Suit Valets

A suit valet has it's origins from the days when a man of means could afford to keep a permanent member of staff just for organising and maintaining his attire - he was called a valet - pronounced with a hard 't' as I learnt whilst watching Downton Abbey . One observation which I read of recently was that the valet's job was to ensure that his master's suits were sufficiently worn in before he wore them, to ensure he did not look too 'new' and to make sure they were thrown out before they were too worn out. I think it was Evelyn Waugh who wrote that.

The suit valet was used by the valet to lay out the following days clothes for his 'master' for want of a better word. These days it is hard to come by a decent suit valet, but they serve an excellent purpose, especially when you come home with a few drinks under your belt. It is better to wake up knowing your suit was hung properly rather than strewn across your floor absorbing God knows what from the carpet. Here is one particular suit valet that I quite liked the look of.

If you know if any great artisan craftsman who still make suit valets, please leave a comment below as I have had a difficult time finding them on the web.