A wardrobe, also called armoire or almirah, is a piece of standing furniture used for storing clothes. The term is also sometimes used for a closet. The earliest wardrobe was likely a chest, but the term wardrobe was first given to a room in which garments were stored, then to freestanding furniture with the same function, sometimes called a clothes-press. From these closets and cupboards the modern wardrobe, with its hanging spaces, sliding shelves and drawers, evolved gradually.