It's definitely in your best interest to hang button up shirts. Primarily because they tend to be fitted and contoured, so they are incredibly challenging to fold. Even if you do manage to fold it well, they will always get wrinkles when folded. So hanging it is!
The absolute best hanger for your button up shirts is a hanger that is sized to fit the shirt. Regardless of material, it's the shape and size that are the most important. This is because size and shape will determine whether you get bumps or wrinkles as it hangs. I would generally steer clear of wire hangers because they are so thin they will likely leave a crease in your shirt, even if it is the right size and shape.. So focusing on Plastic, Velvet and Wood hangers is your best bet. I prefer wood hangers because they are a little bit wider than plastic and velvet hangers and so will not leave any marks on the top edge of your shirt.
Size matters because if the hanger is too small, it will cause the shirt to drape unnaturally, and will put a bump in the top edge of your shirt. This tends to be a big problem for men or plus sized women. If the hanger is too big, then it will poke in the shoulders of your shirt and leave a bump there. It will also cause the shirt to hang unnaturally and make it prone to wrinkles. This tends to be a problem for most women and juniors. Primarily because the standard hanger size (17 inches) is far too big for women. The average woman's shoulders are 15 inches wide (bone structure). And that’s average! Meaning there are some women who have much smaller shoulders than that, and some who have bigger shoulders. Once you add a bit of muscle and skin, it takes the average up to 16 inches. So easily more than half the population of women in the world need a hanger much smaller than 17 inches.
Shape is important because that will affect the drape of your shirt, and this is where you will get odd wrinkles around the neck of your shirt and sometimes down the front. Some hangers have a really steep angle to them, which is odd because our shoulders clearly don’t look like that! Its best to look for a hanger that is flatter in shape as that much more closely resembles the actual shape of your shoulders.
Hanging your button up shirts will serve you well. Especially in the morning when you want to get dressed and don’t want any wrinkle or bump inconveniences. Investing in good hangers is always a good idea. You’ve invested in your clothes, and have even potentially done a closet renovation. All that money is going to waste if you forget about the most important piece of your closet - the actual mechanism by which you hang your clothes. So be sure to pick the right hanger that fits you and the right shape.
Happy Hanging!
Love,
Chelsea
