Folding, hanging and the wardrobe
The rule is one line long: knits are folded, wovens are hung. A jumper on a hanger grows shoulders, and a linen shirt in a drawer arrives creased.
Why knits must be folded
Knitted fabric is loops, and loops elongate under load. A hanger concentrates the whole weight of a jumper on two points, and the shoulders stretch permanently. Fold knitwear, and if you must hang it, fold it over the bar instead.
Velvet hangers, and why they are worth it
The flocking grips, so nothing slides off and vest straps stay put. They are about a third the thickness of plastic, which is real space in a small wardrobe. Take the notches seriously: hanging straps on them is what keeps a neckline in shape.
Never wire
Wire hangers are too narrow to support a shoulder and they rust onto pale fabric. If your dry cleaning comes home on them, the hangers are packaging, not storage.
Filing, not stacking
Fold to a uniform height and stand items on edge in the drawer, so you see every one at once. A stack means you wear the top three things and the bottom of the pile creases under the weight.
Put it away dry
Anything even slightly damp will mildew in a closed drawer, and the smell does not wash out easily. Air things over a chair for an hour before they go away.
Space in the rail
A packed rail creases everything in it and stops air moving, which is what moths like. Leaving a hand-width of slack does more for how clothes look than any amount of ironing afterwards.
