3 Simple Ways to Fold a Button-Down Shirt for Travel

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Learn quick, easy methods to fold a shirt when packing

Co-authored by Caitlin Jaymes and Bailey Bujnosek, BA

Last Updated: April 2, 2025 Fact Checked

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Folding a Dress Shirt

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Rolling a Shirt

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Folding Two Shirts Together

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There are several ways to properly fold a dress shirt or other shirt for travel. Folding according to this guide will keep your shirts as neat and wrinkle-free as possible. Follow the steps below to be ready for your trip in no time! We even got expert tips on folding and removing wrinkles from certified professional organizer Marty Stevens-Heebner, SMM-C, CPO and closet organizer Caitlin Jaymes.

Best Way to Fold a Dress Shirt for Travel

Button your shirt up entirely.
Lay out your shirt face down on a flat surface.
Fold the sleeves inward at the armpit seams, forming an “X” shape.
Fold each sleeve back upward over itself, forming a “V” shape.
Fold the shirt upward from the hem in thirds, forming a square.
Pack the shirt face up in your bag.

Section 1 of 4:

Folding a Dress Shirt

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Place it button-side up on a flat surface like a table, chair seat, or bed. Smooth out the back and front of your shirt to minimize wrinkles as you fold.
You can button up all of the buttons to decrease the chance of wrinkles, but it will take more time to unbutton and put on at your destination. If you’d like to save time, only button the top, bottom, and center buttons. ^{[1]
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Research source}

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The rest of the folding process will be done over the back of the shirt. After you flip it over, smooth out both sides so you’re not leaving any wrinkles as you fold. ^{[2]
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Research source}
4
Fold one sleeve towards the center of your shirt. Fold the shirt so the crease forms a straight line just before the shirt collar. Keep the sleeve straight and place it downward at a diagonal angle, so the sleeve cuff is near the bottom hem on the opposite side of the sleeve. ^{[3]
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Research source}
- You can start with either the left or right sleeve.
Mirror your movements from when you folded the first sleeve. Fold the other sleeve towards the center, keeping it straight. When you’re done, check that the two sleeves cross over each other slightly in an “X” shape. ^{[4]
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Research source}
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Fold each sleeve upward over itself. Pinch the top and bottom of your sleeve so it doesn’t move too much. Fold your sleeve up over itself so the cuff is toward the collar. Make this fold at an angle, forming a “V” shape out of the two sleeves.
- Do this for both the left and right sleeves.
If the shirt isn’t very long, you may only need to fold upward once (in half instead of in thirds). For most shirts, lift the hem up with both hands and pull it one-third of the way up over the back of the shirt. Repeat with a second fold, so your crease from the first fold touches the bottom of the shirt’s collar. ^{[5]
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Research source}
8
Flip over your folded shirt and pack it. Pack it button-side up so it doesn’t come undone and the buttons don’t get scratched or tarnished during travel. Repeat the folding method for all of your dress shirts, and you’ll be ready to travel.
- Jaymes says that you can prevent wrinkles by packing dress shirts at the top of your suitcase. “Make sure your shoes or toiletry bag aren’t crunching them,” she says. ^{[6]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Caitlin Jaymes
  Closet Organizer & Fashion Stylist
  
  Expert Interview. 16 December 2019.}

Section 2 of 4:

