The latest trend to stem from Netflix is the famed Marie Kondo’s show ‘Tidying Up’, a concept taken from her book ‘The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up’. It’s had an amazing response and influenced people to take charge of their homes and their clutter. It’s also inspired thousands of viewers to look at how they can create a tidier home, including how to fold and store clothes correctly.
Kondo’s strategy involves storing items as efficiently as possible and when it comes to t-shirts, that means no more stuffing them into a drawer where they are difficult to get to or see. Instead, she advocates for storing them vertically to maximise the storage space and to ensure that you can clearly see the clothes you have. Here’s how to correctly fold a t-shirt to keep your clothes looking their best for longer.
How to Fold a Long-Sleeved T-Shirt
First, lay the long-sleeved t-shirt face down on a flat surface and spread the sleeves out fully on either side. Take one side of the t-shirt and fold it in towards the centre, then fold the sleeve back away from the centre of the t-shirt. Fold it once more, this time down towards the bottom hem of the shirt. Once this step is complete, you should be left with the sleeve forming an upside-down L shape. Repeat this step on the other side, so that it meets with the first side.
Fold the collar of the t-shirt back to the bottom hem to create a rectangle shape and then carefully fold the shirt in half once more. Stand the folded t-shirt upright and store it in a storage container or a drawer, so that you’ll be able to see more easily which t-shirts are where when you’re looking for something to wear.
How to Fold a Short-Sleeved T-Shirt
The great news is if you’re more of a fan of short-sleeved t-shirts, Marie’s folding technique is even easier. This time, you can drop the extra sleeve folds and simply follow these steps. Lay the t-shirt face down once again on a flat surface and fold one side of the shirt towards the centre, folding the short sleeve back in the other direction. Repeat this on the other side and fold the collar back to the bottom hem, forming a rectangle in the same way as with the long-sleeved shirt. Fold the shirt in half again, or in thirds if the shirt is long enough and store it upright as before so that you can easily see which t-shirts you have to choose from.
Storing and folding your clothes correctly will maintain their shape and appearance for longer, so you can get more wear out of your wardrobe items over time. It also means that you’ll be able to see what you have, so you won’t wind up wearing the same few t-shirts time and again and will be able to give each item in your wardrobe equal wear.