Over the past year, I’ve been trying to focus more time and funds on taking care of items in my wardrobe. Forking over $ for professional alterations and cleaning is not fun, but hopefully will pay off in the long run. During this time, two aspects that I was guilty of neglecting were proper garment hanging and storage. I had a closet full of standard adult hangers, and cringed a little each time I stretched the shoulders of my clothes onto them. I had tried kids hangers before, but they were too narrow and resulted in the opposite problem – sagging and bumps in areas between the shoulder lines.

Kelly‘s post on narrow-shouldered hangers was revolutionary for me, however I decided to put off a hanger overhaul until we moved out of our current place. Unfortunately, it took a recent mini-panic over a permanently stretched-out Theory blazer for me to take quicker action! The owner of Only Hangers sent over some items for my to review – this brand makes a pretty big range of hanger sizes, including children’s (12″ across and under), juniors (14”), petite (15.5” wooden, 15″ plastic shaper), regular (17″ – 18″), and oversized (19″ – 20″).

Nothing more chic than linebacker shoulders!

I measured the shoulder width of my blazers and blouses (mostly 13-14” across), and determined that the juniors size was best for me. Kelly featured the sleek ones with a top wooden bar only, and I went with the ones with a lower metal bar and clips. Since most hangers have to play double or triple duty in my small closet, I needed the second bar to hold skirts and/or pants.

I also received their multi-pant hanger with 6 rubberized bars to prevent slipping and creasing. I used to hang my pants over the lower bar of hangers also holding blazers, but they were sometimes concealed by the blazers and subsequently forgotten. Now I can see all of them at once without taking up much space. My blazers, coats, pants and blouses have been thrilled with the hanger upgrades, but for delicate sweaters and loose knits, I recommend storing rolled-up or folded in a dresser, as hanging of any sort over time could stretch knits out.

All in all these hangers were very good quality. Whatever your shoulder measurement is, I think the risk of damaging the structure of beloved garments justifies a one-time investment in the right-sized hangers!

Dealing with a smaller closet, I’ve also gotten into the habit of rotational storage of seasonal garments (ie. heavy sweaters and tweeds). With precious closet space cleared up, I can see most items in one glance, which maximizes the wear that each piece receives. I bought a raised bed frame years ago for the extra room underneath, but the bottom of raised couches can also serve as prime storage space.

I used to use unsightly garbage bags for under-bed storage, but often had to wreak havoc on the contents trying to locate a specific item.  These under-bed chests helped solve those issues. The side handles help them slide easily like actual chests, and I can fit two side-by-side along each length of my bed. The clear top is great for seeing exactly what’s inside (I roll items up so more garments are visible from the top), and there are cedar wood inserts to help ward off wool and silk-munching moths.

Cedar pieces should be sanded or filed down every few months for a fresh scent, and I’m thinking of adding a few more blocks to be safe. Make sure to clean your garments thoroughly before storing anywhere, since bugs are attracted to accumulated dirt.