How to Store Clothes Without a Dresser — 5 Ways That Are Ideal for Finessing Your Small Bedroom

How do you store clothes without a dresser as a basic minimum? Not everyone is blessed with storage space in their bedroom — especially if you've got a small bedroom. Often, clothes are stored in a dresser when there is no suitable closet or alternative hanging space available, but what happens if you have room for neither in your space?

I spoke to professional organizers about how a person could store clothes without a closet, if they did not have a dresser to fall back on, and they offered an abundance of interesting solutions for storing your clothing. Here's what the experts had to suggest.

1. Under your bed

Under bed storage ideas are a great place for storing clothing if you're seeking to cut down on the amount of furniture in your room. There's often lots of space there that's otherwise going unused and it operates as a storage solution that will be out of sight, but not out of mind.

"Under the bed is a great way to take advantage of vertical space," says Grace Hall, professional organizer and founder of Grace To Organize. "I recommend storing your clothing items in storage bins with lids and wheels if possible, so you can easily pull things out to see what's under your bed."

The Sterilite 60 quart Clear View Underbed Storage Bin with Latch from Target is an ideal example of what you're looking for. The container is airtight, allows you to see the contents of your storage solution at a glance, and will roll underneath your bed with ease. Just be sure to not overpack your containers as doing this will cause your clothing to crease. We also recommend throwing in a few DampRid Moisture Absorber Bags from Walmart per storage container as well to ensure that your clothing stays free from becoming damp.

2. On a bookcase

A large bookcase may at first sound like a solution that will take up a lot of room but it comes with the benefit of versatility. You could use the bottom shelves of the unit to store your books and files of paper if they still need a home, or incorporate the use of baskets onto each shelf to sit your clothing in for a more uniform look. And if you have space to spare, you have the option to pepper in a lovely ornament or two.

"Bookcases can be used to store piles of clothes, and little baskets are great for storing items such as socks or undergarments," says Brenda Scott, professional organizer and owner of Tidy My Space. "This idea works especially well for people who work best visually, liking to see everything that they own."

Anthropologie has a beautiful selection of fabric baskets available in different patterns and sizes, such as the smaller Anthropologie Rory Basket, and the larger choices of the Anthropologie Priyanka Printed Basket and the Darby Printed Basket which both have handles. Although if you're looking for the best baskets that are also more budget friendly, Walmart has many good choices such as their staple Homezone Natural Handwoven Seagrass Basket for under $7 a piece.

"Keeping 'like' items together is very important, otherwise chaos and mixed clothing will quickly occur," says Brenda. "For this reason, I recommend either labeling each shelf or basket on the shelf so you know what goes where."

3. On a rolling clothing rack

A rolling clothing rack is a good solution for those wondering how to store clothes without a dresser in their space. They are a bit like a standalone clothing rail but with additional space perfect to store your shoes or bags. It has a shelf or two at the bottom for additional space and the style of these racks vary, with some models providing you with two rails to hang clothing items up on instead of one.

More slender than a traditional wardrobe, a rolling clothing rack is a definite space-saver.

"If you have the space you can get a rolling rack which would provide an area for you to hang clothes," says Mary Jo Contello, professional organizer and founder of Organized by MJ. "Rolling racks are typically on wheels so they are easy to move around. With a rolling rack you can also add a hanging shelf rack (some even have bins that pull out) which will provide extra sections that can be used for folded items like shirts, shorts, jeans, undergarments, etcetera."

Grace adds, "For these I recommend you buy higher quality ones, similar to what clothing stores use. Unfortunately, I've seen the poor quality ones not stand up well under the weight of clothes and fall over. But, if you have sturdy ones they are incredibly useful."

The Sywhitta Clothes Rack on Wheels from Amazon is a gorgeous color and honestly seeing it makes me want to get one as it looks so compact and aesthetically pleasing. I really like how shoes have a distinct place to be to keep dirt away from clothing, and how there is a perfect little hanger on each end of the rack to hang up bags or hats.

4. In a cubby system

A cubby shelf is a form of open shelving ideas that helps bring their owner's personality into their space, as you can see the items in the storage. The shelves on a traditional bookcase may be narrow and not always the best to sit baskets on but with an adult-sized cubby-style shelf, such as the Cube Organizer at Target, the square shelves will offer more than enough space to make your storage solution work effectively.

Linda Samuels, certified professional organizer and founder of Oh, So Organized!, says, "This type of system is beneficial when you want to maximize organization, minimize maintenance, and don’t have a closet or dresser. Each bin, which resides within a cubby, can be designated for a specific type of clothing, and you can label the containers to make it even easier to retrieve and return clothing to their homes."

Linda went on to make some great suggestions to optimize your cubby space for clothing. "The bins in your cubby are most useful for clothing that isn’t bulky or easily wrinkled. It’s easier to fold and stack items such as sweaters (bulky), pants (bulky), or shirts (potentially wrinkle-prone). Face the folded edge out so you can see each piece of clothing."

5. In a storage bench

Versatility is the true hero of furniture in a small space, so opting for a storage bench can be a great alternative to using a traditional wardrobe or dresser. You can use it to sit on, to store blankets or linen, or even clothing. It can serve any of these functions, too, while just appearing to be a seat. No one will even know your clothes are stashed away in there!

Brenda discussed how storage benches are especially handy for storing bulkier items such as seasonal garments.

"Storage benches or trunks create a nice place to st under a window or at the end of the bed" says Brenda. "Bulky sweaters would take up a lot of room on shelves so it makes sense to store larger items like these in a deep bench or trunk instead of smaller items."

The Breeanna Foldable Upholstered Storage Bench from Wayfair comes in a range of comfortable neutrals destined to bring elegance and practicality to any space. But if you're seeking something more vibrant, their Miajah Velvet Upholstered Flip Top Storage Bench might just be for you.

If you're looking for further recommendations, our style editor broke down a list of 12 of the best storage benches around this year.

Organizing a bedroom without a dresser or dedicated closet or wardrobe isn't always going to be the easiest job, especially if you want to dress efficiently, but it's far from impossible. Any extra furniture you can fit into your room will be of benefit, but if not, it's all about making the existing pieces you do have work to fulfill this need, too.