Rolling Your Shirt to Save Space

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Place it on a flat surface like a table or chair seat so you can make tight, neat rolls. Smooth it out with your hands to get rid of any wrinkles. ^{[7]
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Research source}
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Turn the hem of your shirt inside-out about 1 to 2 in (2.5 to 5.1 cm) up. Turn both the front and back sides of the hem inside-out. By doing so, you create a “pocket” which you will tuck the body of your shirt into later. ^{[8]
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Research source}
- You can roll your shirts without creating a fold from the bottom, but they’re more likely to come unwound.
Start on either side. Pinch the sleeve and shirt bottom, and fold that side into the center about 1/3 of the way across the shirt. Repeat for the other side. ^{[9]
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Research source}
4
Tuck your sleeves so one is over the other. This way, both sleeves will lay flat. Start by facing both sleeves outward away from one another. Lift one of the folded sides and place the opposite sleeve flat under it. Set down the side and place the other sleeve flat so it covers it.
- Try to make these folds as flat and neat as possible.
5
Turn your shirt upside-down and roll it upward from the collar. Grab the shoulders of the shirt with both hands and roll tightly and neatly upward, toward the pocket you made earlier. Try to keep the roll as straight as possible so one side doesn’t end up bulkier than the other. ^{[10]
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Research source}
- It’s okay if you have to roll your shirt over again to make it neat. Keep trying until your finished roll is a tight, compact bundle.
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Tuck the edge of your rolled shirt into your bottom fold. Use both hands to undo the pocket and pull it over the shirt roll. Tuck the roll securely into the fold. This will keep your shirt from unrolling when you pack it. ^{[11]
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Research source}
- You can roll up your shirts without tucking them into a bottom pocket. The tuck is optional.
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Place all of your rolled shirts at the bottom of your suitcase. This will create an even, level base for you to pack other items like pants or dresses.
- To maximize space in your suitcase, roll up other clothing like pants and sweaters.
- “Rolling won’t get rid of or prevent all wrinkles, but it definitely mitigates the number of wrinkles” in your clothes, shares Stevens-Heebner. ^{[12]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Marty Stevens-Heebner, SMM-C, CPO®
  Certified Professional Organizer & Senior Move Manager
  
  Expert Interview. 14 January 2020.}

Section 3 of 4:

Folding Shirts Together to Avoid Wrinkles

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If you’re starting with two unfolded shirts, follow the steps above to fold one of them. The folded shirt will be placed inside the shirt you’re about to fold near the end of the folding process, allowing you to minimize wrinkles and save space.
2
Lay the unfolded shirt out flat and face down. Make sure the back of the shirt is facing you. If you’re folding a shirt with buttons, button them all up before you turn the shirt over. ^{[13]
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Research source} Use a flat surface like a table or your bed to fold on.
- You can fold dress shirts and T-shirts or sweaters together, or fold alike shirts with each other.
Place your palm at the inside of the shoulder seam and fold your sleeve over it. Line the sleeve up with the side of the shirt so it forms a straight line. Repeat with the opposite sleeve. ^{[14]
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Research source}
4
Fold each sleeve inward over itself. Starting with the left sleeve, lift up the outer edge and crease it so the sides of the sleeve are touching. Repeat with the right sleeve.
- As you fold, smooth out the surface of your shirt so it’s perfectly flat and wrinkle-free.
Lift the hem of the shirt with both hands and fold it up so 3 to 5 inches (7.6 to 12.7 cm) of the hem are folded—if you’re eyeballing it, it’s about the lowest fourth of the shirt. This will prevent excess length of the shirt from hanging over later.
Take your pre-folded shirt and set it towards the bottom of the shirt you’ve been folding. Place it button-side up. Set it so it just covers the top edge of the hem that you just folded upward. ^{[15]
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Research source}
Grab the bottom of the flat shirt with both hands and pull it up toward the collar, essentially folding it in half. Your pre-folded shirt is now in-between the top and bottom halves of your first shirt. ^{[16]
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Research source}
8
Pack your folded shirts button-side up. Because the inner shirt is secured inside the folded one, it’s less likely to wrinkle. Plus, by combining the shirts together, they’ll take up slightly less space in your suitcase.
- If you’re trying to save a lot of space, practice bundle wrapping . Fold your pants, sweaters, and other clothing items around one another to form one compact square.

Section 4 of 4:

Frequently Asked Questions

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1
Is it better to roll or fold shirts for travel? It depends—there are pros and cons to both methods. Folding is usually better for dress shirts in terms of preventing wrinkles because rolling button-down shirts can cause creases. ^{[17]
X
Research source} However, folded clothes usually take up more space in your suitcase than rolled ones.
- If your shirts are made of an anti-wrinkle fabric or don’t have buttons, rolling may be a better choice than folding so you can pack more things.
- Rolling your shirts for travel lets you find them more easily in your suitcase. If you fold shirts, you must rifle through stacks to find the ones you need.
Besides properly folding or rolling the dress shirt, place it near the top of your bag. If it’s squished under things like your shoes or other clothing, wrinkles may form from friction during traveling. Another way to avoid this is to use a packing cube for dress shirts.
3
What do you do if your shirt gets wrinkled in your luggage? The best fix is to steam or iron your shirts to remove creases that occurred during traveling. If you’re short on time, use an anti-wrinkle spray . Another helpful hack is to hang your shirt in the bathroom when you shower so the steam tackles some of the wrinkles, says Jaymes. ^{[18]
X
Expert Source

