Banal as they may seem, clothes hangers are utilitarian and practical everyday items that do more than just hanging clothes.
Clothes hangers were first created as space-saving hooks in 1869 by New Britain’s O.A. North. Before its mass production during the Industrial Revolution, only royalties and nobles used hangers because they had more clothes to hang, particularly their large Victorian dresses that resembled flying birds. The most popular type of hangers during those times were aptly named Eagle Wing Hangers.
Though not much has changed since its invention, clothes hangers have been used in many different ways since then. It’s the most common DIY material used in school and the second most stolen hotel item, next only to towels. Collectors are also willing to pay hundreds of dollars for antique hangers.
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Wire
The problem with wire hangers is that they tend to vary pretty widely in their quality. If you have ever picked up dry cleaning before, then you probably have received thin wire hangers with your clothes. The cleaners use these because they can easily buy them in packs without spending a fortune on hangers that they are going to give away to their customers.
While these thinner wire hangers will last for a while, they will not hold their shape for a very long period of time and can even cause your clothes to become misshapen when they are hung. You also have to watch out for wire hangers that rust as this will instantly damage your clothing. Because of this problem, it was very popular in the past for people to use yarn or plastic material to cover their wire hangers and to help protect their clothing.
Metal
Hand-forged metal hangers are not going to have a lot of the problems that thinner wire ones do. These hangers are generally made out of iron, although you can find some that are made of copper. These wires are not going to bend and since they are thicker than wire hangers are, you won’t have unsightly bulges and creases in your clothing when you use them for storage for an extended period of time.
Additionally, these hangers aren’t going to rust when they get wet. They are very heavy-duty and are made to last for an extended period of time without any problems. Because of their strength, they are ideal for hanging very heavy winter coats as they will not buckle or bend under the increase in weight the way that less expensive or weaker hangers will tend to do.
Velvet
Velvet hangers provide a little friction to the clothing items so that they do not slip when they are hung up in the closet. They also usually have small indentations on the arms that will allow them to hold up strappy dresses without them falling to the floor. When you use velvet hangers, you want to be very careful that your clothes are completely dry as wet clothing will cause the color of the velvet to actually transfer to the item that you have hung up.
Plastic
There are a few reasons why people opt to use plastic hangers in their closets even though the hangers do not instantly update the wardrobe’s appearance the way that wood hangers do. It’s not nearly as expensive to buy a lot of plastic hangers and since they are available in so many styles and sizes, you can easily find perfect ones to meet your needs.
If your plastic hangers get dirty, they are very easy to wipe off with a damp cloth and you never have to worry about the hanger rusting or growing mold or mildew. Unfortunately, plastic hangers are not as long-lasting as other types of hangers are and when they break, there isn’t any way to recycle them so they do take up space in the landfill.
They will tend to bend and buckle over time, which means that you have to replace them on a regular basis to keep your clothing looking its best. Unfortunately, if you do not keep an eye on the condition of your plastic hangers, then you may not realize that they are deforming and your clothing can suffer because of it.
Engraved
While it’s not very common to use engraved clothes hangers in a regular closet to hang up everyday clothes, if you are getting married, then they are a great way to make sure that your dress or tux looks great in pictures. Engraving them with the person’s name as well as the date makes them into a great keepsake. For this reason, many brides have them made for their bridal parties.
Forged
For a one-of-a-kind clothes hanger that will stand out from other available options, look for one that has been hand-forged. These are metal, they are incredibly strong and durable, and you can sometimes buy ones custom-made to meet your needs.
