How to Fold Clothes

Whether it’s in the closet or in the suitcase, folding clothes is a useful way to keep your daily life organized. At any time of the year, you’ll have a variety of tops, skirts, pants, shorts, and other outfits that need to be folded up for storage. With the right method, you should be able to fold and store your clothes quickly.

Table of Contents

Fold T-shirts and T-shirts

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Make the t-shirt as compact as possible. Spread the shirt out flat and fold the t-shirt halfway in the center lengthwise. Fold the sleeves towards the outside edge of the t-shirt. Repeat with the other half of the t-shirt before tucking in the curve at the collar to create a rectangle. Fold the t-shirt in half again and you’re done. ^{[1] X Research Source}

Fold in a simple way. While intricate pleats can save you even more space, it takes a lot of time and makes the shirt difficult to distinguish from other pieces of clothing. ^{[2] X Research Source Jaymes, Caitlyn. Personal interview. December 16, 2019.}
After folding, you can fold the shirt upright in a cupboard or drawer.
This folding way is also useful when traveling because it can maximize storage space in the suitcase.
If the t-shirt is wider, consider folding it in three instead of in half.

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Fold the collared t-shirt vertically for storage. Face the front of the t-shirt down on a flat surface and check that the buttons are fully buttoned. Fold the sleeves to the center of the back and then line them in half lengthwise so that the shoulders touch. Finally, fold the bottom hem up to touch the neck. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

This arrangement also works with shirts or any other button-down shirt.

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Fold the tank top into a small square. Spread the tank top with the front facing down and then fold it in half lengthwise, this time it will have a narrow rectangular shape. Continue to fold the shirt in half to make it almost like a square. Put your shirt in a closet or wherever it fits. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

If the tank top has thin straps, you can tuck it under the shirt.

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Keep the dress wrinkle-free by folding it in a rectangular shape. Spread the dress on a flat surface and iron the fabric with your hands to straighten it. Proceed to fold the dress in half lengthwise, folding one-third of the skirt towards the top to form a rectangle. Continue folding the top third of the dress back to the skirt and then fold the shirt in half or three. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

You can double it if the dress is small and triple it with the larger one.
If dresses are particularly trendy, consider hanging them instead of folding them.

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Fold the sleeves of the long-sleeve t-shirt. Lay the shirt flat with the front facing down on the table or bed. Fold 1/3 of the t-shirt in the center with the sleeves folded into an “L” shape. Line the neckline down the hem to form a rectangle. Double again before storing.

With this method, you can erect a long-sleeve t-shirt lying upright.

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Fold the sweater in half after folding the sleeves. Spread the sweater with the front facing down on a flat surface. Cross the sleeves in the middle and then fold them in half so that the hem meets the neckline. ^{[6] X Research Sources}

If the sweater is particularly large and thick, you can fold 1/3 from the hem up and then fold it in half.

Fold pants and skirts

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Fold so that the seams of the shorts coincide. Fold the shorts symmetrically along the center seam. Then, line the seam in the center to the center. Finally, fold the shorts in half lengthwise to hide the seam. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

Flatten the pants with your hands when folding.
If folded correctly, the shorts will become a flat, smooth square of fabric.

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Fold the skirt in three for storage. Flatten the skirt with your hand after spreading it out. Fold the skirt in half lengthwise to form a narrow rectangle. Next, tuck the bottom into the back of the skirt to make the rectangle more compact. Finally, you just need to fold the skirt in half or three for storage. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

To make the skirt less wrinkled, you should iron it flat by hand during folding.

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Fold the leggings in half until you get a small square. Once spread out, smooth out the leggings first. Fold the pants in half along the center hem so that the legs overlap first, then fold them in half lengthwise. Finally, tuck the bottom end of the leggings into the waistband to secure. ^{[9] X Research Source}

Since leggings are usually made of stretchy material, if you try hard enough, you can tuck them into a smaller drawer.

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Fold the trousers by the pleats to keep the folds. Iron the pants flat, then fold along the pleats or the middle seam. Check to make sure the fabric is flat before folding the pants in half lengthwise. ^{[10] X Research Source}

If you don’t have a lot of space to stack nice pants, consider folding them in three.
You can also store your casual pants in a garment bag.

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Fold the jeans in three. Rinse the jeans and smooth out the inner pockets with your hands. Then, fold the pants in half so that the two back pockets touch. After spreading the pants on a flat surface, proceed to tuck the crotch seam in. Fold the pants in half or three vertically depending on the space you will be packing. ^{[11] X Research Source}

The crotch seam will look like a little triangle when you fold or tuck it in.

Advice

Not all clothes need to be folded. Trendy items such as dresses, evening gowns, style tops, blazers, coats and trousers should be hung when possible. ^{[12] X Research Source}
If the clothes are a bit wrinkled, you need to steam iron or iron them before folding and storing. ^{[13] X Research Source}
With long socks, fold the neck towards the toe of the sock. ^{[14] X Research Source}

Steps

Fold T-shirts and T-shirts

Fold pants and skirts

Advice

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