Which hangar is right for you?

Clients ask me about hangars all the time and really there is only one hard and fast rule: don't use the wire hangar your dry cleaner sent home with you. She wants your items to get to their destination in the best condition possible but she doesn't expect you to use those hangars forever.  In fact most stores provide a small container that will catch them and when full you can return the stash to the store.  It's the ultimate recycling.

The hangars shown above are Huggables from The Container Store but you can find them or a version of them just about every place where closet supplies are sold.  The coating on the hangar prevents slipping and they are so thin they take up hardly any space.  You can't go wrong.  Personally I use wood because I find it to be the kindest to my clothing but I also have a large walk in closet with lots of space.

The first step is to clean out your closet and see how many items you realistically have to hang.  Do a literal count and then go to a store with a large selection of styles.  Decide which is best considering how many you need (price) and how much space you have (thin takes up less room than thick). You can swap out your hangers over time.  In fact it's a really exhausting job to do an entire wardrobe  in one sitting although I've certainly done it many times over the years.

You take great pains to decorate your home so that it reflects you, right? Why not choose a style and color hangar that repeats or enhances what you have created elsewhere in your home?  Just be sure your hangar will preserve those garments you have spent time and money collecting. Wire hastens them to the Goodwill graveyard!

For those who like to dive deep here's a hangar tutorial from my friends at the Container Store:
http://www.containerstore.com/tip/closets/perfecthanger