Closet Organization - Fold or Hang?

Angie's recent blog post has inspired me to do a long overdue closet purge. But when it comes to organization, I'm trying to decide what to do with my jeans. So tell me, are you a folder or a hanger? What about knitwear?

I have done it both ways, and I think I prefer folding, but the marks my wire shelves leave in the bottom layer of clothing irks me.

14 years ago

General

31 replies

Latest reply was from Mander

(website)

Veteran

I hang slacks or trousers and fold jeans. I used to fold most shirts except for blouses but now I'm hanging my shirts mostly so I can see what I have better. When I fold them into a drawer, they get lost in the back or under all the other layers so I can't see everthing I have. Now I just fold camis and loungestuff in the drawer. Knit sweaters get stacked on the top closet shelf beside the jeans. Those are visible enough because they're at eye level.

14 years ago

Beth

Veteran

I hang dress pants but fold jeans, knits and nonwoven tops. Heavy knits are folded with the jeans on the top shelf of my closet while fine-gauge knits are folded in my dresser.

14 years ago

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

I hang my jeans, and I fold heavier or awkward knits and hang up finer gauge ones.

14 years ago

Ljubica

Active Member

I fold my jeans and I hang my dresses on clip hangers, I clip them under armpits.

14 years ago

teri

Veteran

i hang everything and organize by color

I also recently added photos to my shoe boxes. Makes picking shoes so much easier

This post has 2 photos. Photos uploaded by this member are only visible to other logged in members.

If you aren't a member, but would like to participate, please consider signing up. It only takes a minute and we'd love to have you.

14 years ago

Active Member

That is an impressive shoe collection, Teri!

14 years ago

Louise

Veteran

I currently hang jeans though I'm considering folding them to give me more room Cardigans get hung up and jumpers are folded in a drawer, but it has a solid bottom so no marks left x

14 years ago

Ljubica

Active Member

Teri, I wish I had your closet (and your organization skills).
I'm dreaming of having a walk-in closet.

14 years ago

Kate

Veteran

Knits are folded (in my dresser), jeans hang (on hangers that look kinda like this: http://www.everydayhangers.com.....799015.jpg ). This keep the knits from getting stretched out, and these hangers make hanging them and picking which ones to wear a breeze!

The things I do fold, I fold this (quirky lady's) way: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJAYRXjZoMY I can see everything and don't have to dig around anymore.

14 years ago

Queen Mum

Veteran

I hang my jeans on a 5 tiered pants hanger and my knitwear is on hangers.

14 years ago

londonkiwi (now back in NZ)

Veteran

I think it really depends on your wardrobe hanger space. I tend to fold jeans and hand other trousers. I hand skirts and dresses, jackets and coats. Everything else is folded.

14 years ago

Anonymous

Cindy, you could cut a piece of cardboard or foam board to fit on those wire shelves. No more marks.
I hang my best jeans and pants and roll the everyday ones to store in a drawer. I do the same with knitwear. Fancier pieces are hung; layering pieces go in a drawer rolled and organized by sleeve length and color. By rolling I can see everything when the drawer is opened.

14 years ago

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I hang *everything* accept my sweats, pjs, undies, socks and basic turtlenecks.

14 years ago

(website)

Veteran

Kate, I finally took a look at your video and that's exactly how I fold everything, too! I thought I was the only weirdo who did that with thongs LOLOL!! But it does help to see what you have when it's like looking at the spines of books on a library shelf rather than flat stacks you have to dig through. Quirky folders unite

14 years ago

Polly (thunalata)

Veteran

Thank you Cindy for posting this. Lots of fab tips that I will be making use of. The folding stuff is SCARY! But I'll definitely give it a go!

14 years ago

Carole

Veteran

I hang! It's easier to see everything I have that way.

14 years ago

Kate

Veteran

Haha, Mo, I'm glad I'm not the only one!

14 years ago

Aida

Veteran

I'm split across both; nearly everything I have is in sight. Jeans and corduroy pants are folded, slacks and shorts hung up. Skirts and dresses all hanging, except one knit dress that I fold. Sweaters and cardigans are folded. Thin t-shirts and tanks are folded, heavier weight ones are hung up. Undergarments all folded and kept in a dresser, so I open drawers if I need to see what's in them. Jewelry is kept in a tall standing armoire. Silk scarves hanging on a rack hanger, more substantial knit scarves hanging on a scarf hanger on the back of my door. Some shoes on a shoe rack, the rest on the floor because I need more space

14 years ago

taylor

Veteran

I fold my denim...in a very particular way:)

14 years ago

Megan

Active Member

I hang everything except fine guage knitwear, woven tops and leggings.

I have hangers that let you put 4 pairs of pants on the one hanger and they are brilliant space savers.

14 years ago

cloud9

Veteran

I don't know if anyone has seen this Japanese T-shirt folding trick:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNr1oLhZ0zs

I pretty much hang everything myself... otherwise, my problem is out-of-sight = out-of-mind. I only fold chuncky knits (which I don't have anymore), camis and sleepwear.

14 years ago

nicoleb

(website)

Veteran

I hang pretty much everything. Otherwise I tend to forget i own it. Jeans and pants get folded and put on the top shelf of my closet though. Camisoles, pjs and undies go in the dresser. I hang a lot of knitwear even though you're not "supposed" to. If it's a heavier piece I'm worried about streching I fold and place on top of the dresser.

14 years ago

Lisa

Veteran

I hang most items, jeans are folded once over the hanger. Layering T's, turtlenecks, and chunky knits are folded along with workout wear, and casual loungewear items. The majority of my clothes are on hangers or I would forget about them.

14 years ago

Bianca

Veteran

I truly prefer hanging as much as possible. I categorize in terms of coats, dresses, skirts, pants, boluses, jackets...so on. I also classify items by color. It has made getting dressed soooo much easier. That way you can see everything in just one glance. I HIGHLY recommend it if you have the space.

14 years ago

rachylou

Veteran

I hang blouses, dresses, and coats. I fold everything else. If I had a bigger closet, I'd probably hang dress trousers.

12 years ago

rute

Veteran

I'm a big hanger. I hang everything except knitwear.

12 years ago

Anonymous

I do the same as Angie, and everything is organized by color. It's so much easier to see and access what I have, and I'm more inclined to wear something if it's in plain view rather than "out of sight, out of mind."

12 years ago

AnnieMouse

Veteran

Am I the only one to say "it depends"?

T-shirts and casual wear are typically in the dresser, office and dressy in the closet. I typically file-fold my jeans, which means I fold them in such a way there is a fold upward in the drawer so I can see them all instead of stacking them (I hate stacks in drawers for some reason).

But there's a caveat: any jeans that I wear for work and coloured jeans are hung in the closet with my trousers and other work attire. Most of my sweaters are folded in the top of the closet, above the hangers, with the exception of the finer gauge slouchy, which are orgamied over the hanger to avoid shoulder pulls, so they don't get forgotten as I leaf through blouses.

I guess I'm kinda an outta-sight-outta-mind gal.

12 years ago

pastrygirl

(website)

Veteran

I hang everything except workout clothes, undergarments, and pajamas. I switched over to those thin, velvet hangers last year and started folding my pants/jeans once on those. I used to use the clips and hang pants straight down without any folds. I hang skirts with clips. I hang all tops. Folding would just make them wrinkle, and I usually donate things that get wrinkled because I never wear them again, LOL.

I sort by item type, then by color. My skirts and sweaters are also organized by length before color.

12 years ago

Category