How to Properly Store Clothes in a Wardrobe

Properly fold, stand vertically, store in one place, and divide space into rectangular sections — these are the storage principles promoted by Japanese home organization guru Mari Konno. How to apply them in practice? We explain in this post.

Mari Konno is an expert and specialist in household organization, consultant, and author of four books on home organization.

Sort items by category. When hanging clothes, arrange them so that the length of the garments decreases from left to right. Keep items from the same category together: coats with coats, jackets with jackets, dresses with dresses, and so on.

Pay attention to material and color. Hang and place dark garments next to dark ones, and light ones next to light ones. This way you can instantly understand where things are located, and also track the color trends in your wardrobe.

Store items vertically and keep them close to each other. This will help save space and avoid disrupting the order when taking out one t-shirt.

Don't leave drawers half-empty. A 90% fill rate is considered ideal for storing items in drawers. However, items made from thin materials, such as undergarments, can be packed slightly more tightly to prevent them from unfolding.

Store light-colored underwear in the front part of the drawer, and darker ones move to the back. Arranging items by color gradation enhances the joy of looking at them.

Use the wardrobe doors. Hooks and hangers on the door can be used to store ties, scarves, or belts.

Store jewelry and accessories separately. It's great if your wardrobe has a dresser. One of the drawers can be used to store accessories (belts, brooches, cufflinks).

Save space in the wardrobe. Fold bags into each other. Tote bags, for example, made of fabric, can be stored folded.

Use the upper shelf of the wardrobe. Store bags, hats, seasonal accessories, and sentimental items there. You can also place seasonal clothing or rarely used items (e.g., festive decorations) here.

Don't forget about transparent drawers. This is a very convenient solution for storing items on shelves and in wardrobes.

Decorate the inside of the wardrobe. Let your imagination run wild! For example, you can wrap hangers with old pearl beads that you don't wear anymore or stick a few photos on the wardrobe door.