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Clothing Organization
Folding Clothes
How to Fold or Roll Pants for Travel Download Article Professional organizer Natalie Broyhill provides tips for rolling & packing pants effectively Co-authored by Natalie Broyhill and Raven Minyard, BA
Last Updated: November 14, 2025 Fact Checked
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This article was co-authored by Natalie Broyhill and by wikiHow staff writer, Raven Minyard, BA. Natalie Broyhill is a professional organizer based in Winston Salem, North Carolina. Natalie is the founder and owner of Tartan Professional Organizing, handling more than 100 projects per year and continuing to grow. Tartan Professional Organizing offers home and personal organizing services from general decluttering to dramatic transformations. Tartan's signature organizing style produces systems that are functional and spaces that are beautiful. Natalie's previous experience working in art museums informed and shaped her passion for organizing, especially for creatives. There are 10 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 255,356 times.
If you’re getting ready for a trip, you may be stumped by how to pack your pants and keep them wrinkle-free while saving room for your other belongings. Luckily, there are easy and effective ways to fold or roll pants for traveling. Keep reading as we explain the best ways to pack slacks, sweats, and more, with help from professional organizers Natalie Broyhill and Julie Naylon.
How do you pack pants?
Professional organizer Natalie Broyhill says rolling pants is the most effective way to pack them in a suitcase. She suggests folding one leg over the other and folding the legs up to the belt. Then, roll the pants from the base to the top and place the open side of the fold face down in your bag.
Steps
Section 1 of 3:
How to Fold Pants for Packing
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1 Fold pants that wrinkle easily. Folding cuts back on wrinkles, so avoid rolling slacks, suit pants, or any fabrics that wrinkle easily, like pants made of 100% cotton. Even if they take up more space, fold them so they’re crisp and clean once you reach your destination.[1]XResearch source
It’s also acceptable to fold pants that don’t wrinkle easily, but you might save space by rolling them. Jump to our How to Roll Pants for Packing section for more details.
Meet the wikiHow Experts
Natalie Broyhill is a professional organizer and the founder of Tartan Professional Organizing. Her business offers home and personal organizing services from general decluttering to dramatic transformations.
Julie Naylon is a professional organizer and the founder of No Wire Hangers. Her business provides residential and office organizing and consulting services.
2 Iron your pants before you fold them. If you pack wrinkly pants, they’re just going to look worse after being packed in your luggage for several hours. To keep your pants looking their best, iron them before you pack. This way, you’re more likely to be able to wear them straight out of the suitcase when you arrive. Advertisement
3 Lay the pants on a flat surface. Place your pants on the floor or another hard surface to make sure your fold is neat. Lay them out flat, and smooth out any creases or folds so that you can pack them neatly.[2]XResearch source
4 Fold the pants in half so the legs overlap. Bring one leg over the other, and make sure the fold is right down the middle over the seam at the crotch of the pants. Straighten the legs as needed to remove any creases.[3]XResearch source
If you're folding dress pants or trousers that have a crease or pleat down the middle, fold the pants in half along the crotch so that the crease is preserved.
5 Fold them in half vertically. Bring the cuffs of the pants legs up to the waist. Again, straighten the pants so that no creases make it into the fold. Run your hands over the fabric to make sure the folds are nice and flat.[4]XResearch source
6 Fold them in half once more. Bring the edges of the pants (the waist and the cuffs) down to meet the bottom of the fold. Your pants are now ready to pack. Note that when you fold pants in half this way, it will create a crease across the knees and across the thighs. They won’t be covered in wrinkles, but you may need to iron them before you wear them.[5]XResearch source
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How to Roll Pants for Packing
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1 Roll fabrics that don’t wrinkle easily. “Rolling really does maximize the space in a suitcase,” says Naylon.[6]X Expert Source Julie NaylonProfessional OrganizerExpert Interview However, it often causes more wrinkles than folding does. If you don’t mind a few wrinkles or your pants are made of a fabric that doesn’t wrinkle easily, rolling is the way to go. Here are the types of pants you can roll:
Jeans
Leggings
Workout pants
Rolling is also a great way to organize pants in your closet!
In general, Broyhill says rolling your pants up is the most effective way to pack them in your suitcase.[7]X Expert Source Natalie BroyhillProfessional OrganizerExpert Interview
2 Lay the pants on a flat surface. Start with ironed pants if you want to keep them as wrinkle-free as possible. Lay them out on the floor or another hard surface, and smooth your hands over the legs to remove any creases.
