How to Fold Your Dress Shirt?

Many people like traveling, saying it's the best experience of their lives! For most people, it's a much-needed stress reliever. When you visit those aesthetic sceneries seen in magazines and blogs, your stress is relieved. However, some traveling experiences are not that recreational.

Traveling to new work engagements tends to be when we wear our best clothes. To many corporate businesspeople, wearing excellent crafted and professional-looking attire is a top priority for these meetings. When meeting new clients or attending a business conference with other colleagues, this is an even greater priority.

Now, how do you get to fold your clothes, so you don't arrive at a location with wrinkles already in everything? Do you throw them into the suitcase and leave? The answer, of course, is no unless you want to show up looking sloppy or spend a lot of time ironing.

Man packing clothes in his suitcase

It would help if you packed them in a bag in an orderly and concise manner for easy wearing upon arrival. To fold your clothes, you'll require cloth folding skills to ensure that your clothes do not get many wrinkles and remain smart and professional.

How Do You Fold Your Dress Shirt?

If you like t-shirts and are used to folding those, you'll have some idea what to do here, but you need to clear your mind as folding a dress shirt is a whole new ball game. A dress shirt requires more elaborate skills to fold than t-shirts if you want it to look good.

However, it's not as tiresome as you may think. You can do it like a pro once you've had sufficient practice and reps of going through the process. There are various ways in which you can use to fold your dress shirt properly.

Remember that the primary goal of folding your dress is for easy retrieval and avoiding wrinkles on your clothes. 

Flatten Your Wrinkled Dress Shirt Without Using an Iron

Wrinkled dress shirt

Before we get to folding tips, it's good to know how and what determines the number and degree of the wrinkles on a dress shirt. First, the type of fabric or weave can determine the number of wrinkles on the dress shirt.

Secondly, and most importantly, the amount of time in the pack suit also determines the number of wrinkles on your shirt. Luckily this is under your control!

For example, if you are traveling to various countries or states, you will find that your shirt may stay for too long in your suitcase. The longer a shirt stays in the bag, the more likely it is to have wrinkles that will not come out quickly.

How you tightly pack your clothes also can determine the number and amount of wrinkles on your dress shirt. For example, if you pack many clothes in your suitcase to the point where you have to sit on top of the suitcase to close (we've all been there!), it's going to create intense and prolonged-lasting wrinkles.

Folding Your Dress Shirt Like a Pro

Before you fold your dress shirt, you may first think about washing them. That's the first obvious step. You should never fold dirty clothes; think what your mother would say!
Once the shirts are thoroughly cleaned, you may apply various methods to fold your dress shirt successfully. One, you need to roll with it, the dress shirt. By rolling it, you have probably started folding your shirt.

Rolling Your Dress Shirt to Pack

Dress shirt arranged in a wooden surface

On a flat surface, lay your dress on its front and should be buttoned up. After that, hold one side of the dress shirt and fold it on top of the other while the other outer edges are lining up.

Then hold the sleeves, both of them folding inwards, and maintain the sides lining up with the outer edge of the dress.

Smoothen your shirt and while rolling it from the bottom side, let it way up to the collar part.  The clothes are folded concisely in dress shoes, and they appear to be smart and small.

Step 1

The first step is to button up the shirt, make it lay on its front, and one sleeve then folded inwards. Make sure that you take about 3 inches of the side of the shirt while folding.

Step 2

Next, make a diagonal fold at the top of the sleeve and make sure that the cuff is touching the hem of your dress or shirt.

Then, repeat the same to the other sleeve. The hem of the shirt is then taken and folded inward while lining up with the bottom of the collar.

Step 3

Thirdly, find a flat surface and button up your shirt. Make your surface of the shirt lay face down. Pick one sleeve and turn it inwards, making a diagonal fold on the sleeve.

Make sure that the cuff touches the hem of the shirt. Flatten out the shirt to remove any wrinkle that might be present. Take the other sleeve and repeat as we have discussed above.

