Hanging up everything vs drawers/shelves? - YouLookFab Forum

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Hanging up everything vs drawers/shelves?

gradfashionista

(website)

Veteran

Are you more likely to wear your knitted tops and sweaters, for example, if they are hanging in your closet, rather than folded up in your drawers? Does visibility limit your outfit selections, or are you able to recall what you own and then imagine an outfit?

I have around 20-30 non-button-up tops in my drawers, and it's only when I see a garment that I remember it's there. I've pretty much been wearing the same few tops over and over, but that might be a function of winter and craving for cashmere coziness.

On the one hand, I find the idea of having everything hanging very appealing, but it would be mean some slight downsizing or squishing in the closet. On the other, it would help fulfill my style goal of wearing 80% of my wardrobe regularly.

Dressing

34 replies

Latest reply was from deb

Meli

(website)

I fold all sweaters and cardigans so they don't get stretched out. To see them I fold them up into a rectangle and stack them side by side/close to rolling. They fit better in the drawer (with extra space!) and I can open the drawer and see everything at once.

Diana

Veteran

I don't hang my knits as it will stretch them out, sometimes permanently, in odd ways. I use shelves instead of dressers to store my folded things so I can see them all.

ETA: I do hang all my non-jeans trousers (folded over on hangers). I fold my jeans, although if I had the closet space (I have >10 pairs of jeans so they'd take a lot of room) I would prefer to hang those as well.

shemarie

Good question! With the goal of seeing everything (except for a minimal number of seasonal items, as my winters are brief), I have now moved everything into my closet and I really love it. I fold sweaters also, on a shelf, organized with a shelf divider, and everything else except tanks/camis/workout bottoms are hung. I've purged so much (because I can see what I have and what I actually wear) and am at least starting to become somewhat more creative as outfit creation is much, much easier. I don't miss drawers/dressers at all!

Lyn D.

Veteran

Knitwear, Tees and work-out gear lined-up in drawers works well for me.
Even my pants are folded and lined-up in baskets above my hanging space for visibility and space-saving.

MRL

Veteran

I hang most my sweaters and have never had a problem with stretching. I do find that for me "out of sight ,out of mind" is true. I tend to wear the items that are most visible,

shedev

Veteran

I keep my sweaters in drawers. When I had a bigger wardrobe, I had the problem of forgetting what I have.

Diana

Veteran

Oh, also forgot to mention that the solution to forgetting about things is to keep ALL of them in the same place. So, all of your sweaters in one chest of drawers, for example, so when you want a sweater you can look at all of them at once.

rachylou

Veteran

My folded clothes are on open bookshelves so I can see it all. I'm like this about everything. I have to see all my colour pens, my pots and pans, etc.

Anonymous

I don't have much drawer space, so tend to hang seasonal knits in the closet inside out on padded hangars. It is a plus for me to be able to see everything so I've taken a cue from Suz and divided things by seasons to be switched out every few months. It makes the working closet smaller and things get more wear. I still need to find time to do a better job of making these seasonal clusters fit my needs. For example the really warm clothes are in rotation right now but I've been getting into storage to come up with more pastel pieces, inspired by Angie's posts on them. I'd meant to pull them out about mid February.

Gigi

Veteran

I've got all my pants in my dresser, plus noncardigan sweaters or any cardigans that are very delicate and would stretch out if hung on a hanger. I have all of the dresser sweaters in one drawer, which makes it pretty easy. I have just a few cardigans in the closet and can remember what they are. But I do sometimes forget about a particular item of clothing because of the division between dresser and closet. However, I have nowhere near the amount of space needed in the closet to be able to hang everything, so I have to make do. I have found that if I don't shop as much and really try to wear what I have, that creates better memory of the pieces in my wardrobe, so as time goes on this becomes less of a problem.

DonnaF

Veteran

I hang up almost everything. I use stacking hangers, including the velvety space saving kind, pants/skirt hanging kind, and plastic ones with swivel necks that allow stacking. This allows me to hang more in a small space. I don't have many knits, and haven't noticed stretching in those I have. I also hang my scarves, belts, and some of my tights. Folded sweaters would result in an unfolded mess in about 10 seconds. Right now, I have some stuff in college age DD's room and some in my bedroom. Most used to be in her bedroom because DH used to sleep in the day and during unpredictable hours because he worked graveyard shift. He retired this month, so I am still deciding where I want most of my stuff, esp. since DD is determined not to come home this summer.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

I keep all my sweaters folded on a shelf in my closet. They're all visible and this way they don't stretch out. I keep my jeans folded also, but my shirts/ blouses and other pants/ skirts/ dresses/ jackets are all hanging and visible.

