Finding the best way to store your clothing often comes down to the choice between hanging or folding your garments. The decision can often be affected by the number of clothing items that you own, the space that you have available and the storage options that can be used. Once you have figured this out and importantly you have sorted through all the clothes that need repairing, no longer fit you or that you haven’t worn in ages you can begin to look at each type of clothing and decide whether you should hang or fold. Here are a few quick ideas we have to help you make the choice.
Hanging – clothing that is at risk of creasing if it is left lying on a shelf should always be hung. Workwear uniforms or formal clothing that you wear to work or for special occasions such as Mens Farah Oxford Shirts like the ones from EJ Menswear should always be placed on a hanger. Trousers that are made of lightweight material should also be placed in a wardrobe draped over a hanger.
Folded – jumpers, unless they are made of soft delicate materials can be folded neatly and placed on shelves or in drawers. This is also the case for t-shirts and other tops as well as jeans. These types of clothing are less likely to become creased and they can be stored just as well by being folded as they could being hung in a wardrobe.
Wardrobes, shelves and drawers
Your choice between hanging and folding will also depend on the storage you have. A wardrobe is the most obvious option and comes in many sizes, often combining hanging rails with shelves. Bespoke wardrobes let you buy the outer shell and fit each section with the storage that suits your clothes.
Shelving works well for items that fold without creasing badly, such as jumpers, T-shirts and casual trousers. Shirts and formal or work trousers are usually better hung, because their fabrics tend to crease when folded.
Drawers are useful for underwear, and many people also keep T-shirts and casual clothes in them. Folding garments into compact upright rectangles, rather than flat piles, lets you see everything in a drawer at a glance and makes far better use of the space. Whatever mix you use, the goal is the same: clothes that are easy to find in a hurry in the morning and come out free of creases.
Keeping shirts crease free
Shirts are a good test of the hang or fold question, because nobody wants to spend more time ironing than they have to. Hanging them in a wardrobe is usually the best way to keep them fresh and free of wrinkles. Some people group them by type and others by colour; it simply depends on how you like to organise things.
Folding can work well too, especially on shelves. The key is to fold and put shirts away as soon as possible after ironing, while they are still smooth, to reduce new creases.
If there is no shelf space, folded shirts can go in a drawer and still stay fresh. The drawback is visibility: it is hard to see every shirt at once, so you may end up leafing through the whole pile, and creasing the others, to find the one you want.