The Wardrobe
The butler's attire, displayed as ornament.
About The Wardrobe
The Wardrobe is the dressing room of the Manor, where the butler's attire (morning coat, tailcoat, top hat and leather shoes) is not hidden away but partly displayed as ornament. Furnished with a barley-twist bookcase and a Chesterfield chair, it is used for dressing in the Apprentice Butler Experience, as a waiting room for photography, and for changing during your time at the Salon.
The butler's role revealed in the order of the attire
The display of attire in the Wardrobe is the moment, on arrival, when you see the butler's dress at close quarters and turn your mind to your time at the Manor. The butler takes your coat and belongings and presents the morning coat, tailcoat, top hat and leather shoes in turn.
On a first visit you may pause at the number of garments displayed. Each is attire the butler actually wears, and each is also a furnishing that shapes the look of the Manor. The meaning of the dress changes with the occasion: day and evening, service and going out.
If you wish to look at the attire, or to confirm the preparations for the Apprentice Butler Experience, simply speak to the butler. The necessary items and their order will be arranged. Female butlers are also in residence, and a preference for your guide may be made when booking.
A spiral like an ear of barley carries the passage of English time
Barley twist is a turned spiral ornament reminiscent of the twist of an ear of barley. The English antique bookcase in the Wardrobe is 183 cm wide. The repeating line carved into its legs lends a gentle movement to the straight outlines of the attire.
The ornament came into fashion in England in the late seventeenth century, during the Restoration. From the front it appears an orderly bookcase; closer, the shadows carved from the wood reveal themselves. Rather than merely explaining its origin, the butler adjusts the angle at which the door opens and the direction of the light, drawing your eye naturally to what is worth seeing.
With leather-bound books and attire in a single view, this is no mere storage room. The time spent choosing one's dress overlaps with the time spent among old furniture, and the room becomes a quiet antechamber to the story of the Manor.
The story of our furnishings
English, French and Japanese design meet in a single chair
The Chesterfield chair is a substantial leather armchair in which you may sit to arrange your shoes and dress in the Wardrobe. Karimoku Domani, Louis XV style, 75 cm wide: the English Chesterfield form, under a French style name, made by a Japanese workshop.
Before you sit, the butler draws the chair and checks that neither hem nor coat will catch. As you rise, the back of your dress is set straight and you are led to the next scene. This combination across countries and eras reflects, in miniature, the thinking of the whole Manor, where English manor house and French rococo are layered together.
For photographs, beyond a portrait seated deep in the chair, a standing figure with top hat in hand or the butler's hands adjusting a cuff also make fine pictures. When the furnishings form the backdrop, the butler keeps watch over the handling of furniture and attire.
The butler's attire changes with the hour and the duty
| Morning coat | Daytime formal dress. Fastened with a single button, its long tails shape the standing figure |
|---|---|
| Tailcoat | Evening formal dress. Worn with a white bow tie, it marks the formal attire of evening and beyond |
| Top hat | A hat whose carriage, even in the hand, completes the figure. We guide you in its use for commemorative photographs too |
| Leather shoes | Black straight-tip oxfords. The butler checks the polish and the line of the foot |
| White gloves | They present the hands beautifully when touching silver and furnishings, and express restraint in handling |
| The display | Formal dress is not hidden away but arranged as ornament, conveying what it means to be a butler |
Three small things gathered in a corner of the dressing room
Hat stand, top hat and umbrella
With a top hat and umbrella upon the stand, the preparations for going out are completed here.
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Cufflinks at the cuff
Decorative cufflinks fasten the cuffs of the white shirt.
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White gloves and the black sleeve
White gloves paired with cufflinks: the cuff as it appears at service.
Read moreThe Wardrobe serves differently according to your purpose
| Your visit | What the butler prepares | How the room is used |
|---|---|---|
| The Salon | Taking your coat and belongings; guidance on attire | A place to compose your dress before and after entering the Manor, and to collect garments laundered on your behalf in the building's shared drum washing machine |
| The Studio | Arranging the order of the attire, the chair and the backdrop | The butler guides you to photographs against the wardrobe or the leather chair |
| Apprentice Butler Experience | Preparing the full morning-coat ensemble; checking cuffs and hems | Confirm your posture and the line of the attire, and turn your mind to the butler's dress |
| Tour of the Manor | Presenting the furnishings and attire in turn | See the barley twist, the leather chair and the differences in formal dress in a single room |
At Queen's Butler the Wardrobe is not merely for storing attire; it is presented as a room that conveys the differences in formal dress and the butler's role.
