18th century clothing storage

[longlostblue]

In the early 18th century, how were clothes kept? (I'm thinking specifically of a gentleman, here.) Was clothing more likely to be folded in drawers, or hung up in armoires/wardrobes? Were shirts and coats kept seperately? What about shoes?

I've tried looking on Google, and all I can find are sites for antiques and home furnishings.

Comments

[sterling_sara]

People kept their clothes in clothes presses, which had drawers and shelves. Shoes would be on one of the shelves inside, and coats would be on a hook somewhere.

Here's an example, though of course there's variation:
http://www.kenmore.org/collections/furniture/clothes_press.html

[mmebahorel]

Also, for bedroom furnishings that would hold clothes, look at highboy and lowboy. Chests of drawers, basically. (nothing wrong with sites for antiques if they are good about giving dates on the items - the prevalence of certain items will certainly give a good clue as to their prevalence at the time.)

[marquesate]

You say early 18th century, when in the 18th century? There is a huge difference between what was dne in, say, 1710 and 1750. :-)

[longlostblue]

About 1720 or so.

[marquesate]

It's a tricky transition period, the 1720s. In clothing styles as well. I suggets that at this time still most, if not all, of the clothing was folded and kept either in trunks or in chest of drawers that often looked like modern wardrobes from the outside, but had no hanging rod, instead clothes were folded.

Certainly, during the War of the Spanish Succession, when the gentlemen Officers travelled to the continent to wage their war in Flanders, all their clothing would be transported in vast trunks and folded inside.

[maryrobinette]

Hangers weren't invented until 1903, although variations started turning up in the late 1860s for skirts. Before that, things were stored folded or hung on hooks.