3 Fold the pants in half so the legs overlap. Broyhill says to “neatly fold the pants in half with the front of the pants facing inward.”[8]X Expert Source Natalie BroyhillProfessional OrganizerExpert Interview Simply place one leg over the other and smooth out any creases with your hands, making sure there are no places where the fabric is rumpled.[9]XResearch source
4 Roll the pants down, starting from the waist. Use your fingers to start rolling the pants down from the waist, as you would roll up a jelly roll or a sleeping bag. Keep rolling until you reach the cuffs. It’s also possible to do the opposite and roll your pants up from the cuffs to the waist.[10]XResearch source Either way, your pants will end up in a neat roll that you can easily tuck into your suitcase.
Broyhill says you can also roll the pants up from the base of the pants to the top.[11]X Expert Source Natalie BroyhillProfessional OrganizerExpert Interview
As you roll, make sure the fabric stays crease-free. Smooth out creases as you go.
Roll loosely, rather than tightly, as tightly-rolled fabric will end up creasing.
Optional step: Broyhill suggests folding the legs of the pants up to the belt once before you start rolling them up.[12]X Expert Source Natalie BroyhillProfessional OrganizerExpert Interview
5 Alternatively, ranger roll your pants. Ranger rolling is a clothes-rolling method used by members of the military to save space, prevent wrinkles, and keep items organized. It’s possible to ranger roll almost any type of pants, but it may be better to avoid materials that wrinkle easily. Here’s what you do:[13]XResearch source
Make sure your pants are zipped and buttoned, and lay them flat.
Fold the waistband inside out about 3 inches to form a cuff.
Smooth out any wrinkles, then fold one leg over the other.
Starting from the bottom, roll your pants up as tightly as possible. Smooth out any wrinkles as you go.
Pull the waistband cuff over the pants to hold everything in place.
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Packing Pants Effectively
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1 Pack the dressiest pants in a suit bag. If you’re concerned about damaging your trousers, or you need to show up to your destination and wear them without time to iron them, use a suit bag that will allow you to pack them vertically instead of folding them in half. This is the best way to keep your pants wrinkle-free.[14]XResearch source
Affix the pants to a pants hanger that won't damage the fabric. Some pants hangers require folding the pants in half at the knee and draping them over the top of the hanger.
Store them neatly in your suit bag, making sure they’re completely straight so they'll remain wrinkle-free.
2 Pack your rolled pants toward the bottom. If you end up with a few pairs of rolled pants, pack these casual items below items that need to stay wrinkle-free. Tuck them in toward the bottom of the suitcase since it won’t matter as much if they get a little crushed.
When packing your rolled pants into your bag, Broyhill says to “place the pant roll with the ‘open’ part facing down so it's less likely to come undone when moving things around in the suitcase.”[15]X Expert Source Natalie BroyhillProfessional OrganizerExpert Interview
3 Pack your folded pants on top. This way, they won’t get crushed and wrinkled as you travel. Lay them over the top of the other items you've packed when your suitcase is mostly full. Don’t pack shoes or other heavy items on top of your folded pants.
