Welcome to our article on how to fold a long sleeve shirt.
A ‘long sleeve shirt’ can refer to many different tops. Perhaps you are looking for a long sleeve tee, long sleeve flannel shirt or maybe a long sleeve sweater. Whatever the piece of clothing you have in your hands right now, I’m sure this article will help you fold it properly.
Let this guide on how to dry your clothes without a dryer be of future use to ensure you don’t shrink any important piece of clothing and treat it with the respect it deserves.
How To Fold A Long Sleeve Shirt
Total Time: 3 min
Cost: $0
Since you have a pile of laundry lying on your bed or kitchen table, you need to learn how to fold all the clothes properly. And if you have space in your closet hanger, I suggest you hang up your pants properly.
1. Lay long sleeve shirt flat
Lay out the T-shirt facedown in front of you and smooth it out. Use any clean, flat surface for folding, such as a table, bed, or the floor. Straighten up the body and sleeves, brushing out any wrinkles or folds.
2. Fold long sleeve shirt in half
Fold the shirt in half, so the sleeves line up. Bring one side over to meet up with the other, so the two sides mirror each other. You can fold either from the left or right.
3. Keep sleeves together
Keep the sleeves pressed together as you fold them once backwards. Make a second fold above the elbows in the opposite direction to create a triangle shape. Make sure both sleeves fit on top of the body of the long sleeve t-shirt to create one long rectangle shape.
4. Finish folding the long sleeve shirt
Tuck the rectangle into halves or thirds to fit in your drawers or shelves. Start at the bottom of the shirt and fold it up into a smaller rectangle. If you want to store your shirts standing up in your drawers for easier access, use the thirds technique. If you stack your shirts on a shelf, use the halves technique.
How to fold a long sleeve t-shirt: quick tip
Be careful about stacking too many shirts on a shelf. Doing so will make it harder to pull out the shirts on the bottom of the stack. Try to stack 3-4 shirts on top of each other, max.
Long Sleeve Dress Shirt
Total Time: 5 min
Cost: $0
- Button up most buttons so the shirt will hold its shape and stay together while you fold it. Run your hands over the fabric to straighten any wrinkles or creases, then adjust the collar until it lays flat and neat.
- Use a clean, flat surface such as a table, dresser, or bed as your workspace for folding. Lay the shirt facedown, smooth it out, and adjust the collar if it has folded or collapsed.
- Fold the left sleeve toward the center of the shirt. Start the fold at the shoulder and bring the left arm across the back of the shirt, making the left side of the shirt one long line. Turn the shirt into a long rectangle shape. Don’t extend past the right side.
- Repeat step three, but now do the right sleeve. Fold the right arm at the shoulder and bring it across the left arm, so they cross in the center of the shirt. Ensure the right sleeve doesn’t extend past the edge of the shirt.
- Fold the bottom third of the shirt up, then fold the next third up so it meets the shoulders of the shirt. Creating the perfect size for placing the shirt in a suitcase, drawer, or shelf.
- Flip the shirt back over and adjust the collar. Straighten any wrinkles and ensure the collar is neat before packing or storing your dress shirt. This will help protect the collar from being crushed and the fabric from wrinkling too much.
How to fold a long sleeve dress shirt: quick tips
- If the arms are extra long and extend past the edge of the shirt, fold the cuff backwards, so it stays within the rectangle.
- Although this technique protects your shirt from excessive wrinkling, you may still notice slight wrinkling. You may have to do some steaming before you wear it next.
Long Sleeve Sweater
Total Time: 3 min
Cost: $0
- Choose a flat surface, such as a table, bed, or floor, and lay the sweater out with the front-facing up. Smooth out the surface of the sweater and spread the sleeves to the sides.
- Fold the right side of the sweater over with the sleeve straight out. This first fold brings the outer right edge of the sweater to the middle of the sweater. Keep the right sleeve straight out and lay it across the left arm, so it’s almost perpendicular.
- Fold the sleeve back inwardly just above the elbow, forming a triangle shape. Line the cuff up at the bottom of the sweater with the initial right-side fold.
- Repeat step three on the left side to form a rectangle. Fold in the left side and the left arm just like you did with the right, forming another triangle with the sleeve and a straight line along the left side. Once finished, the sweater will look like a long rectangle.
- Bring the bottom to the top to fold the sweater in half, then in half again. This creates a thick rectangle shape that can stand up on its own.
How to fold a long sleeve sweater: quick tip
Once finished, store your folded sweaters in drawers standing up. Line them up in a row so you can easily see each piece of clothing.
Long Sleeve Shirt In A Suitcase
Total Time: 3 min
Cost: $0
- Lay out your shirt, facing down on a flat surface. The kitchen table, bed or floor will work. Smooth out any bumps and wrinkles in the fabric. Spread the arms straight out before you start folding.
- Bring the right sleeve over to match up with the left. Fold along the center of the shirt so the two sides mirror each other. Smooth the shirt to get a clean fold and line up the sleeves as perfectly as possible.
- Fold both sleeves inward, so they lay along the center of the folded shirt. Fold the shoulder inwards, creating a diagonal line. The cuffs of the sleeves will probably hang past the hem a little bit. Run your hands over the shirt, removing any creases, wrinkles, or bunched-up fabric.
- Keeping the sleeves together, fold in the cuffs, so the bottom of the shirt and the cuffs are aligned. This will keep your cuffs from being crinkled when you fold the shirt in increments.
- Fold in 3 to 4 inches (7.6 to 10.2 cm) sections until you reach the top. Instead of rolling your shirt, fold it flat in small sections, starting at the bottom until the whole shirt is folded up. Try to match the folds, so the collar lines up with an edge. If the collar hangs out a little past the rest of the folded shirt, that’s okay.
- Lay the folded shirt in your suitcase. Pack your shirts, especially long-sleeve dress shirts, at the top of your suitcase. This technique will probably require extra ironing or steaming when you unpack, but the section-by-section folding will save you lots of space in your luggage.
Before you start folding, did you wash your shirt and dry it properly so there are no wrinkles?
FAQ
There are two ways to pack a long sleeve shirt. One way is to roll your shirt, so it is tight and compact, taking up the least amount of space possible. The second way to pack a long sleeve shirt is to fold it, this will leave fewer wrinkles when you unpack, but it will take up more space.
The best way to save space when packing your long sleeve shirt for a flight, or putting it away in your drawers, is to roll it. By rolling your long sleeve, you will take up less space. However, it will create more wrinkles and creases.
