Well, another summer is going by, and sweater weather is right around the corner waiting for your disappointment in closet accommodations. How we love the crisp smell of fall in the air, hot cocoa by a bonfire, knit hats, and oh-so-comfortable sweaters that hug us with warmth. What we don’t love, however, is figuring out how the heck we are going to display the lovelies in our closets. I mean, do you hang them, fold those bad boys, lay them long ways in a drawer with the arms folded over? There has to be an end to this madness! Let me offer some relief to the craziness and give you some ideas right now.
Because there are many different kinds of closets with varying sizes and accommodations, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to keeping your sweaters ready to wear, but here are some ways that should work for most people.
1. Avoid shoulder nips at all costs!
First off, there will be very few sweaters that can or should be hung the traditional way. For the most part, sweaters are heavy and will ruin the lay of the sweater if hung up and will cause that unsightly puckering of the shoulder. If you don’t have much of an option besides hanging, go for a hanger with a bulkier bar, such as a wooden hanger. Fold the sweater in half length-wise and hang it over the bar. You could also fold it in half and hang each end on either side of the hanger hook. In this case, you will want to purchase hangers with a grip on the arms to help prevent them from sliding off if they are wooden, or the felt hangers work well to keep clothes on the hanger. Just be aware that some of the colors can rub off onto clothing.
2. There's a bin for that
Use a fabric bin to store your folded sweaters. There are many different ones to choose from, but I would recommend using one with a clear window so you can see what is inside. Fabric bins allow the material to breathe, add an aesthetically pleasing look to your closet, and are already in a container that will be able to store them out of season. If you don’t want to unpack the sweaters each time you want a certain one in the mix, fold them file style in the bin. This would negate the use of the clear windowed bin but make it easier to retrieve your sweater.
3. Keep it undercover
If you are depleted with space in your closet, don’t have very many sweaters, or don’t want to switch out your clothes by season. An under-the-bed storage system would be an option. Storage with rollers makes it easy to slide the bin out from and under your bed to keep your sweaters or any type of clothing, for that matter, organized. It is a great option for small apartments or older homes that have little closet space.
4. Put it on the shelf
Of course, there is always the option of leaving them folded and displayed on a shelf. There are different types of shelf dividers available that will keep them stacked and separated so they don’t fall to the side and keep them looking neat. Find one that compliments your style, or go with clear to not distract from your colorful display.
5. Stow away
If none of these solutions work well for you, a dresser drawer is probably the best option. Make use of drawer dividers. It’s a wonderful way to separate clothes by color, style, or material. Fold them in thirds and store them up-right so you can see exactly what you have and get to them easily.
"Life's too short to wear boring clothes."