4 Place items in a dry cleaner bag to prevent wrinkling. This extra layer of protection will keep them from shifting in transit. Using a dry cleaner bag is a good way to keep freshly-ironed pants from picking up a lot of little creases while they're in the suitcase.[16]XResearch source
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Question I tried every method in this with my sweatpants, but they're just too thick. Any other way of folding sweatpants? Community Answer I'm not sure if you've tried this method yet, but fold the sweatpants in half first, and then roll the pant legs up. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 11 Helpful 6
Question How do I pack corduroy pants? Community Answer Pack them the same way you would pack any other pants using the tips you read here. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 8 Helpful 5
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Take your time while folding your pants. If you rush, you'll probably end up with more creases. Make sure you smooth out the fabric as you go. Thanks Helpful 6 Not Helpful 0
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Co-authored by: Natalie Broyhill Professional Organizer This article was co-authored by Natalie Broyhill and by wikiHow staff writer, Raven Minyard, BA. Natalie Broyhill is a professional organizer based in Winston Salem, North Carolina. Natalie is the founder and owner of Tartan Professional Organizing, handling more than 100 projects per year and continuing to grow. Tartan Professional Organizing offers home and personal organizing services from general decluttering to dramatic transformations. Tartan's signature organizing style produces systems that are functional and spaces that are beautiful. Natalie's previous experience working in art museums informed and shaped her passion for organizing, especially for creatives. This article has been viewed 255,356 times. How helpful is this? Co-authors: 13Updated: November 14, 2025 Views: 255,356 Categories: Featured Articles | Folding ClothesArticle SummaryX
To pack pants so you don’t have to iron them after traveling, fold them along the seams or roll them. For business pants and pants made out of fabrics that can easily be wrinkled, iron them before trying to pack them. Once wrinkle-free, lay your pants on a flat surface and fold 1 leg over the other. Then, fold your pants vertically, bringing the cuffs up to the waist. Fold them in half once more before packing your pants. Alternatively, for jeans or casual pants, lay them flat before folding 1 leg over the other. You can then start rolling from the waist to the cuffs. To learn where to pack your pants to avoid wrinkling them, keep reading!Did this summary help you?YesNo
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Yes No Advertisement If you buy through links on our site, we may earn a commission.Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Co-authored by: Natalie Broyhill Professional Organizer Click a star to vote Co-authors: 13Updated: November 14, 2025 Views: 255,356
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Download Article Professional organizer Natalie Broyhill provides tips for rolling & packing pants effectively Co-authored by Natalie Broyhill and Raven Minyard, BA 
4 Easy Ways to Hang Your Pants on a Hanger 
How toPress Pants 
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Co-authored by: Natalie Broyhill Professional Organizer This article was co-authored by Natalie Broyhill and by wikiHow staff writer, Raven Minyard, BA. Natalie Broyhill is a professional organizer based in Winston Salem, North Carolina. Natalie is the founder and owner of Tartan Professional Organizing, handling more than 100 projects per year and continuing to grow. Tartan Professional Organizing offers home and personal organizing services from general decluttering to dramatic transformations. Tartan's signature organizing style produces systems that are functional and spaces that are beautiful. Natalie's previous experience working in art museums informed and shaped her passion for organizing, especially for creatives. This article has been viewed 255,356 times. How helpful is this? Co-authors: 13 Updated: November 14, 2025 Views: 255,356 Categories: Featured Articles | Folding Clothes Article SummaryX
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1 Fold pants that wrinkle easily. Folding cuts back on wrinkles, so avoid rolling slacks, suit pants, or any fabrics that wrinkle easily, like pants made of 100% cotton. Even if they take up more space, fold them so they’re crisp and clean once you reach your destination.[1] 
2 Iron your pants before you fold them. If you pack wrinkly pants, they’re just going to look worse after being packed in your luggage for several hours. To keep your pants looking their best, iron them before you pack. This way, you’re more likely to be able to wear them straight out of the suitcase when you arrive. Advertisement 
3 Lay the pants on a flat surface. Place your pants on the floor or another hard surface to make sure your fold is neat. Lay them out flat, and smooth out any creases or folds so that you can pack them neatly.[2] 
4 Fold the pants in half so the legs overlap. Bring one leg over the other, and make sure the fold is right down the middle over the seam at the crotch of the pants. Straighten the legs as needed to remove any creases.[3] 
1 Roll fabrics that don’t wrinkle easily. “Rolling really does maximize the space in a suitcase,” says Naylon.[6] However, it often causes more wrinkles than folding does. If you don’t mind a few wrinkles or your pants are made of a fabric that doesn’t wrinkle easily, rolling is the way to go. Here are the types of pants you can roll: 
2 Lay the pants on a flat surface. Start with ironed pants if you want to keep them as wrinkle-free as possible. Lay them out on the floor or another hard surface, and smooth your hands over the legs to remove any creases. 
1 Pack the dressiest pants in a suit bag. If you’re concerned about damaging your trousers, or you need to show up to your destination and wear them without time to iron them, use a suit bag that will allow you to pack them vertically instead of folding them in half. This is the best way to keep your pants wrinkle-free.[14] 
4 Place items in a dry cleaner bag to prevent wrinkling. This extra layer of protection will keep them from shifting in transit. Using a dry cleaner bag is a good way to keep freshly-ironed pants from picking up a lot of little creases while they're in the suitcase.[16] Advertisement 
Community Answer I'm not sure if you've tried this method yet, but fold the sweatpants in half first, and then roll the pant legs up. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 11 Helpful 6 
Advertisement If you buy through links on our site, we may earn a commission.Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy.