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How to Store your Clothes – Hangers, Garment bags, and Cedar.

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You & Your Clothes vs. Gravity and Bugs

There are two main forces that’ll do the most damage to your clothes.  Gravity, and Bugs.  Moths or the more common carpet beetle work quick.  All it takes is open access to the garment and insects can turn your favorite suit into lunch.  Gravity on the other hand works slow.  Hang that blazer up on the wrong hanger and the unrelenting 9.8 m/s2 force will pull it to pieces like a medieval prisoner on the rack.

Protect the investment that is your wardrobe with these four must have items:

Serious Suit Protection. $12.99
Serious Suit Protection for $13

1. Cotton Canvas Garment Bags – It’s not the best idea to keep your suits in that plastic garment bag they came in from the store.  Those tear easily, and that will let the bugs in.  Those bags also don’t breathe.  At all.  So if you zip up a sweated up/drink-spilled-on suit following a night of drunken debauchery, the next time you open up that bag it’ll smell like someone died in your suit that night.  $12.99 gets you the top of the line Rubbermaid Hanging Canvas Suit Bag.  It breathes, it’s lined with cedar, & there’s even extra zipper flaps to ward off sneaky bugs.  Plus a window allows you to see which suit is stored inside.

2. Wide Shoulder Jacket Hangers – You wouldn’t come home and toss your suit on the floor would you?  Frankly, it’s better on the floor than hanging on a wire or plastic hanger.  Gravity works slow, but unless you have some wide shoulder suit hangers like these, the lack of surface area on a standard hanger will destroy your jacket.  Invest in a few.  One for each suit coat, blazer, and wool over coat. 

3. Cedar Hang Ups– You want your clothes to be moisture and bug free.  Hang one of these up between each of your suits and your closet will be protected against both.  If the smell starts to fade, lightly sand and it’ll come right back.  An 8-pack for under $20 should be plenty.

4. Clipped Pants Hangers – They’re a bit of a luxury, but if you’d rather not deal with the slight wrinkles those cardboard covered wire pants hangers can cause, these are the answer.  Clip your waistband to the hanger and you’ll never look like you were folded at the knees ever again.  Five for $9.99 is a good price, especially since the clips are metal and not plastic.

Comments

  1. I like, very great info…I was looking for something to ward off the moths…lost a few v-neck sweaters last year.

  3. Also: I’m confused about the canvas bag. What do you use it for? Do you keep your stuff in there 24/7 or just when traveling?

  4. I’m no expert, but I think your suits should always be in a suit bag. It keeps them clean(er) and protects them from the elements and insects. I keep my 2 suits in bags 24/7, regardless of if I am traveling or not.

  5. Agreed with Bryan. Yakov: I never used to keep my wool sweaters in a drawer with cedar… until two got seriously chewed up by one stray moth that must have made it’s way into my place. The bags are for 24/7. Keeps em’ clean, fresh, and snag, hole, and dust free.

  6. I would have to add a reminder that cedar shoe trees are absolutely necessary for your dress shoes. They absorb sweat, salt, and excess moisture; freshen odors; and ward off insects. I would also mention that I was in J.A. Banks the other day and noticed they are selling both cedar suit hangers and regular hangers. Not a bad idea…

  8. Hey, dig the site. I never came across it until I was researching hanger types for my post over on the Neoteric Gentleman on WordPress. I posted a link for this since I thought it to be helpful.