This Is the Best and Only Way to Hang a Sweater
Some might recoil at the very idea of a clothes hanger coming anywhere near a sweater. After all, stretched-out tops with misshapen shoulders aren’t a good look for anyone. But if you’re tired of cramming folded sweaters into a dresser drawer or on a shelf, you might wonder if it’s worth the risk to reclaim some space on that closet rod.
How to Hang a Sweater
1. Lay the sweater on a flat surface, then fold it in half lengthwise and line up the body and sleeves so that the sweater is in a large V.
2. Position the hanger on the sweater so that the hook is peeking out of the V where the arms and body come together.
3. Drape the body of the sweater over one of the hanger arms, then drape the arms over the other.
4. Hang it on the closet rod as you would any other garment.
Spoiler alert: There’s no risk, and it’s totally worth it. The following technique allows you to hang sweaters using the very same hanger you would use for a regular shirt or even a pair of pants.
How to Hang a Sweater
Carly Adams, professional organizer and founder of Tidy Revival, is always looking for new tricks and techniques to help her clients keep their homes — particularly, their closets — neat.
She recommends this super-effective way of storing your sweaters without stretching them, noting that “this technique works best with rubber or velvet hangers, as there is less slipping than with wooden, wire, or plastic hangers.”
1. Lay the sweater on a flat surface with the neck facing you. Fold it in half lengthwise and line up the body and sleeves so that the sweater is in a large V.
2. Position the hanger on the sweater so that the hook is peeking out of the V where the arms and body come together.
3. Drape the body of the sweater over one of the hanger arms, then drape the arms over the other. If your hanger has a bar on it, tuck the sleeves and body of the sweater under the bar to ensure a more secure fit on the hanger.
4. Hang it on the closet rod as you would any other garment.
During the writing of this article, several of my garments were used to test out the above method. I first tried it on a long, thinner cardigan and was pleased to see it stayed put on the hanger even though it didn’t have a bar to tuck into. Next, I tried it on a bulkier pullover with the same results. I even tried it out on this silky boatneck top that never wants to stay on its hanger. Mind blown.
I might never go back to hanging shirts the “old” way. For the time it takes me to arrange one on a hanger so that it sits nice and smooth, I can easily get it onto the hanger in this “new” way.