How to Fold a Shirt

Co-authored by Ashley Moon, MA

Last Updated: June 9, 2024 References

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Folding shirts properly is a great skill to have when you need to save space in your dresser. There are many different ways to fold depending on what type of shirt you have. For a short shirt like a T-shirt, fold the fabric into a square so you can still see any designs on it. Tuck the sleeves into longer dress shirts to keep the fabric neat. If you need an efficient trick that works on any type of shirt, master the pinch and fold. Then, store all of your newly-folded shirts to keep them tidy and wrinkle-free before you wear them.

Easy Way to Fold a Shirt

Spread your t-shirt on a flat surface. Fold each side inwards and toward the center of the shirt to create a long rectangle. Then, fold the shirt in half horizontally. To make the shirt smaller, fold it in half horizontally again.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Folding T-Shirts

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1
Lay the shirt face down on a flat surface. Find some space on a table, your bed, or another area that gives you plenty of room to maneuver. Spread the shirt out and flip it so its front side is down. If your shirt has an image on it like many T-shirts do, make sure you place the image face down.^{[1]
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- Fold all your shirts the same way to keep them looking consistent, even if your shirts don’t have any images on them.
Smooth the fabric out to remove any wrinkles on it. Pull the sleeves out so they aren’t bunched up over the fabric. Also, tug on the collar and hem to stretch them out and get the shirt to lay as flat as possible on your folding surface. Iron the shirt before folding it if you notice any wrinkles.^{[2]
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Tip: Any wrinkles left in the shirt will deepen while it is in storage. Taking care of them now prevents problems when you want to pull something out of storage in a hurry.

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Fold the shirt sideways into thirds to bring the sleeves in. Work on one side of the shirt at a time by gripping the hem and shoulder. Fold the shirt over itself, then lay the sleeve down on top of it. Smooth it out until it is flat. Then, fold the other side the same way.^{[3]
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- You don’t need to do anything to short sleeves before making this fold. Simply lay the sleeves over the rest of the shirt. They will get tucked neatly inside the shirt as you finish folding it!
4
Fold the sleeves back in if they don’t lay neatly over the fabric. If you are folding a shirt with sleeves that are a little longer than normal, lay out each sleeve individually. After folding the shirt in, stretch the sleeve out across the center of the shirt. Then, fold the sleeve back toward you, pulling it down so it rests on top of the shirt.^{[4]
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- When you fold the sleeves this way, they form triangles that fit well over the shirt. If they stick out at all, you won’t be able to fold the rest of the shirt up neatly.
5
Fold the shirt in half from the bottom up. The remaining part of the shirt should be much easier to fold than the sleeves. All you have to do is lift up the shirt’s hem. Hold onto it with both hands and bring it up to the collar.^{[5]
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- The shirt should look like a short rectangle with the hem on top after you finish the fold. Make sure the sleeves stay tucked inside the fabric.
6
Repeat folding the shirt in half to reduce its size. Grab onto the new bottom edge created by the previous fold and bring it up again. After folding the shirt in half, you will end up with a small square of fabric that is easy to store in a drawer or bin. If your shirt has an image on it, this final fold will bring the image back to the top.^{[6]
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- To store shirts folded this way, stand them up inside a drawer or bin like files. That way, you can flick through them, see the designs, and easily pick out what you need.^{[7]
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  Ashley Moon, MA
  Professional Organizer
  