Caitlin Jaymes
Closet Organizer & Fashion Stylist

Expert Interview. 16 December 2019.}
- If you’re at a hotel, ask the front desk if they offer laundry services such as ironing or pressing clothes. Alternatively, find a local laundry service that can iron your clothes.

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

Caitlin Jaymes
Closet Organizer & Fashion Stylist
Caitlin Jaymes is a Closet Organizer and Fashion Stylist based in Los Angeles, California. With a background in Fashion PR and Fashion Design, she specializes in creating wardrobes for her clients with pieces they already own. She has experience working with celebrities, editorial shoots, and men and women of all ages. Caitlin uses fashion and organization to help instill and influence confidence, ambition, and stress-free lifestyles for all her clients. She runs her business by two guiding principles: “fashion has no rules, only guidance on how to look and feel your best” and “life has too many stressors, don’t let clutter be one of them.” Caitlin’s work has been featured on HGTV, The Rachael Ray Show, VoyageLA, Liverpool Los Angeles, and the Brother Snapchat Channel.

Caitlin Jaymes

Closet Organizer & Fashion Stylist

Expert Answer

Put dress shirts in your suitcase last so that they're on top of all of your other clothes. This will keep them from getting wrinkled. Take them out as soon as you get to your destination. If your shirts do wrinkle in your suitcase, either use a wrinkle spray on them or hang them up in the bathroom while you're showering. If you're staying at a hotel, you can also ask the front desk if they can press your shirts for you.

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Question

How do I keep dress shirts from wrinkling during travel?

Caitlin Jaymes
Closet Organizer & Fashion Stylist
Caitlin Jaymes is a Closet Organizer and Fashion Stylist based in Los Angeles, California. With a background in Fashion PR and Fashion Design, she specializes in creating wardrobes for her clients with pieces they already own. She has experience working with celebrities, editorial shoots, and men and women of all ages. Caitlin uses fashion and organization to help instill and influence confidence, ambition, and stress-free lifestyles for all her clients. She runs her business by two guiding principles: “fashion has no rules, only guidance on how to look and feel your best” and “life has too many stressors, don’t let clutter be one of them.” Caitlin’s work has been featured on HGTV, The Rachael Ray Show, VoyageLA, Liverpool Los Angeles, and the Brother Snapchat Channel.

Caitlin Jaymes

Closet Organizer & Fashion Stylist

Expert Answer

Button at least the top, center, and bottom buttons. Then, fold the shirt neatly. This will keep it from wrinkling.

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How do you fold polo shirts for travel?

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This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

wikiHow Staff Editor

Staff Answer

The rolling technique works well for polo shirts. If you’d rather fold your shirt flat, button all the buttons and lay it face down on a flat surface. Find the center of your shirt, then fold both sides of the shirt toward the center line. Fold the sleeves back so that they touch the outer edges of the folds you just made. Next, take the bottom of the shirt and fold it halfway toward the top, then fold it up a second time, so that the bottom of the shirt is touching the collar. If you’re stacking several shirts in your luggage, put a layer of tissue paper between them and avoid stacking them too deep.

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Tips

Starch and iron your shirts before you fold them to keep them from wrinkling much.

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Iron or steam your shirts before wearing, or get them pressed by your hotel’s laundry service.

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[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

Expert Source

Caitlin Jaymes
Closet Organizer & Fashion Stylist

[7]

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Marty Stevens-Heebner, SMM-C, CPO®
Certified Professional Organizer & Senior Move Manager

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[18]

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3 Simple Ways to Fold a Button-Down Shirt for Travel

Best Way to Fold a Dress Shirt for Travel

Steps

Folding a Dress Shirt

Rolling Your Shirt to Save Space

Folding Shirts Together to Avoid Wrinkles

Frequently Asked Questions

Expert Q&A

Video

Tips

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