When looking at a new apartment or home, the real estate question on everyone’s mind used to be: How big is the closet? Now, it’s more along the lines of: How big of a dresser can I get in there? As leggings have quickly gotten equal play with your jeans and as bras and socks for work have quickly become outnumbered those for workouts, the drawers these days are crammed. So, just how do you share the sock drawer and keep the peace?
According to Jacki Hollywood Brown, of the organizational site Unclutterer: The battle of what you should hang versus what you should fold comes down to fabric. She says knits that you might should be folded since hangers can cause them to lose their shape. Anything slippery (like leggings or sports bras) should also be kept in the dresser so that you won’t have to worry about them sliding off hangers. As for dresses, skirts, jackets, and anything you know will wrinkle easily, hang them now so you don’t have iron them later.
Here’s how to fold every article of clothing you own to make it all fit in your home.
Follow these easy folding tricks from to organize your wardrobe like a pro.
Workout clothes
Instead of digging around a sloppy drawer in the pre-6 a.m. darkness for your morning workout look, try this genius tip from Hollywood Brown. Fold your leggings in half, and shirts in thirds, then roll the entire outfit into a spandex burrito. Next, stack each combo on top of the other inside the drawer to make them easier to grab than your morning coffee.
Jeans
Fear not: You won’t have to get rid of any of your 15 (totally, not at all identical) pairs of jeans in order to fit them all. To maximize space, fold them in thirds and stack them on top of each other to fill the depth of a drawer. “It’s also much easier to remove a stack of clothing from a drawer to find the specific item you need,” explains Hollywood Brown. If you’re looking to go full-on Monica Geller with your organization skills, try adding drawer organizing cubes to keep the piles separated, she recommends.
Sweaters
Raise your hand if you’ve ever experienced a sweater avalanche falling from the top shelf of your closet while attempting to grab your favorite v-neck? Instead of trying to pack the chunky fabrics onto whatever shelf corners they’ll fit in, invest in a set of hanging shelves specifically for your knits, says Hollywood Brown. By giving your bulkiest items their own section, you’ll save drawer space while also saving yourself from drowning in a pile of cashmere.
T-shirts
To answer your question: No, there is no such thing as having too many white t-shirts (as long as you have the space to fit them all). Hollywood Brown recommends using something like a Pliio, which allows you to channel your inner retail folding expertise and file your tees horizontally instead of stacking them on top of each other. This makes your tees easier to find, pull out, and also allows you to pack more into a small space. You can also create a DIY filing system, folding shirts around a piece of cardboard to keep them crisp, she says.
Socks
Your new organization mantra: Simplify your socks, simplify your life. While it may sound extreme, Hollywood Brown suggests solely (pun intended) sticking with one type and color of dress socks and one type and color of sport socks, keeping them in their own organizing cube. “It allows you to save time,” she explains. “Simply pull any two socks out of the same cube and you’ve got a matching pair.” Plus, you’ll never really have to worry about the dryer eating one of them again, since they’re all the same. Game. Changer.
For even more space-saving hacks, check out this expert-approved leggings drawer, then take your newfound organization inspiration and clear out your inbox, kitchen, and home library too.
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