Clothing storage in period?

[gem]

Does anyone know how people stored their clothing when they weren't wearing it?  I know closets weren't invented for centuries, and armor was stored in armoires, but what about all those other pieces--from chemises to farthingales to doublets and gowns?  In the second Cate Blanchett Elizabeth movie, they showed a room full of dress dummies wearing her "off-duty" clothing, but I've no idea if that's even remotely accurate.

Anyone?

Gramercy!

[Lady Rosalind]

Hi Gem!

I believe that they used chests to store clothing and other items. These could be built-in (like a window seat with storage), or just normal chests.

[operafantomet]

Most people had "Cassonis", long chests where clothes were kept. It's what you see in Titian's "Venus of Urbino" - the women in the background are finding clothes from an open cassoni, while a closed one is standing next to it:
http://www.students.sbc.edu/drahman08/images/5.%20urbino.jpg

Brides brought such well-filled cassonis from their old home to their new home when they married, but then they were often filled with various items made of cloth (bed linens, chemises, whatever). Sometimes they also had smaller ones with jewellery or other previous items.

ETA: I don't think the Elizabeth movie dummies are very accurate... I think they were mostly used for the dramatic approach of the second movie. But then again, I'm no expert on English fashion, and with Elizabeth I you'll never know... I also think different traditions might apply for "normal rich" people and royalties.

[captmarga]

Wicker figures to hold a day outfit or night costume were certainly used in the 17th C.  An entire toilette might be made ready on the figurine, then it was ready for her Ladyship (or Majesty) to don. 

In the 1860s in France, the ceiling at Versailles had a lift that lowered down with whatever the Empress would be wearing for the day.  That way nothing would be crushed in moving - the huge crinoline being the fashion at that time.

Capt Marga

[TiaLD77]

the modern equivelant of a Cassonis would be a cedar chest?

[Cilean]

Cedar Chests could be used today, we also have cedar shavings you can make sachets out of and put near your clothing.  In the SCA we made boxes to hold our 'stuff' and I make up herbal sachets to keep in my gear during the off season away from camping.  I hold my more fancy gear in an armoire that also has herbal sachets to keep out bugs.

Here is something like what I am talking about:
http://comp.uark.edu/~pavel/box-frms.html

Here is a great link to a box made by someone that is pretty easy and good looking:
http://tech.cls.utk.edu/wood/projects/saherfeastbox/final.htm

http://www.bloodandsawdust.com/sca/projects/hutch.html

Here is a reproduction for an Italian Cassione
http://www.greydragon.org/cassone/index.html

I have also heard of 'Linen Press' which seams to be also a box or chest of some sort but I have not seen an actual example of such.

Cilean