How Do You Fold and Pack Your Dress Shirt for Travel?

Several folded dress shirts

It might seem like common sense to many of you, but it is beneficial for those reasonably new to packing. Therefore, this article will be covering both folding styles--the triangle fold & the roll/tube fold to avoid wrinkles.

A few things to keep in mind: to minimize wasted space, roll up or fold dress shirts into small packages about the length and width of the shirt. For example, t-shirts are folded crosswise; for dress shirts, fold them across the middle always roll them up after.

I feel that it's a lot easier to make an excellent sturdy package in a suitcase if the clothes are too tight together. Unless you want wrinkles (in which case, go ahead and fold your shirt like usual), make sure you use enough force when rolling/folding your shirts.

Pro tip: If you're rolling your shirts, use a sturdy rubber band to hold them together.

The Triangle Fold 

Lay the shirt down on a flat surface and fold both shoulders towards the center of the shirt. You can also go under one shoulder and over the other. It doesn't matter which way you do it as long as it's consistent. Once you have folded both shoulders towards the center, fold one side of the shirt down.

Fold the other side of the shirt to meet up with it, and then lay it flat on a table or your bed/floor. You ended up with something that looks like an irregular triangle at this point. Now you can roll the shirt tightly towards the part of the shirt that's not touching the surface you are laying it on.

Always roll by pushing down on my thumb so it tightly rolls up to the point where both sides meet--this is important for packing! 

Once rolled, secure your shirt by using a rubber band or string. To do this, tie your string/rubber band around the shirt right under where your rolled-up shirt ends. If you want, wrap the rubber band around the roll multiple times so it's tight and won't come undone. You can use scotch tape if you don't have access to a rubber band or string, but it's harder to tie in a nice bow, in my opinion.

The Roll/Tube Fold 

Rolled clothes in a suitcase

Triangle fold suits more when you carry multiple shirts in your arms, while the roll when packing them in a suitcase. It saves space and helps avoid wrinkles caused by items sitting on top of other things. If you are not concerned with wrinkles or saving space, feel free to use the triangle fold.

Lay your shirt flat on a surface and begin rolling it from side to side. Once you have rolled up both sides, secure your roll using a rubber band just as you did in the last step.

There will be less excess fabric for this fold than the previous one, so you can probably secure your rubber band a few times. After securing, you may roll the shirt a little more to make it easier to pack in a suitcase. If you do this, be sure to roll it with the fabric facing outwards so that when you take your clothes out of your bag, you won't have ugly roll marks on your shirt.

Fold the shirt in half to make it easier to place in your suitcase and give you a more organized bag. You can also fold it up like a map, but I find that this takes up too much space (especially if you travel with lots of items).

Folding a Long Sleeve Dress Shirt

Folded striped blue dress shirt

Today's men are becoming more style-conscious. Dressing well may require more time and energy, but the right wardrobe can help you look younger, thinner, fitter - even wealthier. Here is a straightforward instruction to save space in your luggage or drawer by folding a long sleeve dress shirt.

A long-sleeved dress shirt is a good wardrobe staple. This classic garment's clean lines and sharp look can help you create the right impression in the office or at formal events. However, you should know how to fold a long sleeve dress shirt for space-saving reasons too.

Folding your shirts saves time when you're packing for a business trip or when you're getting ready to go out. It also helps them avoid wrinkles and creases. There are many different ways to fold a long sleeve dress shirt. However, the following method is the simplest folding form to save you space and prevent creasing.

Step 1

Fold the sleeves in half over the shirt's body, with the side seams together. Make sure that all of your buttons are in place before you begin folding your shirts.

Holding both sides of the folded sleeves across from each other, fold the shirt in half lengthwise.

Step 2

Next, fold the bottom section up to meet the top of the sleeves, forming a long rectangle. Fold one end of your folded shirt over itself to create an end flap.

