FashBlog.com

Many years ago, when I was in college, I worked at The Gap for a short time one summer. I remember little about the people I worked with, or the giant mall which housed our store. It was just one of several in a long line of part time jobs during my busy college years. However, what I do remember is the process by which clothing was folded in that store. If you have ever visited one of their stores, as well as many newer stores which are similar to The Gap, you will understand the folding. Every piece of clothing in the store is folded neatly and displayed on a clean shelf. The neat, stacked clothing give customers a calm, soothing feeling of neatness and serenity. Although I did not enjoy spending my days folding clothing so that it all stayed in nice, neat stack, only to have unthinking customers come and mess it all up and then walk away, I learned a lot about how to keep clothes neat with minimal space.

The best way to store your clothing, whether it is in a closet, on shelves, or in a dresser, is in the folding. The way you fold your clothing and clean laundry, can make your life easier and ease the stress just a little. First, think about the way you fold your socks. Although socks are rarely seen folded in a store, but rather, packaged or hanging on a hook, we do not store them that way at home. Sock drawers can be the most frightening of all the drawers in our dressers. Many people simply throw all their socks into the drawer and then match them as they go, but the best way is to fold each pair together and then stack them neatly in a row in your drawer. This might take a bit longer at folding time, but when it is time to get dressed, you will open a neat, pleasing drawer and find your socks easily.

Shirts that are not hung in the closet, such as t-shirts, tank tops and the like, should be folded in thirds. Fold the sleeves back toward one another and then when the shirt is in thirds, fold it in half. If you fold all your shirts the same way, they will fit on a shelf or in a dresser drawer more neatly, and thus you will be able to fit more into your drawer. Blue jeans and other pants are the same way. These can be folded in thirds or fourths, depending on how much shelf or drawer space you have.

Underthings, like socks, should be folded, as well. Women can fold their panties neatly in half and men can do the same with their boxer shorts or briefs. Like the socks, fold them and stack them neatly in a row for the next time you need them. Pajamas and nighties can be tough to fold, especially if they are of the silky variety, but if all else fails, roll them up and line the rolls neatly in a drawer. After all, you don't have to worry about wrinkles with pajamas.

Larger items like coats and large sweaters can be stored on shelves, but only if you don't have the space to hang them in your closet. Sweaters, depending on the fabric content, stay fresher if they are hung up, but if they tend to stretch or lose their shape, folding is the only option. Fold sweaters and coats the same way you fold your t-shirts, just make sure to allow more room on the shelf or in the drawer. If a coat needs to be stored away for the summertime, be sure to wash it first, and then consider folding it into a chest or box to be put away until the next season, thus freeing up closet or shelf space.

Although towels and washcloths are not clothing items, we still use them every day and launder them every week, and they can take up as much room or more as our clothing. Folding towels and washcloths largely depends on personal preference and how much space you have in your bathroom closet or cabinet. The two best ways to fold large towels are either to fold them in fourths lengthwise, and then in thirds from there, or to simply roll them up like you roll your underwear. Washcloths can be rolled up and displayed in a pretty basket on the countertop or on the back of the commode.

Consider taking a bit of extra time to fold your laundry neatly; then you will reap the benefits later of having nice, tidy shelves and drawers.