If yesterday’s inauguration didn’t leave you staring at and judging your wardrobe, I don’t know what will! Today’s post was planned before the big ceremony aired, but how fitting that we’re talking about clothing rack aesthetics after the gorgeous yet sophisticated looks all the women displayed yesterday. Rich jewel tones and monochrome outfits were all over and I was living for every fashion moment!

Okay, back to today’s topic. This is a post I feel like I should have written many moons ago because I have been a fan of using clothing racks as decor for over a decade now. With that, I’ve found the perfect balance to create a clothing rack aesthetic that is both functional and decorative. With the rise of social media, though, it seems everyone has a clothing rack on display so it’s time to share some tips that will help get your rack Instagram and Pinterest-ready!

Tips for a Stylish Clothing Rack Aesthetic

1) Don’t overstuff your clothing rack.

I should caveat this by saying there are very few exceptions where I’ve seen an exposed clothing rack look immaculate even when fully stuffed, but it is very rare. A clothing rack doesn’t eliminate the use of your closet. Think of it as the highlight reel and pull out only the best pieces to put on display.

How many should you hang? The amount can vary by personal preference, but it’s best to keep it to no more than 15 items. As you can see from my images over the years, I typically opt for about half of that amount because I like maintaining a lot of space in between each item. It gives off more of the boutique vibe that I love when I walk in unique clothing stores rather than a fully stocked department store.

2) Evenly space your items.

Along the lines of not overcrowding, you also want to ensure there is adequate (and equal) space between each item. If you’ve ever worked in retail before, you know this is a major reason why getting the closing shift was the worst. Having to go through and put every item back on display with the “two-finger rule” spacing (I worked at Guess) was exhausting!

With that being said, it visually makes a big difference and takes your clothing rack from looking like storage to looking sophisticated. At a minimum, your hangers should have two fingers worth of space between them. There’s a reason you pulled these pieces out on display, so make the presentation worthwhile!

3) Variety…but make it cohesive.

Did you read that in the Tyra Banks ANTM meme voice? Because that’s definitely how I wrote it. But seriously, the key to a cute clothing rack aesthetic is in what you choose to display. A rack is best served as a functional piece of decor, so finding that balance of items you wear and items you want to show off can be tricky. The key here is to pick a theme and pull out your 7-15 items that fall along that theme. Think of it like curating a fashion collection. Below are a few themes to create varied cohesion:

• Seasonal (florals and pastels for Spring, earthy hues for Fall, heavy textures and grey-tones for Winter, etc.)
• Monochrome (pick one solid color that makes up most of your wardrobe and/or aligns with your bedroom decor, then fill your clothing rack with it)
• Complementary (If you love color, pick 2-3 colors that are complementary on the color wheel and use your clothing rack to add new shades to your decor.)
• Black and White (keep it simple and streamlined with black and white, adding interest through various printed tops)

4) Top it off with accessories.

What’s an outfit without accessories, even when on the rack? Depending on which clothing rack you pick up, you may have the opportunity to add even more depth and interest with accessories! Add some of your favorite statement boots to the floor panel, hang a wide-brim hat on one end, and a cute tote bag on the other—you get the idea! If you have empty wall space behind the rack, you can utilize it to hang your hats in a decorative fashion.

5) Streamline your hangers.

Last but not least, hangers matter! For many years as a young college student, I would simply use whichever plastic hangers I already had in my wardrobe for my clothing rack. When I finally switched over to felt and velvet hangers, what a difference it made! My clothing rack aesthetic was finally headed in the right direction!

Yes, hangers are a pain to purchase. Trust me, I get it. The beauty in creating a stylish clothing rack is that you only need a single pack of hangers to make it work. Leave the variety for your actual closet and pull out those special hangers for your new clothing rack.

To recap, here are the 5 tips to creating a clothing rack aesthetic that is cohesive, functional, and stylish:

1. Limit the # of items on your rack (15 or less)
2. Evenly space your items
3. Create a cohesive variety
4. Add on accessories
5. Streamline your hangers

What tips do you have for creating that perfect clothing rack style? As always, you can find some additional inspiration on my Pinterest! I created a section just for the occasion!