Repeat with the other side of your shirt, leaving you with a narrow strip twice as long as your original shirt was wide.

Fold the bottom flap up over your shirt's neck opening, forming a V-shaped crease.

Step 3

Next, fold the other end in half at the same angle, straight across from the first fold you made.

Tuck one end of your shirt into your other end, using it to form pleats along either side of the middle crease.

Unfold your shirt, and it should resemble a nice, flat stack of fabric with folded edges that can be neatly stacked or rolled into a compact package.

Folding a Short Sleeve Dress Shirt

This step-by-step folding instruction is for Men's dress shirts made of cotton, which is typically very wrinkle-prone. However, this article may be worth reading if you can't get to iron and your shirt wrinkles quickly after each use.

Men's dress shirts come in several different sleeve lengths: Regular (Sleeve length: 7 1/2"), Long (Sleeve length: 8"), and Extra long (Sleeve length: 9"). 

Start with a freshly laundered shirt. If possible, use Warm or hot water. For best results, dry your shirt with the heat set at High.

After removing your shirt from the dryer or laundry facility, immediately remove it from the hanger and fold it.

Step 1

Start with the right side of the shirt on a flat surface, such as a table or bed. Next, smooth out all wrinkles on your shirt. It is crucial in the collar and cuff areas.

Fold in half lengthwise (the longer way). Then fold in half for a second time. The shirt sleeve should be inside, and all creases should face you.

Fold one-third over from the collar to create a roll line around the center of the shirt. This fold must be tight and straight. Make sure it includes ALL of the shirt's collar.

Step 2

Fold the opposite sleeve across the shirt, creating a cross with the first fold. Continue to keep ALL of the shirt's collar covered at all times.

It might help to practice before rushing to get ready for work or an event. Be sure that NOTHING is exposed.

Step 3

Use a wooden hanger or a unique "starchless" shirt hanger that will not leave noticeable creases on the shirt.

Your goal here is to keep your clothing looking sharp and wrinkle-free throughout the day.

Certain fabrics require more or less time in drying, ironing, or starching to maintain a professional, crisp appearance.

In department stores, shirts are folded and put into containers. This way, they fit better and look more excellent than the messy shirts packed in a simple plastic bag.

But if you buy your shirts at a discount store, you might not get them with the traditional shirt container.

Tips to Fold Same As the Department Stores

Create Two Rolls

Lay the shirt out straight on a flat surface with the back of the shirt facing up. Fold both sleeves towards the middle of the shirt to point at each other, then fold them over themselves. Then, roll it up tightly until you reach halfway to where you want it. Next, create another role for this section, ensuring the creases are aligned vertically.

Form a Rectangle

Once you've created two rolls in one horizontal section, fold these rolls over each other to form a thin rectangle. You can find examples of this technique on Google Images for better visualization. Then, place it up against the collar side of the shirt, with the wide part of the rectangle facing outwards.

Take the bottom of the shirt and fold it over half of the rectangle's length so that you can see a line at least 2 centimeters wide on one side of the shirt. Fold it again so you don't have any fabric showing, not even on top of the folded rectangle part.

Flatten out some wrinkles using your hands, ensuring you do not press down on the collar. Then fold it onto itself so that it is now facing downwards, with an even width all around. Take one end of the shirt and fold it up to create a nice-looking rectangle. Fold the rectangle upwards to create a smaller version of itself.

Fold the Sleeves

Break up the sleeves to fold onto themselves, covering almost half their length. Fold them inwards until you can see at least 2 centimeters on top of each other from both sides.

Fold the sleeves, pointing downwards, creating a small triangle shape. Tuck the sleeves underneath the shirt so the shoulder looks like a neat package. Also, make sure you do this while taking up as little space as possible. If necessary, iron out wrinkles and put them in their container.

Or put it under your armpits and pull it towards you to get rid of any bulk, then place it in the container).

You are good to go. Enjoy your vacation in style. Good luck!

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