How To Fold Underwear: A Complete Guide

Stop for a second and take a look around you.

Are there random items lying around? Are there dirty clothes scattered around your room?

A messy room is a gateway to a messy life, but it’s difficult to build a habit of tidying up and sticking to it. Rather than overloading yourself by immediately beginning a full-day deep cleanse, start with smaller steps so that you can gradually build a habit of tidying up — you’re more likely to stick to new habits if you develop them slowly over time rather than forcing them into your life. A great place to start is to put away smaller items that you use every day, such as your underwear.

Underwear is often the first article of clothing that’s left lying around because we wear a different pair every day. You may think just throwing one pair to the side won’t have a huge impact on your lifestyle, but it does — this small act of leaving small items lying around subconsciously gives you permission to not clean up other items either, and small items are the starting place for larger piles to build up

Below, you’ll find our complete guide on how to properly build a habit of cleaning up, starting with how to fold and store underwear as well as why it’s so important to keep your belongings neat and tidy.

Let’s get into it!

Why Is It Important To Keep Your Underwear Folded?

Let’s start with a fact that doesn’t need any scientific backing: your underwear is important. You wear it every day, and it keeps you supported through everything.

When you have high-quality briefs, they deserve to be well taken care of. Don’t leave your briefs balled up in your drawer or — even worse — strewn around your room. Take care of them like you’d take care of any luxury item by folding them nicely and putting them away.

If you won’t do it for your briefs, do it for you! A disorganized room is a bad look, sure, but it’s actually affecting your mental health as well. Something as simple as a few pairs of underwear left on the ground can make you feel overwhelmed and anxious.

If you let your mess get worse with piles of clothes or an unmade bed, these feelings of panic build up and grow. Physical clutter leads to mental clutter and vice-versa.

So, how can you feel better? Start with something simple: folding and properly storing your clothes, starting with your underwear. As soon as your undergarments are off the ground and put away, you’ll begin to feel a lot better.

If you’re generally a tidy person that rarely lets their room get in the danger zone — great! You should still keep reading because you might pick up some valuable tips for the next time you do a load of laundry or if you’re in the market for some really comfortable underwear.

Take another look around you, and then take a deep breath. You’ve got to start somewhere, so let’s dive in!

What’s the Best Way to Fold Underwear?

We recommend having a designated underwear drawer to help with organization. You can even grab a drawer organizer for a really classy look.

So, now that you’ve got your underwear’s forever home all picked out: What now?

First, clear space on your bed. Then, put your clean underwear in a pile. You can sort them in whatever way you prefer — color, pattern, age, or even activity (like daily wear or workouts).

There are a few sorting and folding methods to choose from, and your choice will depend entirely on what your favorite underwear brand is, how much space you have, and what type of underwear it is.

Once you have these factors figured out, it’s time to start folding. Below, you’ll find our favorite folding methods as well as how they correspond to your space and type of underwear.

The Roll

The roll is one of the most common underwear folding techniques to save space in your drawer, and it’s the best method for packing a suitcase when traveling.

The method is in the name: you roll your underwear up into one small pouch that can be stored easily. It works well with any pair of underwear, no matter the brand, size, and type. However, it works the best with briefs or underwear that has a high quality, tight waistband (instead of a thin and flimsy one).

Here’s a quick and easy breakdown of the roll method:

1. Lay underwear on a flat surface face up with the front pocket facing you and the leg holes facing down.
2. Flip the top of the waistband to the front, creating a large pocket.
3. Flip both the left side and right side of your undies, either 1/3 or 1/4 of the way in (depending on how small you want the roll to be).
4. After step #3, you should be left with a smaller version of your underwear in a square shape. Roll this new shape from the bottom up to the visible waistband.
5. Lift the underwear up, grab the waistband, and flip it over the entire roll. This should act as a rubber band to ensure the underwear doesn’t fall apart.
6. Done! Your result should be a small and tightly wrapped, stretched-out rectangle.

The more you do the roll, the better and faster you’ll get. If you have a bit more time and space, then you can try the next option instead.

The Classic Fold

This is the fold you probably saw your parents doing when you were a kid. It’s the most common folding method and is definitely the most aesthetically pleasing. Frankly, your briefs probably deserve this type of TLC, especially if they’re premium boxer briefs.

Here’s how to do a classic fold:

1. Begin the same way as the roll — flat with the front pocket facing you.
2. Grabbing both sides, fold 1/3 or 1/4 of the way towards the middle.
3. Grab the top waistband and fold right down the middle where both sides of the waistband aren’t touching.
4. Now, grab the bottom edge and repeat step #3.
5. Done! The result should be a neatly-folded flat square or rectangle.

This is named the classic fold for a reason! Everyone uses it, and it’s the easiest way to properly store your underwear.

If you don’t prefer either of these methods, try playing around with some DIY folding techniques and see what you can come up with. You can try anything from the egg roll method to Marie Kondo’s trending Konmari method to the square method.

As long as you're not severely wrinkling your underwear, have enough space, and they’re off your bed or floor, do whatever you want!

These are merely suggestions — go crazy and organize your dresser however you like.

All Citizens

Now that you’ve begun properly organizing your underwear, you may have noticed a few tattered pairs that have seen better days. Your underwear is a reflection of you, so the old pairs with holes in them aren’t doing you any favors (would you want to see your partner in old, tattered underwear or premium, booty-hugging skivvies?).

If it’s time for an underwear overhaul, now’s a great time to invest in higher quality, more durable, and more comfortable underwear. We created All Citizens to deliver comfort, quality, and performance to all by creating premium products at affordable prices.

With styles like the patent-pending Paradise Pocket and the Classic Brief, inclusive sizing, and high-performance, eco-friendly microfiber that stretches and wicks sweat, our underwear is made to be a comfort powerhouse for every body.

We’re here to democratize comfort, both on your body and in your life in general. We hope these folding tips start your journey to a less cluttered and more meaningful life. Happy folding!

Sources:

Decluttering Your Life: How Cleaning and Mental Health Are Connected | Cleveland Clinic

A Review of Men’s Underwear Styles and Its Various Fabrics | DFMS

Should I Roll or Fold My Underwear? | MEL Magazine