Maximise Your Closet Space: Best Hanging Solutions for Clothes

Whether you're a capsule wardrobe lover or a more of a clothes hoarder, we all need some functional and fabulous clothes hanging storage ideas.

It can feel overwhelming at times, especially if space is limited, but by investing in good storage solutions you can get even the smallest hanging space organised so that all your clothes are hanging neatly and organised ready for your use.

Clothes storage should and can be simple, yet it doesn’t take too long for too many clothes to get the better of you when good organisation solutions are not in place.

Here we share our best solutions for storing hanging clothes in your wardrobe to maximise the space available.

What items to hang and what to fold?

A question we often get asked is whether it is better to hang or fold clothes?

This is a great question and an especially important one to consider when hanging space for clothes is at a premium in your wardrobe.

The first thing to do in the process of maximising your closet space is to decide which items get the hanger treatment and which are better off tucked away inside drawers or on shelves.

Items to hang

The following clothes always belong on a hanger:

Jackets

Jackets are usually bulky items of clothing and if you try to fold them inside bins or drawers they will become creased and potentially damaged. Additionally they will take up large amounts of space so they are always best hung.

Blouses

Blouses tend to crease very easily so to avoid this and extra time irony be sure to keep them on a hanger.

Most dresses

The majority of dresses deserve vertical hanging space in your wardrobe. The only exception are heavy jumper dresses (or other dresses made of a heavy material) which can end up stretching when on a hanger.

Trousers

You should plan to hang all trousers (both casual and dress). Depending on the height and width of your hanging space you can hang them with clips from the waist or fold them over the hanger. The only exception to this rule is jeans which can be easily file-folded on shelves or inside drawers.

Flowy fabrics

Any item made of a flowy fabric such as chiffon or silk should be hung. These items don’t do well stuffed inside a drawer (they can be very difficult to fold neatly!) and take up minimal space when hanging.

Linen

Linen is always best hung in a wardrobe as it can become very easily creased. As linen requires ironing to look its best, you’ll save yourself a lot of time hanging linen items straight inside your wardrobe after ironing.

Items to fold

The following clothes should always be folded:

Activewear

Anything you wear to workout should be folded. The materials of these items are easy to fold efficiently whilst they can get stretched out when placed on a hanger.

Thick jumpers

Thick jumpers, wool or other, all always best folded, both to save space and to maintain their structural integrity.

Items to hang or fold

The following items can be hung or folded depending on the space you have available in your wardrobe and your personal preference:

Jeans

Jeans are the easiest trousers to fold as the thickness of the material allows them to hold their shape when folded. You may prefer to hang your jeans for easier accessibility, in which case folding them over the hanger is the best way.

T-shirts

T-shirts are such an easy item to store in your wardrobe as they can be folded, hung or stacked on shelves. If you want minimal creases, hanging can eliminate them almost completely.

However as most modern t-shirts have some stretchy fibre in them they can even be virtually crease free after folding.

Now onto some of our favourite tips to help maximise hanging space in your closet.

Space maximising tips for hanging clothes

Invest in the right hangers

Changing up the hangers in your wardrobe is a brilliant way to maximise your closet space and create a neat and curated aesthetic. As for the type of hangers you should go for, slimline velvet are our go to for style and efficiency.

They come in a variety of colours to match your wardrobe, the velvet is kind on fabrics and the slimline nature allows for maximum space efficiency on your hanging rail.

Always hang clothing so it faces in the same direction

Always remember that when hanging clothes in your closet, facing them in the same direction will create clean visual lines as well as ensure that your hanging space is utilised as efficiently as possible.

Hang accessories on wall hooks

When organising your wardrobe, accessories such as scarves, hats and jewellery can easily be overlooked.

Instead of hiding these items away in bins or boxes, a simple and effective hanging solution is to add command hooks on free walls or the inside of wardrobe doors on which to display these items.

Rotate you clothing seasonally

If you are short on hanging space in your wardrobe, you may want to consider rotating your clothing with the seasons to maximise your hanging space.

You’re unlikely to be wearing your sundresses during the winter months and vice versa, you won’t be using your bulky winter coats and wool jumpers in the warm summer months so why let them take up precious space?

At the start of each new season, set aside a few hours to switch out your seasonal items.

Store these items inside a vacuum bag, sealed box or underbed storage compartment remembering to label the outside of the bin so you the contents within.

Use a freestanding rail

If hanging space inside your wardrobe is limited why not add a chic looking hanging rail to your bedroom and use it to display your favourite hanging pieces.

This can either be a freestanding, portable rail that can be moved around as you please or you may choose to attach one to the wall or ceiling!

Maximise hanging space with a fitted solution

If your wardrobe space is small or an awkward shape, you may benefit from a fitted solution to make the most of the space.

A bespoke fitted solution might include curved corner rails, pull-down hanging rails or pull-out trouser rails to enable your closet space to be as efficient as it can be.

Take advantage of other rooms

If you have extra hanging space available outside of your wardrobe in other areas of your home, why not utilise it for clothes storage?

Organise wardrobe hanging space

Create more hanging space inside your wardrobe by implementing a system of organisation.

A simple and effective way to organise your wardrobe is in categories by clothing type (e.g. skirts together, dresses together, long-long sleeved blouses together, short-sleeved blouses together and so on).

Then within each type of clothing, you can organise your clothing by colour for a sleek aesthetic.

No closet is too small with these hanging solutions

Maximising your closet hanging space needn’t be a difficult task. As these tips show, by making a few considered choices during the process, you can end up with a clutter-free and organised wardrobe.

At Homefulness we have supported many clients in optimising their wardrobes to make selecting outfits so much easier!

Be sure to check out our wardrobe how-to guide for some more in-depth guidance on organising your clothing and accessories the Homefulness way. Whether your wardrobe storage space is large or small, there is an organisation system that will work!

If you need help with your wardrobe transition, don’t hesitate toget in touch, Homefulness is here to help!