How to Fold Hoodies 4 Ways

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Learn the best ways to organize and store hoodies for display, storage, or travel

Co-authored by Caitlin Jaymes and Luke Smith, MFA

Last Updated: June 20, 2024 Fact Checked

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KonMari Fold

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Basic Pillow Fold

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Compact Fold

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Roll Fold

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Organizing Hoodies

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Hoodies are a little bulkier than other clothing items, but that doesn’t mean you can't fold them up all nice and tight. All it takes is a little know-how and practice. We’ll show you 4 easy ways to fold a hoodie for any situation, whether you want to stack them with the pillow fold, stand them upright with a KonMari fold, or make them extra small for travel with compact or roll folds. Plus, we’ll offer practical storage tips, so your closet or drawers stay organized!

Folding a Hoodie for Travel

Lay the hoodie flat and face-down on a flat surface. Fold the hoodie vertically in thirds so that the arms are crossed over the center. Then, tightly roll the hoodie up from the bottom toward the hood. Finally, tuck the rolled hoodie into the hood so that it’s secure.

Section 1 of 5:

KonMari Fold (For Drawers or Display)

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1
Lay the hoodie face-down on a flat surface. Spread the hoodie on a flat workspace, placing it face-up so the pocket, hood opening, or zippers all face down. Smooth the hoodie out with your hands.^{[1]
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- The KonMari technique is a method for folding clothes that minimizes how much space your clothing takes up, devised by professional organizer Marie Kondo.
2
Fold the hoodie’s sides towards the center. Pinch one side of the hoodie at the shoulder and bottom corner, then fold them toward the center. Line up your fold so that the folded edge forms a straight line down from the edge of the hood—roughly in thirds. Then, do the same with the other side.^{[2]
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- Leave the sleeves out at the sides for now. We’ll get to those in a minute!
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Fold the sleeves down over the rest of the hoodie. Grab a sleeve and fold it over itself so that it’s aligned with the rest of the hoodie, and pointing downward.^{[3]
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Research source} Do the same with the other sleeve. Now, your hoodie resembles a slim, upright rectangle with the hood at the top.
- Smooth out the edges after each fold to keep the hoodie secure when you put it in your closet.
4
Fold the hood down over the collar’s seam line. Grab the hood and fold it down along the shoulder seams and onto the body of the hoodie, smoothing out any creases as you do so. The hood now rests over the center of the hoodie's sleeves and folded sides.^{[4]
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- Now, the hoodie resembles a slim rectangle, without the hood sticking out.
Take the hood portion of the rectangle and fold it toward the center of the hoodie, so that the hood is now hidden. Then, fold the bottom edge of the hoodie up over the folded hood to fold the hoodie into thirds, creating a flat, tidy square. You’ve completed your KonMari fold!^{[5]
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Section 2 of 5:

Basic Pillow Fold (For Stacking)

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1
Place the hoodie face-down on a flat surface. Spread the hoodie on a flat workspace and lay it so that the back of the hoodie faces upwards, and the opening of the hood faces down.^{[6]
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- This method is best for making stackable hoodies for storage in a closet.
- If your hoodie has a zipper, zip it up beforehand.
2
Cross the arms across the back. Take each hoodie arm one at a time and cross them over the middle of the hoodie.^{[7]
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Research source} Fold them so that they make an “X” shape, and so that the hoodie forms a rectangle with the hood poking out at the top.
- This method also works for short-sleeved and cropped hoodies—just fold the sleeves in to make the hoodie appear rectangular.
Grab the bottom edge of the hoodie and fold it evenly up over the bottom half, so that the bottom edge is about level with the shoulders, and the hood still pokes out from the top.
Grab one side of the hoodie and fold it vertically over the other half, so that the right edge meets the left edge. Allow the hood to peek out the top, and pull it out if you accidentally trap it in the fold.
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Tuck the folded hoodie into the inside-out hood. Open the hood and stretch it over the folded body of the hoodie until the entire body of your hoodie is nestled in the hood. Cover the rest of the entire hoodie with the hood to hold it in place while storing it in your closet.^{[8]
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- The newly-folded hoodie will form a square, with the hood covering the entire surface.

