CasaSugar

Cool Idea: Pant Hanger Picture Frames

CasaSugar — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 15:00:03 -0700

I recently spotted this pant/skirt hanger picture frame idea on Ladies & Gentleman Home, and felt a pang of "why didn't I think of that?" It actually started as a budget solution for hanging prints, but evolved into something that has an art-like quality of its own. I'm not so sure that this technique would work in every home, but it certainly works wonders above this mid-century tufted sofa with the mix of screen-printed, floral, and graphic toss pillows and plaid throw picking up the colors and patterns of the prints. If you purchased some new pant hangers when I showed you how to organize your hangers, or have a few to spare, you're in luck.
You can hang your prints and photographs from the moldings, hooks, and any crannies in your home, or construct a simple shelf like this one made from strips of wood. I love how the telephone pole print mimics the shape of the shelf. What do you think?
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Digging For Treasure at Forever 21 . . .

OnSugar Blog — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 04:00:22 -0800

Check out this helpful Forever 21 post from OnSugar blog Shut up, I love that shirt on you.

Bright lights. Overcrowded fixtures. Bad, bad, clothes. Everywhere. This is often the situation when you enter a Forever 21 store. The sheer number of bad pleather leggings and neon animal-print blouson tops is enough to send any fashionista running the other direction.

However, the recessionista looks beyond the piles and racks and rows of bad, to the hidden, unexpected gems that lurk just on the other side of that pair of red denim hot pants. It takes skill, believe me. There are so many things in F21 that look great on the hanger and terrible on your body, but also plenty of things that look questionable until you try them on.

Check out the rest of her F21 adventure when you, read more!

The honest fact too, is that F21 is a hit or miss situation. I've walked in there, looked around and walked out empty handed in under five minutes many times. But every now and then, I go in, find two arm-fulls of potential deals, and walk out an hour and a half later, $100 poorer and utterly pleased with my new purchases.

Last week was one of those trips.

How-To: Organize Your Hangers

CasaSugar — Wed, 07 May 2008 07:45:43 -0700

Organizing your closet is not an easy feat, but one small change that'll rock your world visually and functionally is organizing your hangers. It also doesn't have to be a particularly expensive change, but it can be if you get picky and fancy. Since squeezing into your skinny jeans is already enough of a hassle, here are a few tips that'll expedite your daily-dressing ritual.

The Cardinal Rule: match your hangers. Matched hangers don't only create a closet that is aesthetically pleasing, but things will be equally spaced and therefore easier to find, and less likely to tangle, meaning fewer wrinkled clothes.
Use the appropriate hangers for your clothes. Use skirt hangers for skirts, pant hangers for pants, etc. Don't try to find a way around it like pinning your skirts to a pant hanger! Make sure your hangers are appropriately sized for your clothes; otherwise, they'll fall off and leave stretch/poke marks on your clothes. If you sport strappy tank tops, camisoles, or dresses, buy hangers that will actually hold them up (i.e. ones with hooks or slots). For silk tops that tend to slip off the hanger, buy fabric hangers or those with a rubber grip, so they stay hung up and not in a ball on your floor.

To hear more of these tips, read more.

Say no to rotating hooks and wire hangers. As much as you may enjoy saving money by using the hangers that come free from your dry cleaner, please return them to your cleaners and don't put them anywhere near your closet! These hangers are the source of most tangling between hooks which not only complicates things functionally but also just looks bad. The same goes for hangers with rotating hooks. You may think that rotating hooks help you hang your clothes in the right direction, but they really cause more problems than they solve. Just get in the habit of putting your clothes on their hangers the correct way in the first place.
Don't double up. Don't double (or triple) up with more than one item per hanger. This not only looks bad but it hides your clothes, so you don't even realize what's in your closet. The only exception I'd say to this is if you use a bar hanger to hold both the pants and blazer for a pantsuit (which men tend to do). Buy enough hangers for all of your clothes, and keep some extras in storage, and you'll be all set. If your closet is getting too packed, assess what really needs to be hung. Winter sweaters? No. Thick fabrics that don't wrinkle? Probably not.
Thick always beats thin. Plastic, fabric, and wooden hangers, which tend to be thicker, will keep your clothes spaced evenly and far enough apart so they don't wrinkle. Thicker hangers are also better because they simulate how your clothes would hang on your body, so they don't get out of shape.
Be consistent with pant and skirt hangers. You have a few options when it comes to pant and skirt hangers (i.e. clips, clamps for both, and also bars for pants). I prefer bars for pants because it cuts the length of your pants in half in your closet, so you have more room for storage below. Clips, which rotate, tend to tangle and leave indents on your clothes, but they also adjust for the width of your skirts/pants, which is good. Clamps, especially wooden ones, don't hold fabric as tightly, but they don't tangle as much, leave indents on your clothes, or need to be adjusted for clothing width. Choose which hanger type to use and stick with it.

Got any tips to add to this list? Comment below!
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Cool Idea: Garment Dividers

CasaSugar — Wed, 13 May 2009 15:00:00 -0700

About a year ago, I gave you all an in-depth guide to organizing your hangers. If you're like me, your closet is in tip-top shape for a couple weeks, and then it's time to get organized again. Well, I don't know of any gadgets that will keep my clothes off of the floor, but these Simple Division Garment Organizers ($9.99) do seem like they'll help keep my dresses from wandering off into the pant section. The set comes with 60 labels (in English and Spanish) and 12 dividers. But, you can also print your own labels if you want to make them cuter or if you're the owner of a nontraditional garment that needs a unique label - chaps, anyone? These dividers seem pretty handy, but I'm also feeling a DIY coming on!

