How to Fold Different Types of Shorts (Photos + Video Guides)

As the most popular shorts folding video creator on YouTube, I decided it was time to give you a complete resource on how to fold shorts. Generally, the easiest way to fold shorts is to:

1. Lay the shorts flat with the front facing up
2. Flatten out any uneven fabric with the palms of your hands
3. From the left side, fold the shorts over in half
4. From of the waistband, fold the shorts down in half
5. The shorts can now be stacked in your dresser

I have added specialized folds for all your needs through this article. So whether you have tiny denim shorts you need to pack down as compactly as possible, or you have dressy chino shorts that you want to fold to avoid wrinkles, I have got you covered.

How to Fold Chino Shorts

As a man who generally wears chino shorts, I have had a lot of time to experiment with these folds.

The best two ways to go are either a flat fold or a simple roll. I’ll explain the steps below.

Flat Fold Shorts

There are two common ways to fold chino shorts. The first way is the regular flat fold:

1. Lay the chino shorts flat with the front facing up
2. From the left side, fold the shorts over in half
3. From the waistband, fold the shorts down in half
4. The shorts can now be stored flat, and be stacked horizontally

While this is a great way to go for a quick and reasonably wrinkle-free fold, it is not a good way to organize your dresser drawers.

File-Fold Shorts

The second common way to go is with a file-fold which has been popularized by Marie Kondo. Here’s how you file-fold shorts:

1. Lay the chino shorts flat with the front facing up
2. From the left side, fold the shorts over in half
3. From the waistband, fold the shorts down one third of the way towards the end of the shorts.
4. From the new top, fold the shorts over one more time so they line up with the bottom of the shorts.
5. The shorts can now be placed next to each other horizontally in your drawer or shelf.

Note that if your chino shorts are small, you may be able to get away with folding them in half from the waistband down instead of in thirds. They will still be able to stand on their own without any issues.

Check out this file-folding for shorts guide for an illustrated guide if you want more details.

How to Fold Shorts (Quick and Space-Saving Methods)

Block Roll Shorts

The third way to fold chino shorts is one that is much less known. I have taken the illustration below it straight out of my rolling clothes course.

The fold itself is rather simple to perform, and keeps all the advantages of the previous two folds, while also creasing less of the fabric, and taking up less space.

1. Lay shorts flat with the front up
2. From the left side, fold shorts over in half
3. From the waistband, gently roll the shorts down to the bottom.
4. The shorts can now be stacked both vertically, and horizontally

How to Fold Swim Trunks & Running Shorts

Swim trunks and running shorts are some of the hardest clothing articles to fold properly.

There are two ways to fold men’s gym shorts and swimming shorts. You can roll them like the illustration below, or do a simple fold:

1. Lay the shorts flat with the top facing up.
2. From the left side, fold the trunks over in half so they line up with the right side.
3. From the top of the waistband fold in half down so they meet the end of of the short legs.

If you have large swim trunks like boardshorts, you could also consider doing a file-fold. I don’t recommend it as the fabric is generally too slippery and not stiff enough to hold together the file-fold.

How to Fold Cargo Shorts & Denim Shorts

Both denim shorts and cargo shorts are made of tougher fabric than most other shorts.

This allows us to use the most space-saving folds on them. I recommend file-folding or ranger rolling both these types of shorts.

In the infographic above you can see how to ranger roll shorts. As for the file-fold, we will dive deeper into that in the next section of this article.

How to Fold Shorts for a Shelf or Drawer

Generally, the file-fold is the best way to fold shorts for shelves or drawers.

1. Lay the shorts flat with the front facing up
2. From the left side, fold the shorts over in half
3. From the waistband, fold the shorts down one third of the way towards the end of the shorts.
4. From the new top, fold the shorts over one more time so they line up with the bottom of the shorts.
5. The shorts can now be placed next to each other horizontally in your drawer or shelf.

Folding your shorts like this saves space and keeps them neatly organized, since they aren’t stacked on top of each other.

You can easily pick out the shorts you want for the day.

Many like to organize clothes in rainbow order so they know exactly where to find the shorts they want.

Personally, I also organize by use-case and fabric.

Over time this trains your mind to know exactly where to reach.

How to Fold Shorts to Save Space

Rolling shorts saves the most space. There are two ways to roll your shorts.

The first way is to fold them in half from the side, then roll from the waistband down.

This method is fantastic for your wrinkle-prone shorts, as it is very gentle on the fabric. My problem with it is that it easily unravels compared to the second method that I will share with you.

The ranger roll takes a bit more time but holds together very well and saves a bit more space.

This roll is a great option for travel. Here’s how to do it:

More detailed explanation here.

1. Lay shorts flat with the front up
2. Turn the waistband inside-out
3. Pull the waistband down 3-5″ over the rest of the shorts.
4. From the left side of the shorts, fold shorts over in half
5. From the bottom of the legs, tightly roll the shorts up to the top.
6. Flip the exposed part of the inside-out waistband back over the rest of the roll
7. Make adjustments with your fingers to even out any wrinkles that have appeared

How to Fold Boy Shorts & Girl Shorts

Due to the small size, a flat fold is generally suitable for children’s shorts.

From the left side, fold the shorts over in half so it meets the edge of the right side.

Next, fold in half from the waistband down to the end of the short legs.

You can also use this as a makeshift file-fold by stacking the tall side with the fold up. This will give you a better overview of the shorts in drawers, but it is obviously not recommended for travel as the shorts will tip over during movement.

How To STOP Shorts From Riding Up (Permanently)

Should You Hang or Fold Shorts?

In most cases, hanging shorts results in fewer creases than folding them.

Dressy shorts and delicate fabrics like linen, silk, and shorts with chiffon or lace should be hung.

Shorts in denim, thick cotton, or most synthetic fabrics can be folded.

How to Hang Shorts on a Hanger

The best option for hanging shorts is a hanger with clothespins.

Alternatively, you can fold the shorts over the lower bar of a hanger.

Hanging with the waistband a third of the way over to the back of the hanger is a good ratio.

How to Roll Shorts Up

How far you decided to roll up the shorts personal preference. I would exercise restraint as rolling them up to far can look very tacky.

It is easiest to roll 1 to 2 inches at a time.

Once you reach the desired height, make a crease at the bottom of the roll all the way around.

Gently going over the roll with a hair straightener is the easiest way to make it last the entire day.

For a semi-permanent roll, you can put a hairpin or safety pin on the inside of the roll, so it is out of sight (be careful to not prick yourself with the needle).

For a permanent roll on your shorts, you will need to sow the roll outermost layer of the fabric on the inside together with your shorts from the inside. A thing to note here is to not sow through the entire roll, as the stitches will easily be visible.

The next part of this series is on how to fold pants. Tap the blue text to continue.