Undies, scarves, socks, tights, workout wear, etc. are in special boxes inside a bureau.

MsMaven

Veteran

Despite warnings not to do it, I'm like Joy. I hand in-season knits on padded hangars, inside out. If they are heavy or fragile, I carefully fold them over the cardboard bar that comes on some cleaner's wire hangars. I rarely have problems with stretch out because with this method I see them and wear them and clean or (usually) wash and block them frequently. I also rotate them as I wear them--last worn goes to end of row and I try to take the next outfit item from the front.

I also have a bunch of hangars with crocheted padding that my mother made. They work well for scoop necks that would slide off regular padded hangars. Mom died 12 years ago and I think these hangars are at least 25 years old. Don't know what I will do when they give out, maybe take up crocheting myself? Not likely.

Out of sight--out of mind applies in my closet, except for underwear, which I keep in drawers. Also, I keep the out-of-season knits in drawers.

Adelfa

Veteran

I hang everything except tees and sleepwear. I have recently downsized and now I can see everything!

Oh, I used to hang scarves, but this took up a lot of hanging room, so now I fold them and stack them in a biggish box. Seems to be working fine.

unfrumped

Veteran

Guilty of hanging all my good knits. I have to see all my work bottoms & tops. While I use one type of hanger for almost everything, I have a few types of hangers for specific sweater types-- either for no- slide properties or a sloping shape that won't make a mark at the sweater shoulder. That was worth more than" use all matching hangers" plan.

Jjsloane

Veteran

I keep my knits folded. Sweaters are still visible this way in my closet and I stage outfits including knitwear on hangers for the week (or when I get an inspiration for a combination). I do forget sometimes what I have and as others mentioned the folded system can unravel (pun intended) quite quickly when one is searching through.

Susie

Veteran

My closet is not actually in my bedroom since you go through the master bath and then into the closet. Almost everything is in my closet with the exception of underwear, socks and tights, bathing suits and sleepwear. All of that is in my dresser.

In my closet, I hang everything but loungewear (folded on a shelf) and scarves (folded in a bin on a shelf). So I can see everything that makes up an outfit, including layering tanks and tees. Even belts and a lot of my jewelry are hanging.

I've not had an issue with knits stretching. I use the padded hangers for all sweaters and even blouses because I found that the thinner ones leave marks at the shoulder even with woven tops. Plus they give each item more space.

I do have some out of season pieces in another closet. I find they feel more fresh if I'm not seeing them for months while they hang there unworn.

Laura (rhubarbgirl)

(website)

Veteran

My closet's not in the bedroom either; it's in our other bedroom which we use as an office. So everything that's in the dressers is actually easier to get to than everything that is hanging. Most of my decisions about hanging or folding are due to practicality and/or habit, it's just the way I've always done it. Jeans, sweaters, knit shirts, workout wear, and undergarments are folded in drawers. Trousers, skirts, button front shirts, and blazers are hung.

I don't really have that many problems with remembering that I have something, but then every time I put up clean laundry, if I have time that day, I will look at each of the drawers, make sure everything is tidy, and pull out anything that I haven't worn in a while and try to make an outfit out of it. Same with the hanging stuff. So then in the mornings when I'm trying to figure out an outfit I go to the end of my closet where I've hung these possible outfits and can choose between them.

shiny

Veteran

I don't have the closet space to hang everything. I've written about this before: I have two rolling carts each with 4 wire mesh drawers (the kind of cart people use in their kitchens to store vegetables). They fit perfectly in my closet under my hanging blouses and blazers. I keep scarfs in the top drawers and organize sweaters in the other drawers, according to type. So all short cardigans in one drawer, all long cardigans in another, all pullovers in another, all sweater dresses in another, etc. And organized from lightest weight to heaviest.

I lined the wire drawers with tissue paper to prevent any snagging. The wire allows air to circulate and also enables me to easily see everything. I can also simply roll out the cart for closer inspection, or to re-fold/neaten things up.

Bear in mind I'm petite so my sweaters don't take up as much room folded; this system may not work as well for taller ladies.

