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While on your bod, they stick close to you, hugging every curve. But after you pull them off and throw them in the laundry basket, tights and leggings have a slippery way about them. The sneaky little devils can easily get lost in a drawer full of socks, if they make it there at all. Get a leg up on your tricky tights and sly leggings by organizing and storing them using tips from the pros.
Divided in Drawers
Don't just throw your tights and leggings into the same drawer with your socks and undies. Dedicate another drawer -- preferably nearby -- and divide and conquer with an organizer with separate compartments. Maureen Nuccitelli, the owner of Massachusetts-based Harmonious Life Designs and a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers, recommends the Container Store's 32-compartment drawer organizer, available for under 10 bucks. Roll up your tights and leggings neatly and group them by color and weight, suggests Nuccitelli. "Dark, heavyweight tights should all start on one end of the organizer, then proceed to the lightweight dark tights," she says. "Then follow with the light-colored tights, going through the color spectrum to the lightest colors." This color-coded system makes finding the right tights quick and easy -- and that's critical on a manic Monday morning. As for making the Saturday-morning laundry easier, Nuccitelli recommends keeping a hand-wash laundry bag handy so you can keep dirty tights and leggings all in one place.
Closet Cases
If you don't have an extra drawer, give your tights and leggings some closet space. Nuccitelli recommends getting yourself a bin with a lid and storing rolled-up tights and leggings inside it. The same color-coding system applies. Fellow NAPO member Michelle Powell of Utah-based Spruce Organizing agrees with this method, but she suggests leaving off the lid. "If you roll your tights and leggings up and stand them on end in a great container, it will look almost like a bouquet of color and texture that you can store on a closet shelf or even display on top of a dresser," she says.
Hanging Ten
If horizontal space is at a premium in your pad, hang 10 (or as many leggings as you can) per hanger. Powell suggests felted hangers with multiple slats. She also suggests putting like colors together. "That way, if you have multiple leggings in each color, you can pull out the hanger that holds multiple choices and decide which weight or style will go best with your outfit," she explains.
Seasonal Storage
If you're a clotheshorse, you might have a massive closet with room for hangers and bins aplenty. But if you're cramped for space, chances are you have to rotate your wardrobe seasonally, storing winter clothes in another spot during the warmer months. If this is you, make yourself more room in your closet for those sassy sundresses. Powell recommends stowing your tights and winter leggings in labeled plastic tubs or clothing storage bags in an extra closet or even under your bed. When the weather turns colder, pulling out and opening your bins will be just like unwrapping your holiday gifts a few months early.
