Updated as of September 7, 2024.
Why It Matters
Our clothing serves many purposes. It can be functional (swimsuits, hiking boots) or it can be related to a place or role (business attire, prom dress or tuxedo). Regardless of the purpose of the clothing, it is important to feel confident in what we wear wherever we go. Organizing and labeling clothing can help.
Being able to independently identify our clothing and accessories puts us in control – whether we are dressing for an internship or we want to grab a favorite t-shirt on a casual Saturday. Organizing and identifying clothing can feel like a very visual task, but with a few tips and tricks, we can feel confident that you are selecting clothing from our wardrobe that matches and suits the occasion.
Labeling and Organizing Clothing
Everyone has a different way of organizing and identifying clothing, and we encourage you to develop the system that works best for you. Reference this list to get some ideas for how to create your own organizational system:
- A simple cut in the tag of a piece of clothing can help you differentiate between items. For example, you could put a vertical cut in the tag of all of your black clothing items, a diagonal cut in the tag of all of your gray clothing items, and a horizontal cut in the tag of all of your navy items.
- Strategic closet or drawer organizing can help keep items in their proper place for quick access. Perhaps you have one side of the closet for shirts, and another for pants. Perhaps you choose to organize your closet by color or season.
- You never have to worry about matching socks again with pairing tools, such as safety pins or sock locks. You can simply take off your socks after a long day and either (1) use a safety pin to keep them together or (2) feed them through the plastic holder to keep them together. Both will keep your socks paired through the laundry process – both washing and drying, and they keep your socks together in the sock drawer as well.
- Safety pins can be purchased from dollar stores or retailers like Wal-Mart or Target
- Sock locks can be purchased on Amazon or from specialty retailers like the NFB Independence Market (sock locks: item number AIG59S), LS&S sock locks, and Maxi-Aids sock locks.
Consider going through your wardrobe once a year or so with a friend, family member, or hired shopper to ensure that your clothing is free of stains or other natural wear and tear so that you can always feel confident that you look your best!
Specific Labeling Ideas
You may feel that you want to have the maximum information available to you on your clothing labels. There are several different options that involve attaching a customized label to your clothing using a pin or a needle and thread:
- WayAround: WayAround has a special line of labels (WayTags) that can be attached to clothing using a needle and thread. Once you have gotten your WayTags, you can download the WayAround app and create the content for each label. You could choose to include the color, laundry instructions, and style of dress (casual, professional, formal, etc.). Then, when you scan the tag later with the app, all of the tag information you entered will be read aloud to you.
- Braille Clothing Labels: These premade Braille aluminum labels can be attached to your clothing with a needle and thread or a pin. The labels are very small and are safe to launder. They are available from specialty retailers like the NFB Independence Market labels (Item numbers AIG44B and AIG86B), LS&S labels, and Maxi-Aids labels.
Contact the Bridges Helpdesk for More Information
- Our Accessible web form
- Email: Helpdesk@imagemd.org
- Text: Send to: (410) 357-1546
- Voice mail: Call (410) 357-1546, leave a voice mail message, and we will return your call
This unique project is being coordinated through The IMAGE Center of Maryland, a center for independent living in Towson, and it is funded by a grant from the Maryland Department of Education Division of Special Education/Early Intervention Services.