Hangers – 5 Tips To Make Them Work For You

In this blog I cover the different types of hangers you can get, the considerations you need to make to choose the right one/s for you, and where to get them.

Wikipedia says “A clothes hanger, coat hanger, or coathanger, is a device in the shape of: human shoulders designed to facilitate the hanging of a coat, jacket, sweater, shirt, blouse or dress in a manner that prevents wrinkles, with a lower bar for the hanging of trousers or skirts.”

That’s a great description, but there’s more to consider to make the best decision about which hangers are right for you, as there are a lot to choose from. This is what I think you should consider:

• The amount of space you have to hang clothes;
• The materials and quantity of your items (silk, linen, cotton, wool – and whether hangers will make an impression in the garment);
• The hangers themselves (hanger materials, size, cost, thickness, and ability to do the job);
• Your body shape and size (there are hangers for children, women, men and larger/heavier items – we are all sizes so hangers need to be too); and
• Budget (hangers cost, but you can get good ones on a budget or for free).

SPACE

When it comes to space, how much you can hang depends on the garments you are hanging (how chunky the items are), plus the width of the hangers, and obviously your space. Some hangers take up more room on the rail than others.

Can you fold items (like chunky knits) and store them on a shelf or in a drawer, especially if folding will not affect their appearance when you go to wear them?

CLOTHES MATERIALS

Getting the right hangers for you and your garment is important, especially if you value your clothes. For instance, would you hang your best silk shirt on a wooden hanger – I wouldn’t – in case it splintered and pulled the garment! So you might choose a softer hanger like a material one.

Nor would I hang it on a wire hanger or a hanger that didn’t fully look after the shape of the garment. Take a look at your hangers … have you got different shape ones in your wardrobe, and do they match your body shape? Some people are quite straight across the shoulders, whereas others quite round. If you have straighter hangers that you are hanging a blouse on, does that imprint the shape in the shoulders or sleeves?

Can you see how the lady with long hair has straighter shoulders than the runner?

QUANTITY OF CLOTHES THAT YOU HAVE

If your garments are squashed in a wardrobe, do you need to weed a bit? Perhaps you can select items you do not wear that often and place them in a suitcase or vacuum storage case, so that you can see the clothes you want to wear more easily, and they will then be less creased. This will save some hangers too.

HANGERS

Hangers come in many shapes, sizes and materials. Some of your choice might be personal preference, or it may be driven by cost, aesthetics in your wardrobe (having everything look neat and the same), but I would urge you to think about their function for you.

Do you have different hangers for trousers and skirts? If you fold garments over a hanger’s bar, and you do not use them regularly, be prepared to find that they have a line mark on them, especially if they are heavy. Plus you may find the hanger bends out of shape or breaks if it is not suited to the weight of the garment.

Equally, some skirt or trouser hangers may leave a “pinch” mark on the waistband if they have particularly strong grips.

Beware of the metal or plastic hangers that you receive your dry cleaning on. They are good for some things (and certainly don’t take up much space in the wardrobe), but they may not be best for your favourite or most expensive items.

One problem you may encounter is keeping the garment on the hanger. This is something the shops have battled too, and they’ve come up with a plastic hanger with a strip on the top that acts like a rubber hanger, thus keeping the garment in place. If you are offered these at the point of sale, I would urge you to accept.

 Rubber hanger, with rounded shape

YOUR BODY SHAPE AND SIZE

I have covered body shape above (where shoulders can be straight or curved).

Have you noticed that hangers vary in size? There are hangers for children’s clothing, female clothing (which can range from a small size to a larger size) and hangers for males, which tend to be broader than for females. Your hangers need to be right for your size garments.

WHERE TO BUY HANGERS

You don’t need to buy all your hangers – unless you want your wardrobe to look the same. Most people have a mix of hangers, maybe because they need different ones for different items anyway. Don’t forget to ask for the hangers when you’re buying clothes, as they will often let you have them.

You can buy in bulk from Amazon, ebay, Hangerworld, or from department stores (like John Lewis), Argos, and supermarkets. They will vary considerably in price, so do shop around.

When I do a wardrobe review with someone I am interested in their objectives for that exercise. I will advise on hangers as part of the process if appropriate. So, if you would like some one-to-one help in this matter, please give me a call.