Never hurrying your preparations, we keep the pause before the next scene
The butler's preparation is not only a matter of dressing you; it is the ordering of objects and time so that you may move calmly to the next scene. Just after a coat is removed, after you have sat down, before you proceed to the next room: the butler reads the pause that is needed and waits without speaking too much.
On rainy days, wet coats and belongings are taken first so that no dampness enters the Manor. On hot or cold days we ask after the heating and bring chair and belongings closer together. For a guest alone, quiet time to look at the attire; for two or more, an order that keeps each from hindering the other; for a party of up to six, places where everyone's belongings are clearly their own.
On your departure, coat and belongings are returned in order, and we check that nothing has been left among the attire and accessories. Entering the story of the Manor and returning to everyday life, the Wardrobe is where the butler attends to the threshold. Should you wish to look once more at the attire, the English antique bookcase and the leather chair, the butler will guide you through them in turn.
From arrival to the presentation of the attire, quietly supported by the butler
Your coat and belongings are taken
From the entrance you are led to the Wardrobe, where the butler carefully takes your coat and belongings.
The day's plans are confirmed
The Salon, photography, the Apprentice Butler Experience: the necessary guidance is arranged according to your booking.
The differences in formal dress are explained
The roles of the morning coat and tailcoat, the top hat and white gloves are explained before the garments themselves.
Cuffs and hems are set
In the Apprentice Butler Experience, the line of the attire, buttons and collar are checked in turn and set so that you can move with ease.
Accessories are added
As needed, the top hat, white gloves and leather shoes are presented, with quiet guidance on how to hold and place them.
What the butler arranges in the Wardrobe
- The butler takes your coat and belongings
- The butler explains the types of formal dress and the occasions for each
- Female butlers are in residence; your preference is taken at booking
- The barley-twist bookcase and leather chair may be viewed at close quarters
- You are welcome to bring your own food and drink
Please note in advance
- Styles and sizes of attire are limited
- The Manor is never let unattended; a butler is always at your side
- Meals are not served
Once dressed, three scenes follow
Reading a letter in the Study
Before the leather-topped desk and captain's chair, a well-set cuff and white-gloved hand make a quiet story. The butler draws the chair and adjusts the light.
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Walking the Gallery
In the gallery leading to the hall clock, the long tails of the morning coat and the walking figure come into their own. The butler watches your stride and position.
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A photograph in the butler's attire
Against the wardrobe and the leather chair, the act of dressing itself becomes a scene worth keeping. Details of photography are on the dedicated page.
Read moreThe butler watches the wearer's movement more than the attire itself
What the butler looks for in dressing is not merely the names of the garments, but whether you can breathe, walk and sit without strain. Shoulders, back, sleeves and hem are checked in turn, and the places that easily fall out of order when you move are set right. In the morning coat, the front button and long tails shape the standing figure; in the tailcoat, the outline seen from behind matters too.
The top hat is part of the scene not only when worn but in how it is held and the direction in which it is set down. It is natural to feel nervous in unfamiliar dress, so the butler does not say too much at once, only what is needed in the moment. Before a commemorative photograph, we choose a position where the line of the attire, the spiral of the bookcase and the curve of the leather chair do not compete.
On your departure, the garments worn at the Manor are removed in order, and the return to your own clothes is never hurried. Coat and belongings are checked against what was taken, and the wardrobe and chair are searched for anything forgotten. To attend to the beginning and the end with the same care is the standard kept by the butlers of Queen's Butler, a general incorporated association.
QMay I come in everyday clothes?
Yes, there is no dress code. If you plan to change at the Manor, the butler will take your coat and belongings and show you where to prepare according to your booking.
QCan anyone wear the butler's attire?
In the Apprentice Butler Experience you may wear the full morning-coat ensemble. As styles and sizes are limited, please tell us your height and clothing size before booking.
QMay a female butler guide me?
Both male and female butlers are in residence. Your preference is taken at booking and confirmed against availability.
QHow many guests can use the room?
The Manor accommodates a maximum of six. When several guests are changing, you are guided in turn and the butler arranges places so that attire and belongings do not become mixed.
QMay I take photographs?
Commemorative photography at the Manor is guided by the butler according to your booking. Please say a word before touching furniture or attire.
QMay I leave my own costume here?
If you are bringing attire for photography, please tell us in advance. The butler confirms the day's movements and a place for it, and arranges things in the order easiest for dressing.
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We await you before the attire.
Tell us what you have in mind. The butler will guide you.