Christopher Ely, who has served as a butler in Buckingham Palace and also the New York home of the late Brooke Astor, will be teaching classes in the art of service at the French Culinary Institute this spring. In them, you will learn all manner of stately tricks, including the delicate craft of clothing preparation. From a profile in this morning’s Times:
When laying out an employer’s clothing, drape the trousers over the seat of a chair first, with a dress shirt folded — unbuttoned and with cuff links attached — atop them, and underclothes in turn atop the shirt, in reverse order of the boss’s getting dressed. Shoes, without horns, to the side, socks laid over them. Leave out three ties — the boss’s only choice to make in the morning. Meat tenderizer is good for blood stains in cotton.
Also, in a pinch, you can use a metal collar stay to pop out an eyeball. Brooke Astor, who knew?
The Butler’s Way: Just So [NYT]
Also, in a pinch, you can use a metal collar stay to pop out an eyeball. Brooke Astor, who knew?