Section 3 of 5:

Compact Fold (For Travel)

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Place the hoodie on a table, bed, or any other clean surface so that the pocket, zipper, or hood opening are all facing up. Use your hands to smooth out the hoodie to make folding easier and tidier.
Take the hood and fold it along the shoulder seam so that it rests on top of the front of the hoodie.^{[9]
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Research source} Again, use your hands to smooth the hood so that it’s flat.
3
Fold the sleeves in across the hood. Take 1 sleeve and fold it at its seam so that it lays horizontally across the flat hoodie, covering the hood. Then, take the other sleeve and do the same, folding it horizontally across the other sleeve.
- The hoodie now resembles a large square.
Take the right edge of the hoodie and fold it in toward the center. Imagine a line going vertically down the center of the hoodie, and fold this edge a little across that line. Then, do the same with the other side, so that the hoodie is folded into thirds and resembles a slim rectangle.
Take the top portion of the hoodie and fold it down over the rest of the hoodie. Make your fold about where the sleeves and hood form a lumpy line, so that it’s not quite folded in half, but instead folded just short of the hoodie’s bottom hem, with the hem sticking out.
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Tuck the bottom edge of the hoodie into the folded portion. Notice how the folded portion of the hoodie resembles an opening along its edge. Take the bottom hem of the hoodie in your hand. Then, fold it up and into the opening in the rest of the folded hoodie, tucking it in so that it’s secure.^{[10]
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- This method is great for folding hoodies for travel, when you need them to be compact and secure.

Section 4 of 5:

Roll Fold (For Travel)

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Spread the hoodie on a table, bed, or any other clean surface so that the pocket, zipper, or hood opening are all facing down. Use your palms to smooth out the hoodie to make folding easier and tidier.
2
Fold the arms of the hoodie in. Take each arm and fold it inward at the seams, so that they lay horizontally across the hoodie. Smooth them flat with your hands so that the next steps will be tidier.
- At this point, the hood will stick out the top.
Take the left edge of the hoodie and fold it in toward the center. Imagine a line going vertically down the center of the hoodie, and fold this edge a little across that line. Then, do the same with the other side, so that the hoodie is folded into thirds and resembles a slim rectangle, with the hood sticking out on top.^{[11]
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Take the bottom hem of the hoodie in your hands. Then, roll it tightly all the way up to the hood, without rolling the hood. Work steadily and methodically to make the tightest roll possible—the tighter your roll, the more compact the finished product will be!^{[12]
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Once the hoodie is rolled up to the hood, tuck the hood over the roll itself, so that the hood is inside-out and completely encases the rolled hoodie. If you have loose strings, feel free the tuck them into the roll, or wrap them around the roll to make it even tighter.

Section 5 of 5:

Organizing & Storing Folded Hoodies

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1
Stack basic folded hoodies in your closet or shelves. Basic folded hoodies form broad squares that can easily stack on top of each other. Stack your closet or shelves with your folded hoodies from the bottom to the top for simple storage.^{[13]
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- Avoid mixing basic and KonMari folded hoodies, as this can end up taking up more space.
KonMari-folded hoodies can be stacked, but they can also be organized to stand vertically on their edges, which helps to save drawer space and gives you easy access to each hoodie.^{[14]
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These folds both shrink your hoodies into a tight, secure package that won’t take up much space in a suitcase. Use these folds if you’re planning to travel! The compact fold lets you see a bit more of your hoodie, which helps when picking out an outfit, while the roll fold makes your hoodies especially small, which helps if space is a concern.
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Dedicate a specific area in your closet to hoodie storage. Professional organizer and stylist Caitlin Jaymes says that when organizing your closet or drawers, “keeping everything in their own category is key.”^{[15]
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Expert Source

Caitlin Jaymes
Closet Organizer & Fashion Stylist

Expert Interview. 16 December 2019.} Section your closet into different areas for storing various clothing items. Organize all of your folded hoodies in the same area of your closet, separate from other clothing items.
- You might store your hoodies, for example, in a specific closet drawer or storage tub.
- You might also use shelf dividers to stack or arrange your folded hoodies in your closet.

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How do you store folded hoodies?

Caitlin Jaymes
Closet Organizer & Fashion Stylist
Caitlin Jaymes is a Closet Organizer and Fashion Stylist based in Los Angeles, California. With a background in Fashion PR and Fashion Design, she specializes in creating wardrobes for her clients with pieces they already own. She has experience working with celebrities, editorial shoots, and men and women of all ages. Caitlin uses fashion and organization to help instill and influence confidence, ambition, and stress-free lifestyles for all her clients. She runs her business by two guiding principles: “fashion has no rules, only guidance on how to look and feel your best” and “life has too many stressors, don’t let clutter be one of them.” Caitlin’s work has been featured on HGTV, The Rachael Ray Show, VoyageLA, Liverpool Los Angeles, and the Brother Snapchat Channel.

Caitlin Jaymes

Closet Organizer & Fashion Stylist

Expert Answer

Designate a specific area in your closet for your hoodies. It might be a shelf, basket, or cubby. Keep all of your hoodies together.

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wikiHow Video: How to Fold a Hoodie

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Tips

Zip the hoodie up, if it has a zipper, before folding for a cleaner and smoother fold.

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Folding too many hoodies, especially ones you never wear, can cause more clutter than it does organization. Declutter your closets and get rid of any hoodies you no longer use before folding them for better organization.

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For best results, iron your hoodies, or smooth out any wrinkles with your hands before you fold.

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