All roles/Interior/Wardrobe Manager
Interior
Wardrobe Manager
The Wardrobe Manager looks after the owner's and guests' clothing on a large yacht: care, storage, packing and dressing. They keep thousands of pounds of couture clean, pressed, catalogued and ready to wear.
- Department
- Interior
- Reports to
- Interior Manager
- Yacht size
- 70m+
- Contract
- Permanent, sometimes rotation
- Starting pay
- €4,000 per month
What the job is
You are responsible for every garment, shoe and accessory the owner and principal guests keep on board. That means laundering, hand washing, steaming, pressing and minor repairs, done to the standard of a couture house. On yachts above 70m the owner's family may keep full seasonal wardrobes on board, and you run them like a private boutique, with fitted storage, climate control and a careful eye on delicate fabrics like silk, cashmere and leather.
Organisation is half the job. You keep a photographic inventory of every item, often in a spreadsheet or dedicated wardrobe app, noting brand, fabric, care label and where it lives. You pack and unpack cases when the owner flies in or out, lay out outfits for dinners and events, and coordinate with stylists, tailors and dry cleaners ashore. You also track what goes off the boat and make sure it comes back.
The role sits within the interior team, usually alongside the Head of Housekeeping and laundry crew. When the yacht is quiet you help with housekeeping and detailing, but your priority is always the principals' clothing. Discretion matters. You handle personal items, jewellery and sometimes valuables, and you see the private side of an owner's life. Captains and Interior Managers hire for trust, calm judgement and a real knowledge of fabrics.
What makes a good one
- Expert fabric and garment care
- Packing and luggage management
- Detailed inventory keeping
- Discretion with principals
- Basic sewing and repairs
A day in the life
- 07:00Start in the laundry. Check overnight items, sort the owner's clothing from guest and crew loads and set aside anything needing hand care.
- 08:00Quietly service the master dressing room while the owner is at breakfast on deck. Return pressed shirts, refold knitwear and check shoes for salt marks.
- 09:30Hand wash silk swimwear cover ups and steam linen trousers for the afternoon beach club trip. Treat a red wine mark on a white dress from last night.
- 11:30Brief with the Interior Manager on the day's plan. Confirm outfits for the evening dinner ashore in Porto Cervo and a guest arriving by helicopter at 16:00.
- 13:00Lunch, then update the wardrobe inventory with photos of three new pieces the owner bought ashore yesterday.
- 14:30Arrange a tender run with the deck team to send a suit to a local tailor for a hem adjustment, with a firm return time of 18:00.
- 16:00Meet the arriving guest's luggage at the swim platform, unpack into the VIP cabin and press anything creased in transit.
- 18:30Lay out the owner's evening outfits with matching shoes and accessories, and stand by in the dressing area in case of a last minute change.
- 21:00Turndown on the principal suites with the housekeeping team. Collect the day's worn items, log anything for dry cleaning and finish around 22:30.
Pay by country
Monthly salary for crew on 70m+ yachts, usually paid in EUR or USD. Charter tips are shared on yachts that charter, but many wardrobe roles are on private yachts where tips are rare.
- France and Monaco
- €4,000 – 5,500
- Spain
- €4,000 – 5,500
- Italy
- €4,000 – 5,500
- United Kingdom
- £3,400 – 4,700
- USA (Florida)
- US$4,300 – 6,000
- Caribbean
- US$4,300 – 6,000
- UAE
- AED 16,000 – 22,000
- Australia
- A$6,600 – 9,000
- New Zealand
- NZ$7,300 – 10,000
Required
- STCW Basic Safety Training
- ENG1 medical
- PDSD
Recommended
- PYA GUEST interior courses
- Professional garment care or tailoring qualification
- Fashion retail or styling background
- Medical First Aid
Visas
- Schengen
- US B1/B2
- C1/D
Where it leads
Wardrobe Manager jobs open now
Questions crew ask
Do I need yachting experience to become a Wardrobe Manager?
Most yachts want at least a few seasons in the interior, usually in housekeeping or laundry. Some owners hire from luxury fashion houses, personal styling or private households, then teach the yachting side on board.
Will I only work on clothing?
When the owner is on board, clothing comes first. When the yacht is quiet or in the yard, expect to help with housekeeping, laundry and interior detailing like the rest of the team.
Which yachts have this role?
Mainly private yachts over 70m with owners who keep large wardrobes on board. On smaller yachts the work is covered by the laundry stew or Head of Housekeeping.