Status Updates From Life Below Stairs: True Liv...

"It was a bone of contention among the female staff that, while the lowliest maid had to scrimp and save to buy her own uniform, the footman, who earned a higher annual wage than the majority of the female staff, was provided with his."

"Footmen, on the other hand, increased in value with every inch of height as the liveried uniform was considered to look smarter on the taller man. An extra premium was paid for two who were similar in stature and appearance."

"So intense was the pressure to keep up with the Joneses in late Victorian and early Edwardian households that many middle-class mistresses deprived themselves of expensive food and basic needs in order to maintain the illusion of wealth through the number of servants employed."