Top Ten Tools of the Stylish Man: #5 Proper Hangers and Shoe Trees

This is an easy one, but too many guys miss it. Caring for your gear is vital because it’s only worth how long it lasts. A suit that hangs on a flimsy metal hanger is going to last much shorter than one that is properly taken care of. Luckily, The Hanger Project was invented just for this reason. Made from beautiful maple wood, these hangers are designed to give your suits, shirts, and trousers the kind of treatment they deserve. You can get their “Ultimate Indulgence Set” of 5 suit hangers, 20 shirt hangers, and 15 trouser hangers for $295. This may sound like an awful lot to pay for a set of hangers for most of you out there, but trust us, if you use these guys and treat your clothes well, the investment will be well worth it.

Shoe trees serve the same function. They’re one of the hidden tools in a well-dressed man’s closet because they preserve his footwear–allowing him to stylish for much longer than if he simply dumped his shoes into his closet after wearing them. Shoe trees will help preserve the shape of the shoe to prevent from creasing. Shoe trees will also absorb the moisture that has been absorbed by the shoes over the course of the day. Your shoes weren’t meant to be worn every day, so do them a service and leave them in a pair of ceder shoe trees for a day or two before you wear them again. We suggest getting your trees from the company that makes the shoes, but if that’s not an option go with the reliable Allen Edmonds for this.

The Hanger Project Ultimate Indulgence Set, $295 at Neiman Marcus

Allen Edmonds Combination Ceder Shoe Tree, $32 at ShoeBuy