes. Mahogany wardrobes only held the most important outfits and was an easy way to keep them separated from the royal common clothing. Ever wonder how much room it takes to store all the royal designer outfits? Well, due to the overwhelming amount and importance of outfits used daily by royals, it was common to see numerous wardrobes lined up along castle hallways. You can be sure all of the wardrobes were filled to the maximum capacity with outfits, only fit for a king/queen. Some past royals were known to hide important documents as well as jewelry in their wardrobe drawers. This prompted the creation of separate wardrobe storage areas for shoes and jewelry in order to keep them easily accessible and apart from the royal outfits. As time went on, the wardrobe evolved from a chest into a free standing storage area. From a royal movable unit to becoming modified and built into homes everywhere in the world. Designed and termed “fitted wardrobe” it uses the structure of the home as its frame and became the common household storage unit we know today as the closet, these can be made from a variety of woods such as pine, oak, mahogany or beech. To store the amount of clothes required most are sized as 2 door or 3 door wardrobes.
Royals and nobles alike are judged on the outfits they wear and give their clothing the respect they deserve, after all you don’t want to have your tennis shoes tossed on top of your Sunday best. The wardrobe is a highly respected part of the royal career. Some royals change several times a day, which has led to appointing a specific person to manage the outfits and keeping them in pristine condition. Today, many royals have so many outfits that free standing wardrobes no longer suffice. But there are too many for a common closet. In order to better manage their clothing and space they have turned these free standing closets into wardrobe rooms. As previously mentioned, someone needs to keep things organized in the royal wardrobe, actually several. The royal wardrobe is the representative of the royal using it, their reputations can be damaged easily this way. The royal outfits must be in pristine condition and need to be completely free from stains and that every stitch is in its proper place. It is vital as a royal to know what you wore, when you wore it, if you accessorized and if so, with which outfit? This ensures you don’t repeat the same look twice. Past royals have even incorporated photographs of past outfits into a reference guide. The wardrobe of royalty will always remain first and foremost in the fashion world and royal duties. After all not a single noble known would appreciate if they damaged the royal reputation by a fashion mishap. To fit with their image most of these closets were either oak wardrobes, mahogany wardrobes or even French style wardrobes to give that important look.