The challenge of learning how to fold a long sleeve shirt can seem complicated. Folding clothes, in general, can be frustrating because every dang garment has its way of being properly folded.

With the right guidance, though, folding long sleeve shirts can be easy and practical in room organization. 

Utilizing KonMari methods from tidying expert Marie Kondo, folding long sleeve shirts, sweaters, and dress shirts will be a walk in the park. 

Long-sleeves

Before the masterclass on how to fold long sleeve shirts, let's dive into the KonMari method. Marie Kondo is an expert in tidiness. She has taken the world by storm, transforming cluttered homes into organizational oases.

Making appearances on shows like The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and in publications like Time Magazine, Marie Kondo has authority over folding and organization.

According to the KonMari method, focusing on consolidating space and organizing with intention helps create the best way to fold long sleeve shirts.

‍

Step 1: Find a flat surface. Finding a flat surface is important in preventing any wrinkles during folding. Also, smooth and straighten out the shirt before moving on.

Step 2: Fold the long sleeve into perfect halves. The direction in folding a long sleeve shirt doesn'tdoesn't matter as much as where you divide it. Just choose a side to fold from and roll with it.

Step 3: Fold the sleeves into a triangular shape. You start by folding the sleeve towards the shirt while keeping it pressed. It helps to go along with the armpit crease. Then fold the sleeve again in the opposite direction, slightly above the elbow. This forms the triangle.

Step 4: Depends on where you want to store your shirts. If you keep them on your shelves, folding the shirts in half will suffice. This condenses the shirts to stack them efficiently. You'll need a decent surface area if you have many shirts to store.

More than three shirts in a stack can make pulling out any bottom shirts more difficult and cause shirts to exit the stack. 

If you want to store your shirts in drawers, folding them into thirds is best. Because they're condensed, you'll have more space to work with and can keep more shirts. The smaller size means you'll display fewer of the shirts, so if that doesn't work, stick to halves.

Sweaters 

Because sweaters are thicker, folding them is slightly different. That doesn't mean you can't still store them in a sleek, compact way. The differences in folding are light and easy to adapt to.

Step 1: Same as long sleeve shirts. Lay the sweater on a flat, smooth surface for optimal folding.

Step 2: Where things start to change. Fold one sleeve over towards the other partway. Essentially the end of the shoulder will line up with the middle of the neck while the sleeve ends up almost perpendicular to the other. It doesn't sound straightforward, but it's relatively simple in practice.

Step 3: Very similar to the long sleeve shirt's step 3. Take the sleeve from the last step and fold it outward above the elbow to form the triangular shape again. The cuff of the sleeve should line up with the bottom of the fold at the hem of the shirt.

Step 4: Repeat the previous steps for the opposite side of the shirt. Once all that's done, you should be left with a long rectangular-shaped sweater.

Step 5: Bring the bottom of the sweater to the top to fold it in half. Then, fold it in the same direction one more time. This creates a thick bundle that you can store in your drawers.

Dress shirts

Dress shirts can be trickier than the others. They tend to wrinkle easier and have the collar and buttons that can make folding more difficult. But never fear; the KonMarie method is here.

Step 1: Involves buttoning every button so the shirt will hold its form during folding. If not, the garment would spread and slip out of shape.

‍

Step 2: Same as the other two methods, with the front of the shirt facing down. So spread it out on a flat surface and ensure it is buttons faced down.

Step 3: Fold one sleeve over the back from the shoulder crease. Make sure that this forms a straight line along the outside of the shirt while keeping the sleeve inside of the back area. If the sleeve is too long, fold the cuff inward towards the shirt.

‍Step 4: Repeats step 3 for the other arm. Aim to cross the two sleeves evenly while keeping that line along the side of the shirt.

Step 5: Involves folding the shirt into thirds. Start folding from the bottom of the shirt and fold it up twice. This creates a compact shape that fits anywhere: luggage, drawer, or shelf.

Step 6: Flip over the shirt and fix the collar in case it was flattened or messed up. Smooth out any wrinkles created, and it's ready to store!

Closing statements

We hope that this guide was helpful to you and your folding journey. If you have any inquiries about ordering new shirts to practice your newfound folding skills, contact our team and check out our custom t-shirt buyer's guide!