People need 24″ of open space: Remember how hanging clothes need up to 24″ from the back wall to hang freely? It turns out, in a bit of lovely symmetry, that people also need 24″ of standing space, between rows of hanging clothes. 6 feet wide walk-in closet: So, that means that in a walk-in closet, if you want hanging clothes on opposite walls, the width of the closet must be at least 6′.