I do hang my better-knit tops -- I have those grouped, long sleeve vs short sleeve -- and separated out from silky blouses. But basic cotton tees/graphic tees/layering tees/cotton cami's/cotton tanks are in my dresser drawer. Admittedly that drawer is kind of a mess.

In my dresser -- In the shallower drawers I have bras and slips in one; undies in another; belts in another; socks and tights in another. Then I have pj's and lounge wear in a bigger drawer; basic tees; exercise gear; hoodies & sweats. Finally in the largest drawer I have jeans and other pants that won't wrinkle.

Some of my dresser drawers are quite deep, so yes, items can easily get forgotten, and every time I go digging for something, the whole pile gets messed up. Also I'm pretty bad at putting laundry away so I have made myself a deal that I can just toss stuff in without folding... better it's in the drawer than still in the laundry basket... sigh.... so basically anything that won't wrinkle, or I don't care if it wrinkles, gets tossed away into the dresser.

krishnidoux

Veteran

MRL, I am a folder but I will try your method because I also find that "out of sight, out if wear". I will try Donna's stacking hangars.

One problem with folding is wrinkles and fold lines.
And a problem with hanging too many items too close together is also wrinkles!

ironkurtin

Veteran

I hang everything except undergarments, tshirts, sleepwear, and gear.

To hang a sweater, I fold it in half to make a thin rectangle with sleeves. Then I hang it over the hanger with the neck of the hanger in the armpit and tuck the bottom and the sleeves underneath the bar. Works great.

Linda

I imagine this is why I have noticed almost ANYTHING knit that I've bought lately has hanger loops. I fold and stack in the pier cabinet alongside my side of our bed. I do hang some of the more stable knits, but prefer to fold them. I'm working on finding the right space and configuration again. I've been guilty of a lot of "piling" for lack of closet and drawer space.

I try hard to use a seasonal approach, but the weather has often confounded me. At least, I've got shorts and bathing suits stored in off-season storage!

April

Veteran

I'm a terrible rummager when it comes to drawers and I hate it when they end up a mess, so I like to hang things, including tees.

I fold jeans, loungewear, pajamas, and pullover sweaters. Cardigans I hang on padded hangers.

My closet is not big but the previous homeowner hung two rods, one up high and one around ribcage-height, so I have hanging space.

This may be overkill, but recently I put in plastic dividers that hang on the rod and tell you what items are in that section of the closet (like these http://www.containerstore.com/.....d=10018112, only mine are rectangular so I can label them easily). I love a neat closet and keeping it that way doesn't come naturally -- every little bit helps.

Anonymous

If I don't hang everything, it's out of sight and out of mind. Only my lingerie, socks and pajamas are in drawers. I have a rather large closet, though, so that makes a difference.

Mander

(website)

Veteran

I actually don't have a real dresser right now, just a small set of plastic drawers on the closet floor that hold socks, tights, etc. In the past I have found that I either forget I have stuff or else it quickly becomes messy and crowded if I try to put everything in drawers or on shelves. So, I brave the sweater nipple problem and just hang everything. I find that if I'm careful about how things line up on the hangers I don't actually have much of a problem.

Anonymous

I fold all of my knits. I stack them in the closet on the shelf above where I hang clothes so everything is visible. Not the most ideal system, but it works for me.

Anonymous

I hang everything. Granted, my sweaters are lightweight and all of them are in constant rotation because I have a 10-item wardrobe, but I've never had a problem with anything stretching out or getting hanger marks (I use wooden hangers). I think the fact that I have only 3 or 4 sweaters is key. If I owned a ton of them, they'd likely each be on hangers for long periods of time and I can see how that could be a problem.

Lisa

Veteran

Since I paired down my closet, I am able to store everything in plain sight. Heavy sweaters are folded on a shelf, along with thermals, scarves, layering t's and tank tops. Everything else is on hangers, this includes: jeans, blazers, cardigans, shirts, lightweight knit wear, fleece. The only items out of sight are: underthings, sleepwear, loungewear, socks, and workout wear, which are in drawers in a dresser. I have all of my "hold" items in my closet, but they are in bags and covered so that I do not see what's inside. For me, it's really out of sight, out of mind.

Dylansmom

Yea, I can't hang my sweaters either or else it will stretch out the shape. I feel you about drawers vs. hanging up. I find that I forget sometimes all these great clothes that I have in my drawers because I never see them unless I think to check in there.

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