The results of last week’s poll are in – majority says that you’d like to be reading more bra reviews in general! I’ll definitely be keeping this in mind for future posts; bra reviews have tended to fall by the wayside as most of my bras are purchased secondhand and thus are usually older models. However, I have a Tutti Rouge set on the lineup to review later this month, and I’ll be making a more concentrated effort to review bras in general! Today’s post is on the topic with the second highest amount of interest – Unconventional Bra Storage Methods.
Ever since I’ve expanded my bra collection above just a couple of bras (I actually don’t even know when this happened – all of a sudden, I looked around and there were piles of bras everywhere), I’ve had issues with storing them properly – as in, making that they’re at least somewhat accessible and not being damaged or distorted by folding or squishing any molded cups, or by hanging the bras by one strap for long periods.
My basic tactic that I’ve come up with in dealing with bra storage is to look at what I do have available. I’m going to talk about capitalizing on what you have to work with in terms of storing bras – drawer space, closet space, wall space, surface space, and floor/vertical space.
Drawer Space
Some of us are lucky enough to have the dresser drawer space to store some or all of our bras, like Windie Gardie or Bras I Hate & Love – and that’s great! This is probably the simplest and most common way to go about storing bras. Just arrange your bras neatly (perhaps with the aid of drawer organizers) and you’re good to go.
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| Image from Bras I Hate & Love |
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| Image from Bras I Hate & Love |
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| Image from UndieGamer |
The main problems with using the drawer method are lack of drawer space and/or drawers that aren’t large enough to store molded cups properly (both of which have been issues for me). If you lack ample drawer space, read on!
Closet Space
If you have extra closet space (or you just need an “overflow” place if your bra drawer gets full), this can be a good option for bra storage. The tactic of just putting your bras on hangers with the rest of your clothes is simple, but effective:
I’ve never had enough extra closet space to be able to store many of my bras this way. However, as you may notice from the picture, the cups of the bras don’t stick out nearly as much as you might think when on a hanger, and thus you may be surprised at how many you could actually fit in a small amount of closet space.
Wall Space
In my last apartment, I didn’t have much drawer, closet, or really any other kind of space at all. But I did have one thing – wall space!
My solution, then, was to get a set of wall hooks and hang my molded bras on them (the nonmolded ones went folded into one of my small drawers). Hanging bras by just one strap can potentially distort the bra shape, so I tried to keep most of the bras hooked on by both straps unless I knew I was going to wear them again soon. The end result looked rather like a store display or art piece.
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| (I’ve moved and don’t currently have the wall space we once did, thus I’ve attempted to recreate what it looked like here) |
While this method allows for easy access to your bras (and provided me with a specific place to easily corral my bras, rather than my old method of just throwing my bras over a closet door or on a door handle), it does require screwing a hook rack into the wall, which you may not want (or be able) to do. You also would have to be comfortable with your bras being “on display” to anyone who might wander into your clothing storage area. And while I loved being able to see all the bras I had and rotate through them more evenly, it was a little tricky to access the ones in the back.
However, if wall space is all you have, don’t be afraid to use it! Other types of hooks or multiple hook racks could be used to fit your bras’ needs.
Surface Space
My current method of storage involves using what I have in our current living space: surface area. There’s little drawer, wall, or closet space to be had, but we do have a long, low bookshelf.
I gathered up a motley assortment of various baskets that we had (if you don’t have baskets, you can usually find them at thrift stores) and divided up the things that I wanted easy access to: molded bras, unmolded bras, Perfect Camis, waistbelts, and scarves.
For molded bras, you’ll need a basket large enough so the cups can sit without being squished by the sides. I can fit two layers of bras in this particular basket (the bras on the bottom support the ones on top, so there’s not much squishing that goes on there), which is for me at least 12 bras.
The unmolded bras I basically stacked like records into a basket deep enough to hold the wires. I can fit about 6 bras total this way in this particular basket.
Not everyone will have the surface space to use this method, but I really like having my bras (and other accessories) so handy!
Other Space
Finally, if your drawers and closet are full and you don’t have wall or surface space, you’ll have to get even more creative. You might try to make use of floor/vertical space – perhaps by using a storage rack hanging from your wall, for instance. Or look for any place that you might have extra space to store things – under a sliding box under your bed, or on a hanging rack on your closet door. You might be surprised and find space that you didn’t know you had.
So what method (or methods) do you use to store your bras? Do you make use of a combination of several ideas? I’d love to hear about bra storage methods that I haven’t thought of!