Pick a hanger...

One of the January style prompts is connected to sustainability: wear a piece you already own a new way.

Did you know that something as simple as the hangers we choose to use in our closets can help support this one? It's a bit roundabout explanation, but, here's how:

With all the excitement over 2020, you might feel the urge to purge all of your clothing - new decade, new you (that's been all over my Instagram feed)...and start fresh. Please do not do that! Yes, frequent editing is important to ensure our clothing serves us well and reflects who we are today. But, chances are, there's probably some pretty great pieces already in your closet that just need to be reimagined (and seen!).

One of the biggest complaints I hear as a stylist is, "I have a closet full of clothes, but nothing to wear". Usually, when I enter a closet what I find is: some great clothing that is hard to make sense of due to lack of organization or overcrowding. That's where the hangers come in.

Closet tip: Pick a hanger type and stick with it.

My stylist friends talk about this all of the time. One of the first things we do when we get to a client's closet is recommend they work toward having uniform hangers. Be it velvet, wood, acrylic or padded...it's a personal choice. Working toward having the same hanger type will make such a difference in how things hang in the closet and can make you feel as if you are stepping into your own personal boutique every day - and you deserve that!

When placing hangers in the closet, aim for the pinky space rule:

When I was a Grade One teacher, I taught the "pinky space" rule for proper spacing between words so writing doesn't become confusing and hard to read. Same applies to the closet.

If the garments are all jammed together it is:

a) hard to know what you have

b) not aesthetically pleasing

c) potentially damaging to your clothing as pieces can get caught on one another (inadvertently damaging our clothing is NOT in line with sustainability practices)

If you have too much clothing to make finger spacing a reality, you may want to consider removing some seasonal pieces and swapping them out throughout the year.

Please avoid wire hangers!

Personally, I opt for the velvet hangers as I love the fact that they actually take up less room in my closet and for the non-slippage factor. That being said, it's a personal choice and I have clients who swear by wood or have a matching set of plastic hangers that are working for them.

If we are trying to increase the longevity of what we've already invested in, then we need to protect our clothing. Wire hangers are incredibly hard on garments particularly through stretching.

Boutique-ify your closet and let the creativity begin!

A few months ago, I wrote a post on how to make our closets feel more like a boutique. One of the reasons many us feel excited to go shopping is that boutiques/stores are set out in a way that feels pleasing (and organized). Like items are arranged together, they are spaced out so you can see them and there is uniformity in the hangers. If we work toward creating a similar environment in our own wardrobes, I truly believe we will be more excited to spend time in our closets playing around with what's already there.

And that comes back to the prompt. Once we set up an environment that is pleasing and organized, we can really sink our teeth into working with what we already have. And yes, that can start with something as simple as a hanger.

If you follow the style prompt this month and come up with a new way to wear something you already have - I'd love to hear about it!

Happy New Year!

Lori