On My Way To a Fab Closet, Part III

FabSugar — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 15:00:22 -0700

The most fabulous news: My Fab closet is done! I wanted to make sure it was in tip top order before I did my big reveal. I also had to go the The Container Store to get some boot fillers, skirt hangers (the kind with the multiple hang) and some plastic containers for under my bed storage. All my clothes have been analyzed and some have been tossed to the consignment shop curb - buh-bye! There are still a few questionable items - maybe you all can help me determine their fate? So I really didn't need to do much but put on my organizing Philip Treacy hat when filling it up.

As you can see, I am a color coordinator. I also group items by type; dresses together, tops, jeans etc. I fold my jeans, I don't hang them, btw. What are my favorite parts of the newly improved closet? That's easy: The shoe shelves! Also, all the hanging space. I have lots of dresses, tops and jackets and now everything has a home. But the best part of all is that I can see all my clothes. The only things hiding are seasonal sweaters and costumes. The belt rack and scarf rack are cool too; I've been wearing more of both as a result. I must confess that I also have two dressers. The burgundy one houses my sunglasses, underthings, socks and tights. The big purple one hides jewelry, pj's, cotton basics, tee shirts and sweaters. And, I have a coat rack for grab-and-go jackets and hoodies.

To read the rest and to see more pics of my Fab closet, read more

OK, it's obvious I have a lot of clothes. But this experience has opened my eyes as to what my personal style is. I believe one's style is always evolving - especially for a fashion chameleon - but there were definitely some Fab staples. Allow me to share them with you. I have about ten LBDs as well as oodles of navy and red dresses. Don't let me buy anymore! I love sharp outerwear. Given the foggy climate of San Francisco, I have tons of jackets and coats, but I wear them all. I swear. When I used to live in New York City I had more coats and I started collecting vintage coats and restoring them so I still have a few that I will love forever. I just wear them Carrie Bradshaw style: with a sexy little LBD (see!), strappy heels and a clutch.

Black is most people's neutral, mine is grey. Another thing I don't need to buy more of: grey cardigans and sweaters. I have every kind of pant imaginable: black trouser, black pinstripe, jeans (cropped, wide leg, skinny, black, grey, white), grey trouser, khaki trouser, black cropped, black bermudas. Hmmm, maybe black is my neutral after all. In general, I need to wear more slacks! Carine Roitfeld wears them all the time, so color me inspired. Also, I am more of a shoe junkie than a bag lady. I really don't think I have that many bags, PartySugar. Except, my clutch collection (mostly vintage) is quite fabulous.

Here's the fun part: My favorite brands. I guess there's no other way of uncovering them than raiding your closet. Here goes: Marc by Marc Jacobs, Banana Republic, Theory, H&M, DKNY, J.Crew, Target GO International (lots of pieces from the Proenza Schouler collection last year), BCBG, Miu Miu, Nanette Lepore, DVF, See by Chloe, Paul and Joe, J Brand jeans. As for shoes, I have lots of Marc Jacobs and Marc, KORS Michael Kors, Nine West and Belle Sigerson Morrison. Heels have tapered off for me, I am an official lover of flats. Vintage rules my coats, sandals, clutches and jewelry.

So what's next? I don't have much extra room - this is a good thing. Now that I've been reacquainted with a lot of my clothes I don't feel I need to shop much. But you know me. I have a few shoe slots available, some jacket space and I'm not really happy with my boot collection so come next Fall I may invest in a new pair. Maybe some grey ones . . .

Hallway closet

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Mistress closet

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Off To The Big Apple

DearSugar — Tue, 26 Dec 2006 08:14:15 -0800

Dear Sugar
Next fall, I will be moving to New York City to attend college. Even though I would love to be able to take all of my clothes with me, I've heard that the dorm rooms were small and the closet space was almost non existant. Could you suggest some key items that will help me survive the big apple while still being stylish? College Bound Beatrice

To see DEARSUGAR's answer read more

Dear College Bound Beatrice
What an exciting journey you are about to begin. You are correct, dorm rooms in general are very small and the closets are unfortunately extremely small. New York has four seasons, you should plan to pack by season and swap out your wardrobe when the weather changes.

Since coats take up a lot of room, invest in an adhesive coat rack to hang on the outside of your door. Crates or plastic containers are also great for storing big sweaters or shoes underneath your bed. The Container Store sells hangers that can hold multiple pants which will leave more room in your closet for tops and dresses.

Since space is such a big concern, bring a lot of accessories to keep fresh and stylish. Belts are very in right now and can jazz up any sweater or blouse. Jewelry can make a simple black shirt look brand new after each wear. Scarfs and hats add style to winter wear and sunglasses and sandals add style to summer wear.

Every dorm room is different but organization is key. Plan to pack lightly and hopefully you will be pleasantly surprised by the size of your closet and you will have enough room to go shopping in the fashion capital of the Unites States. Have fun.