  Expert Interview. 30 August 2019.}

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Folding up Dress Shirts

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1
Lay the shirt face down on a flat surface. Choose a surface with plenty of space on it, such as a folding table, then flip the shirt so the front side is down. Begin spreading the shirt out as much as possible. Pull both of the sleeves out and also tug on the hem and collar to lay them flat against the table.
- If your shirt has any images or designs on the front, keep them face down for now. They will become visible again when you finish folding.
2
Smooth out any puckers or wrinkles in the shirt. Flatten out the fabric by pressing down on it with your hands. Consider ironing your shirt before folding it to eliminate any remaining wrinkles. This works best with freshly-washed shirts.
- Any wrinkles you leave behind will deepen after you fold the shirt. Also, if the fabric bunches up, you may not get the cleanest folds.
3
Fold the right side about a third of the way in. Imagine a vertical line running down from the closest shoulder to the hem. Pick up the shirt by gripping the shoulder and hem, then fold it to the line you imagined. Rest the sleeve horizontally across the shirt.^{[8]
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- Stretch the sleeve out so it’s level with the other sleeve. When you're finished, about a third of the shirt's front side should be visible.
4
Tuck the sleeve down to the right with a diagonal fold. Grasp both ends of the sleeve to move it back toward the edge of the shirt. Line up the sleeve as evenly as possible with the edge of the shirt. Then, pull the sleeve as close to the hemline as possible before pressing it flat.^{[9]
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- Long sleeves often reach all the way down to the hem after this fold. If your shirt has shorter sleeves, use the same fold, but don’t worry about the end of the sleeve reaching the hem.
- Another option is to fold the sleeve sideways to form a stack of fabric on top of the shirt. Fold the sleeve in half to the right, then fold it again to the left. The edge of the second fold will align with the left edge of the shirt.^{[10]
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Repeat the folds with the left side of the shirt. Work on the left side by moving the sleeve over to the right. Fold the left side a third of the way across the shirt, then fold the sleeve down diagonally to tuck it in. Align the sleeve with the left edge of the shirt as much as possible. When you’re done, check to make sure the sides look even.^{[11]
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- The left sleeve will overlap the right sleeve a little bit. That part is normal and necessary for tucking the sleeves out of the way while you fold the rest of the shirt.
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Make a small fold to tuck away shirt tails if you have them. If your dress shirt happens to have extra fabric around the hemline, fold the extra length up over the sleeves. Make the folds right at the hemline so it is even all the way around. These folds are small, but they make your shirt look much neater and protect it from wrinkles while it is folded.
- If your shirt doesn’t have tails, skip this fold. Instead, begin folding it in half so it's small enough to easily store on a shelf or in a suitcase.
7
Bring the folded edge of the shirt up to the collar. Fold the shirt in half to reduce its size. Position the shirt’s hem right underneath the collar, pushing it flat to force out any wrinkles the fabric picked up along the way. This will leave you with a rectangle of fabric that is easy to pack away on a shelf or in a bin. Make sure the shirt looks compact and wrinkle-free before storing it!^{[12]
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- Move the bottom part up carefully so the sleeves don’t fall out of place. When you’re done, they will end up tucked inside the fabric instead of hanging out.
- Hang dress shirts if you don't want them to get wrinkled.^{[13]
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  Expert Source
  
  Ashley Moon, MA
  Professional Organizer
  
  Expert Interview. 30 August 2019.}

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Using a Japanese Quick Fold

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1
Lay the shirt horizontally with the collar to your left. Make plenty of space on a table or another solid folding spot first. Instead of spreading the shirt out like you’re about to put it on, turn it so one sleeve points toward you and the collar is to your left. Stand in front of the sleeve after you finish smoothing out any wrinkles or creases you notice.
- If you start from the other sleeve, remember to reverse your hand positioning. Use your right hand to grip the shoulder and your left hand to pinch the lower area.
2
Pinch the shoulder on the sleeve closest to you. When the collar is to your left, use your left hand to reach for the shirt. Grasp the top edge of the shoulder about 2 in (5.1 cm) from the side seam. If you're folding a T-shirt, this will be about halfway between the sleeve and the collar.^{[14]
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- If you start on the other side of the shirt, the shoulder will be on your right. Reach for it with your right hand.
3
Hold the middle part of the shirt with your other hand. Take a quick glance down the shirt, finding the midpoint between its collar and hem. Move your free hand down there, but keep it aligned with the spot you pinched on the shoulder. Then, pinch the fabric there between your thumb and index finger.^{[15]
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- Your right hand has to be parallel with your left hand in order for the fold to work. Also, pinch through both layers of the fabric.
4
Fold the shirt from top to bottom with your left hand. While pinching with both hands, bring the shirt’s shoulder all the way down to its hem. Move the shoulder straight down and over your right hand. After you get the shoulder to the hem, pinch both together with your left hand.
- This fold will cause your arms to cross. Your right hand will get covered by the fabric a little bit. It can feel a little strange at first, but it leads to a great fold if you keep going.
5
Uncross your arms by lifting the shirt into the air. Raise the shirt up, but maintain your grip the entire time to free your arms from the tangle of fabric. You will end up with a folded rectangle of fabric that has one sleeve sticking out. Pull the shirt taut with your hands, give it a good shake to remove the creases, then lay it down so the sleeve is on the opposite side from you.
- Finishing the fold will probably look a little confusing the first time you do it. As long as you maintain a firm hold on the fabric with both hands, the folds can't come undone.
6
Fold the shirt in half over the remaining sleeve. Pick up the shirt again, pinching the shoulder and hem as usual. Use the table to tuck the remaining sleeve in underneath the shirt. Then, fold the shirt over to reduce its size by half. That leaves you with a nice square of fabric ready for storage.
- If you never let go of the spots you pinched, you will end up holding the side you need to fold toward the sleeve. You never have to reposition your hands. The fold is easier than it looks!

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Tips

If possible, avoid piling your shirts after you fold them since they could get messy if you're looking for one specifically.^{[16]
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Expert Source

Ashley Moon, MA
Professional Organizer

Expert Interview. 30 August 2019.}

Thanks
Helpful 1 Not Helpful 1
You could use a flat, rectangular cardboard template to make all your folds uniform. For example, place the shirt on a magazine, then fold the fabric inward toward the magazine's edges.

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Use a permanent press cycle to prevent wrinkles from forming when you wash them. The permanent press setting on your washer cools your clothes as they spin around in the machine.

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