When transitioning from summer to fall and doing your seasonal wardrobe switch, many people find themselves thinking, “My studio apartment’s storage just isn’t enough for all these fall clothes…” or “My knits and coats are so bulky that my closet is bursting at the seams!”
Fall and winter clothing tends to be much thicker than summer items, making it bulky and often impossible to fit into available storage space. This means that in limited spaces like studio apartments, you need to get creative with how you swap out and store your clothes.
In this article, we’ll share key strategies for comfortably storing bulky fall clothing even in tight spaces. If you’re struggling with storage, these tips will help you out.
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Organizing clothes by season
We recommend starting with “sorting” your clothes when the seasons change. When summer and fall items are all mixed, it becomes hard to quickly find what you want to wear, often making your morning routine take much longer than it should.
To efficiently use your limited space, it’s crucial to organize clothes by purpose and how often you wear them.
Criteria for sorting clothes:
- Summer clothes you wore frequently this season (and want to wear again next year): wash or dry clean them and store properly
- Summer clothes you never wore this season (items that don’t fit or no longer match your style): consider getting rid of them or reselling them
- Light cardigans and long sleeves you’ll wear right now: store in easily accessible places
- Heavy knits and coats: keep them ready for when it gets colder
Taking time to really think about whether each piece is truly necessary for your current lifestyle can help you make tough decisions about letting things go. A seasonal wardrobe switch isn’t just about swapping clothes around. It’s also the perfect opportunity to reassess what you own. Reducing unnecessary clothing creates more breathing room in your storage space, making everything more efficient.
Space-saving storage using compression bags and storage boxes
Simply shoving bulky fall and winter clothes into storage boxes will quickly fill them up completely. The key to making good use of limited space is knowing which storage items to use for what.
Compression bags work great for bulky items like comforters and down coats. These bags save storage space by removing air to make items compact.
However, be careful not to put everything in compression bags, as this can cause wrinkles and loss of shape in some items. For pieces that wrinkle easily or lose their shape, like knits and wool skirts, breathable storage boxes are better.
- Compression bags: for bulky items that don’t wrinkle easily (down jackets, fleece, pajamas, etc.)
- Storage boxes: for items prone to losing shape or wrinkling (knits, wool, skirts, etc.)
For more info, check out our blog: Creative Storage Solutions for Small Spaces
Using vertical storage in compact closets
One of the biggest storage challenges in studio apartments is dealing with narrow closets. Fall and winter clothes are thick and bulky, making it impossible to fit everything. In compact closets, storage that takes advantage of vertical space works best.
“Hanging storage racks” create compartments in spaces without shelves, letting you store small items and knits vertically. “Double-tier hanging bars” let you hang short items like jackets and shirts on both upper and lower levels, effectively doubling your hanging capacity.
Don’t forget to use dead space at the top and bottom of your closet, too. Store rarely used items like hats and bags up top, and use rolling clothes cases or fabric boxes on the bottom to keep clothing organized.
Don’t just give up thinking “It’s a compact closet, so there’s nothing I can do…” Take another look at your storage and see how you can create usable vertical space.
Managing clothes with labels
Even after sorting your clothes, you’ll still need to hunt through storage boxes if you can’t see what’s inside. To keep storage comfortable and well-organized, we recommend managing clothes with labels so you can see “what’s where” at a glance.
For labeling, the standard approach is to use clear or semi-clear storage cases with masking tape or label stickers showing the contents. Writing things like “Knits/Fall-Winter” or “Pajamas/Spring-Summer” on labels by season and item type makes organization much easier. Using a consistent design for all your labels also makes the space look more organized.
Labeling eliminates the stress of wondering “where did I put that?” and makes efficient clothing management possible even in small spaces.
Moisture control is essential for clothing storage
One thing that’s surprisingly easy to overlook in clothing storage is “moisture control.” Off-season fall and winter clothes that get stored for long periods, especially wool and knit items, absorb moisture easily and face higher risks of mold and insect damage. To protect your clothes in limited storage space, proper moisture control is essential.
The foundation is using moisture absorbers. Install hanging-type moisture absorbers in your closet to soak up humidity that tends to build up. Placing silica gel or charcoal moisture-absorbing sheets inside storage cases provides even better protection against mold and humidity. You can easily buy moisture absorbers at home centers or ¥100 stores.
Also, avoid packing clothes too tightly. Leave some space between items when storing. Having adequate space allows air to circulate better and prevents humidity buildup. Don’t keep your closet doors constantly closed; make it a habit to open them once or twice a week for ventilation.
Mold growth risk increases when humidity exceeds 60%, and the reproduction rate speeds up significantly above 70%. Temperatures between 20-30°C are also ideal for mold growth, so this range requires extra caution. Installing a humidity gauge to make humidity levels visible makes it easier to judge when dehumidification is needed.
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Hello, I’m Machiko Doi, a freelance writer who writes about housing and living in Japan.
I live in an 80-year-old house that I inherited from my grandparents along with my two shelter cats and daughter.
We live a relaxed life while repairing the house.
I like to cook vegetables from the garden and fresh fish caught by my father, and enjoy them with cold beer on a hot day or hot sake on a cold day.