5 Garments You Should Never Hang in a Closet—Plus the Right Way to Store the Rest of Your Clothes

When it comes to clothing, the question of whether to fold or hang items is an eternal dilemma common to every household.

The right answer depends on several factors, including space, fabric, and style. It can be confusing, but thankfully, our handy guide below will tell you what belongs in your drawer versus what to put on the rack and why.

1. Which Clothes Should You Fold?
2. Which Clothes Should You Hang Up?
3. Which Clothes Can Go Either Way?

Which Clothes Should You Fold?

Unsure which garments ought to be folded up? It's not always an easy thing to figure out, and you run the risk of stretching out and damaging certain types of clothes if you aren't too careful. Below are some of the items that definitely warrant the dresser treatment, including:

Winter Sweaters

We all have our favorites, and this time of year, they’re a vital part of any wardrobe. Chunky and/or knit sweaters are a special case and need to be treated accordingly. Wherever possible, sweaters should be folded and laid flat to prevent pulling and stretching.

With that said, they can take up a lot of drawer space. If you need to hang up your sweater, take the following steps to get the best results:

1. Fold the sweater in half, left to right, and line up sleeves. This should leave you with a V-shape.
2. Lay the sweater flat. Take a hanger and position it so that its hook is pointing out of the V-shape where the arms and body meet.
3. Tuck the body of the sweater over the lower hanger bar, then tuck the arms over the remaining bar.

Lingerie

Whether you’re dealing with silky nightgowns or something more delicate, lingerie is best served in a drawer rather than on a hanger. These are small, everyday items that you’re going to want easy access to. Storing underwear in a drawer also can keep the garments from stretching out and saves a lot of space.

Shorts

Hanging shorts up won’t cause them any harm, but rather than allowing them to take up precious closet space, you may want to just fold and stash everything away in a drawer.

Activewear

Workout tops, fitted leggings, yoga pants—essentially anything that falls under the umbrella of activewear—ought to be folded. This is because most of these sportswear items are made out of stretchy materials like polyester and spandex that can easily distort if dangled from a hanger.

Embroidered Garments

Dresses or tops featuring delicate embroidery or beading really ought to be stored flat to keep the material from tearing or being damaged in other ways, and ideally, these garments should also be kept in a special storage bag to preserve their look and feel.

Which Clothes Should You Hang Up?

Though you can technically fold up any old piece of clothing that you want to, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you should. Certain crease-prone materials, including silk and chiffon, are likely to wrinkle, so you may want to think twice before you fold. Still, there are others to consider, including:

Linen

Made from bast fibers (a type of plant-based fiber), linen is notorious for wrinkling, and therefore, it should always be hung. Though the material itself can be pretty strong (and gets stronger when wet), it isn’t great at keeping its shape unless hung up.

Pants

Jeans aside (more on that later), casual and dress pants should always be hung up in order to prevent wrinkling. You can either do this the long way, hanging from the waistband, or simply draped over both sides of the hanger. 

Chiffon, Silk, and Other Flowy Fabrics

Floaty fabrics make for beautiful clothing, but these materials wrinkle up easily and definitely fall into the must-hang category. Silk, especially, looks even worse when it crinkles because its smooth and glassy appearance exaggerates any imperfection.

Jackets, Coats, and Blazers

Blazers, jackets, and general outerwear are bulky, space-consuming items that you should definitely keep hanging up. Forcing these items into a drawer may cause damage to the material and will most likely result in lots of creasing. When it comes to suits, you ought to keep those hung as well.

Blouses

Whether they’re super dressy or not, it’s best to hang up more formal tops and blouses in order to preserve their shape and durability. Top buttons should also be fastened, as this can better protect collars.

Which Clothes Can Go Either Way?

Some articles of clothing—including everyday items like t-shirts—are a bit more versatile when it comes to storage, meaning you could opt to hang or fold them up without causing major damage to the material. Below are the garments that can go either way, such as:

T-Shirts

It’s perfectly acceptable to fold and stack t-shirts up in a dresser drawer, but it’s also OK if you want to hang them. Most that are made of cotton will also stay relatively wrinkle-free, regardless of which method you choose, provided you fold them up in the right way.

Scarves

Roll them, fold them, or hang them—no matter which method you choose, scarves can be stored in all kinds of creative ways. Just try to keep the size and fabric of each in mind before you do, as some materials may wrinkle more readily than others.

Jeans

Good old rugged jeans are the no-drama bedrock of your wardrobe. Made with denim, these sturdy garments will fare just fine if you fold them up, but you can slip them on a hanger and call it a day, too.

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