Hangers: How to Choose them, How to use them.

Hangers are the backbone of any wardrobe, which is why every single closet has them, and why they are the very first thing Wardrobe and Costume Pros buy when they are supplying a new wardrobe on set.  There are two things to think about when you’re choosing hangers: what are you going to use your hangers for, and what are hangers going to cost.

Need some help deciding? Here’s a simple list of different kinds of hangers and how to use them, from least to most expensive.  All of these hangers are available at Manhattan Wardrobe Supply!

How To Choose Hangers

1. Wire Hangers– Wire hangers are the least expensive hanger that we sell. You’ve probably gotten them with your drycleaning! We mostly sell these to costume departments in Film and Televison. When you are working on a movie or TV show, you are generally cramped for space. Wire hangers are not only the cheapest hangers but also the thinnest: you get the biggest bang for your buck, as well as the biggest bang for your space, like a wardrobe truck or a trailer.

Kinds of Wire Hangers:

• Heavy wire: for shirts blouses light jackets
• King Size wire:  for suits and coats
• Notched wire: for anything with a strap, such as camisoles, or lingerie.
• Strut wire: for pants (the wire hangers with the waxy paper roll on the bottom)
• Caped wire: these have a paper cover; costumers use these to pin ties, belts, scarves, etc. to the paper for easy viewing; drycleaners often use them for things that might slip and need to be pinned.

2. Plastic Hangers: These are the most popular category of hangers at Manhattan Wardrobe Supply.

Kinds of Plastic Hangers:

• Plastic Tubular Hangers: Professional Wardrobe technicians on Broadway use these hangers to dry shirts and other garments after washing. Since they have no metal parts, there is no possibility of rust forming and transferring to the clothes. They are also popular with ordinary people, as they are light, inexpensive, and hold a variety of clothing.
• Plastic Dress, Clip, Skirt/Pant Hanger: By far our most popular Hangers for use by Costume technicians in Film and Television and for retail stores. They are popular because they are kinder to the designer clothes than the wire ones. These are also great for your wardrobe, so skirts and pants do not crease.
• Plastic Suit Hangers: Less expensive and lighter than their wooden counter part. Also popular with costume technicians to hang suits, jackets and coats.  You likely have some of these from coats and suits you’ve purchased at stores.
• Display Hangers: These hangers are perfect for trade shows where a designer wants their designs to stand out from the rest, or to show a complete look. They are wide polished plastic with a chrome hanger, and you’ve likely seen them at stores.
• Shoulder Saver: By far the largest hanger in our store. These are perfect for Mascot Costumes– for example, we’ve sold these to “Spiderman” and “Hairspray” on Broadway.

3. Chrome Hangers–Strong and built to last these hangers are popular with the costumers on Broadway because many costumes are beaded or otherwise heavily constructed– think Broadway shows like Bullets over Broadway, with heavy chorus girl costumes, or television shows like Boardwalk Empire, which have heavy, period beading. They are available in a variety of shapes, such as  notched to hold  dresses with straps and lingerie as well as dress, dress with clip and pant shapes.

4. Padded Hangers- Perfect for Specialty garments that need special treatment

• Satin Padded:  These are the ultimate in luxury, perfect for fine lingerie, silk, georgette, sheers, and anything very delicate.
• Rubberized Non-Slip Hangers: Great for knits, which are always a challenge to hang, as knits tend to fall off the hanger or stretch. The non-slip helps with both of these issues!
• Velvet Slim-Line Hangers: These are great for the home closet: they are slim, double the capacity of the closet, and also prevent slippage.

5. Wooden Hangers: We sell these to retail stores, trade shows, and to consumers who are not cramped for space and want a high end look to their closet. Available in white, black and natural as well as flat, flat with clip, pant, and suit styles.

6. Children’s Hangers-We have plastic and chrome children’s hangers to hang tops, pants, suits, dresses in smaller sizes.

What is your must-have hanger?