The word wardrobe appears to originate from the old Northern French ‘Warderobe’ - warder (to look after or guard) robe (garment).
Wardrobes are sometimes referred to as an armoire, this is simply the French word used for a standing closet used to hold clothes.
Before wardrobes, clothing was often stored in trunks or chests; it wasn’t until a degree of luxury was attained when building castles and palaces that separate accommodation was provided for the apparel. The name wardrobe originally referred to a whole room in which wealthy persons' clothes were kept. The wall space in these rooms was often filled with cupboards and lockers, from these designs the modern wardrobe seems to have evolved slowly with its hanging spaces, drawers and shelves.
