The Ultimate Guide to Folding and Packing Dress Shirts

How to Fold & Pack Men's dress shirts

Whether you are a teacher, a student, a businessman, or a guest at a wedding reception, one thing that would be an absolute must-have in your luggage is a dress shirt. Button-down shirts, being a highly versatile fashion staple, provide a feeling of sophistication and work for all ages and body types. And the best part about them is that they tend to keep their wearer most comfortable.

However, if not packed properly, dress shirts may wrinkle quite earlier than casual shirts. And since one needs to pack them cautiously, it might be difficult to accommodate multiple dress shirts in one luggage. Luckily, it's not something impossible since all you need to do is to learn the right shirt-folding techniques. 

But one may wonder if it is OK to fold dress shirts.

The answer is YES but only if you do so correctly! 

Remember that folding a shirt is itself a technique that not only enables you to save more luggage space but also keeps your shirts wrinkle-free for several weeks. And you might not know but folded dress shirts tend to offer longer service life as proper folding eliminates the risk of fabric stretching or buttons coming off. 

So, considering these and several other benefits of folding dress shirts, today we are going to introduce you to a step-by-step guide to folding and packing shirts. The process is quite easy and does a great job of cutting down on wrinkles while freeing up massive packing space. So, give it a read!

First of all, lay your dress shirt facedown on a completely dry and flat surface in a way that both sleeves are spread on the outer sides. Once done, follow the steps accordingly; 

How to pack a dress shirt in a suit bag?

• Fold the sleeves

Fold one side of the shirt, from shoulder edge to collar base while pulling the sleeve horizontally, towards the other shoulder. Then, fold the same sleeve in the opposite direction and then fold again in the center in a way that the cuff is facing upward. Repeat the same method for the second sleeve and you'll end up with a folded shirt that resembles a narrow, long, rectangle.

While folding sleeves, make sure that the collar stays crisp and won't get squished, otherwise, you might have to press the collar again. 

• Fold the hem

Once both sleeves are folded, carry your shirt from the collar side all the way towards the hem. By doing so, the rectangle shape will be maintained but the size of the rectangle will be reduced to half, making your dress shirt look like a book cover or an envelope which will never unfold when you try to put it in or out of a suitcase. 

How to fold a dress shirt for travel packing?

When packing your dress shirts for traveling, the major goal is to save as much luggage space, for other clothes and accessories, as possible. So, in this situation, the right technique to fold your shirt consists of steps as follows; 

• Button up and fold sleeves

Start by buttoning up your shirt from the front and lay it facedown on a dry and flat surface. Then, grasp one sleeve and fold it at the back of the shirt in a semi-vertical fashion. Then grasp the other sleeve and fold similarly. As a result, you'll find both sleeves crisscrossing each other at the center. 

At this point, grasp one sleeve from the cuff side and fold it over itself in a way that the cuff meets the corresponding shoulder. Repeat the same step for the other sleeve and both sleeves will end up forming a V shape at the center. 

• Fold the hem

Carry your shirt's hem and fold it once or twice (based on the length of the shirt) until it meets the collar. When your shirt starts resembling the shape of a near rectangle, put it in your travel bag so the buttoned side is facing upward and the collar is facing downward, towards other folded clothes. 

How to fold a shirt for packing so it doesn't wrinkle?

To pack a dress shirt in a way so it won't get wrinkled at all, you first need to iron it up as soon as it comes out of the dryer. Once ironed, buttoned the shirt completely. Don't forget to fasten the buttons of collars and cuffs since it will cut down unwanted creases from originating on the shirt. Once buttoned, lay it facedown on a flat surface and follow the given steps; 

• Fold sleeves 

When laid facedown, smoothen all wrinkles from the fabric with your hands. Then grasp one sleeve and fold it at the back of the shirt horizontally in a way that its cuff meets the seam of the other shoulder. Repeat the step for the other sleeve and smoothen any wrinkles you can spot on your shirt. 

• Fold hem

Now, fold one side of the shirt in a way that it meets at the center of the collar. Repeat the same step for the other side and you'll end up with a long, narrow shirt. Smoothen wrinkles by pulling the hem and shoulder tightly apart. 

Once done, bring the hem up to the shirt's collar. However, if the shirt is long, you may consider folding the tail once in the middle and then folding it again to meet the collar. Doing so will reduce the fold size. 

Remember that there's no silver bullet to prevent wrinkle formation completely. However, you can minimize the extent of crease formation if pay attention to some common factors (which cause wrinkles in the first place). 

First of all, try to keep only a limited number of dress shirts in your luggage at a time. Otherwise, too much stacking may lead to applying high pressure while stopping air circulation. Moreover, you may also consider adding acid-free tissue paper or dryer sheets in between the folds of your dress shirt. 

Shirt folding techniques/Packing tips for dress shirts

Before wrapping up the article, here are some of our expert packing tips which will ensure that your shirts will reach their destination in as wrinkle-free form as possible. Have a quick look! 

• Consider investing in packing tools such as garment bags, shirt folders, and cubes since these tools help a lot in preventing creases while maintaining the shape of your dress shirts. 
• If you find some wrinkles on your shirt on arriving at the destination, hang the shirt in your washroom while taking a hot shower. The steam will smoothen all the wrinkles.
• While packing your essentials, always pack your dress shirts in the last. In other words, your shirts should be placed at the uppermost part of your luggage which in turn will prevent them from getting squashed under other objects.