How to Fold Dress Pants for Packing or Hanging

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Keep dress pants crisp and wrinkle-free with our easy folding guide

Co-authored by Caitlin Jaymes and Marcus Pruitt, BS

Last Updated: December 9, 2025 Fact Checked

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For Packing & Storage

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For Hanging

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Tips for a Neat Fold

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Tips

Whether you are hanging up your dress pants in your closet or packing them for a trip, knowing how to fold them properly will help keep them from falling off the hanger or getting wrinkled. In this article, we’ll teach you how to fold dress pants into a compact shape for traveling, for hanging up pants in your closet or a garment bag, and more, with the help of closet organizer and fashion stylist Caitlin Jaymes and laundry and cleaning specialist Rani Gorgis.

Folding Dress Pants for Travel: Quick Steps

Lay the pants on a flat surface and smooth out any bumps or wrinkles.
Fold along the creases in the legs (or in half at the zipper if there’s no crease).
Bring the bottom cuffs up to the waistband, keeping them flat.
Bring the first fold up to the waistband for a more compact fold.

Section 1 of 3:

Folding Dress Pants for Packing

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1
Lay the pants out on a flat surface, like the floor or a table. Avoid putting the pants on the floor if it is carpeted, as that will prevent you from getting smooth folds. Rather, use hardwood floors or a large table so you will have room to work.
- Take a minute to smooth out the inside of the pockets, too, to make sure they are lying flat.
Meet the wikiHow Experts

Caitlin Jaymes is a closet organizer and fashion stylist who uses fashion and organization to instill confidence, ambition, and stress-free lifestyles for her clients.

Rani Gorgis is a laundry and cleaning specialist with several years of experience specializing in dry cleaning, wash-n-fold, shirt laundry, and servicing smoke-damaged clothes.
2
Fold the pants along the crease if there is one. If you are having trouble finding the crease, pick up the pants and hold them by the cuffs. When you see where the creases start on the cuffs, align the pant legs so those creases are on the outside of the pants, rather than poking up in the middle.^{[1]
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- Make sure that the bottoms of the pants match up and are even to one another to guarantee there will be no wayward wrinkles.
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3
Or, fold the pants in half at the zipper or button-front if there isn’t a crease. Fold one leg of the pants over so it’s on top of the other leg. Use your hands to smooth the fabric out, pushing away any potential wrinkles. The side seams of the pants will be on the edge now.
- If the button is bulging out, unbutton the pants and smooth out the waistband so it lies flat.
4
Grab the bottom cuffs and bring them up to the waistband. Keep the cuffs flat and aligned with the crease, if there is one. Use your hands and smooth out the fabric to erase any wrinkles in the fabric. Put your fingers in between the folds and make sure none of the leg fabric gets caught underneath itself.^{[2]
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- If the fabric is particularly delicate, like silk, place a sheet of tissue paper in between each fold you make.
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Bring your first fold up to the waistband for a more compact fold. Make the pants into a square or rectangular shape, depending on how wide your pants are. Make the line of the first fold even with the waistband, as this will help keep the fabric straight and reduce the chance of wrinkles. Check to make sure the fabric didn’t get caught underneath itself during your second fold.^{[3]
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- If you notice wrinkles or uneven sections that you can’t remove by smoothing the fabric out with your hands, try starting the folding process over. Take a little extra time to make sure your pants are folded correctly to save time ironing later.
- For extra room in your suitcase, compactly roll your pants into a cylindrical shape, starting at the waistband.
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Place pants into a plastic dry-cleaning bag to protect them. Whether you are traveling or storing your pants in a dresser, keep your pants in a plastic bag if you can. Put in 1 to 2 pairs of pants per bag. After you’ve put them in the bag, press down to squeeze out any excess air before you seal it.^{[4]
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- If you’re packing, Jaymes says to put the bag into your suitcase last, or at least as close to last as you can.^{[5]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Caitlin Jaymes
  Closet Organizer & Fashion Stylist
  
  Expert Interview} The less weight put onto the pants when packing, the better, since excess weight can cause wrinkles and misshape your pants.
- Jaymes also recommends unpacking them as soon as you arrive at your hotel or wherever you are staying.^{[6]
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  Expert Source
  
  Caitlin Jaymes
  Closet Organizer & Fashion Stylist
  
  Expert Interview}

Section 2 of 3:

Using the Savile Row Fold for Hanging

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1
Lay your pants out on a flat surface. Use a table, the floor, or a large desk. Avoid using your bed or a carpeted area, as the material of the pants could cling to a softer fabric and make it harder to fold your pants neatly.^{[7]
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- Wipe down your folding surface before using it to clear it of any dust, hair, or dirt.
2
Fold the pants along the crease or the zipper, depending on the style. If your pants have a crease, fold them in half lengthwise so that the crease lies on the outer edge of the fold (the crease won’t be in the middle of the pants). If your pants don’t have a crease, simply fold them in half lengthwise along the zipper area.
- You may need to unbutton the pants so that the button doesn’t stick up and press into the fabric when it’s folded.
3
Slide the bottom of a clothes hanger in between the legs of your pants. For hanging pants, use plastic, wooden, or flocked hangers; avoid using wire hangers. Pick up the top leg of your folded-in-half pants, and put it through the middle space of the hanger.^{[8]
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- For this hanging method, you can’t use hangers that don’t have a bottom horizontal section, as there will be nowhere to hang the pants from.
4
Place the hanger so the hem of the top leg is at the bottom of the crotch. Hold the hanger up in your hand and let the top leg of the pants drape over the bottom of it. Slide the hanger, with the leg of the pants folded over it, and stop when the bottom cuff reaches the bottom of the zipper of your pants.^{[9]
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- Try to keep the pant leg as even as possible so that the fabric on either side is smooth.
5
Lay the hanger down so it is flat, creating your first fold. Set down the hanger so that the top of it is closest to the hem of the bottom pant leg, rather than the waistband. Use your hands to smooth out the fabric of the leg that is now folded.^{[10]
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- Check to make sure the top pant leg didn’t get folded in on itself when you laid the hanger down.
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Bring the bottom leg through the hanger so it’s on top of the pants. Use your hands to smooth the fabric out to prevent any wrinkles. Try lifting the hanger and giving it a few gentle shakes to check the stability of your Savile Row fold.^{[11]
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- If you notice that the fabric is uneven and won’t lay flat, start your folds over again. This will save you ironing time later!
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Hang your dress pants up in your closet or in a garment bag. If you’re hanging pants in a closet, leave a little bit of space in between each garment to help prevent wrinkles. If you are traveling, hang your pants in a garment bag, and consider placing a dry-cleaning bag overtop of them.
- When you are ready to wear your pants, just unfold the legs from the hanger and you should be good to go!

Section 3 of 3:

Preparing Your Dress Pants for Folding

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1
Wash your dress pants based on the care instructions. Gorgis says to always follow the pants’ fabric care instructions. “With that being said, wash the dress pants using the delicate wash cycle and a high-quality free and gentle or free and clear laundry detergent that contains no additives,” Gorgis adds.^{[12]
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Rani Gorgis
Laundry & Cleaning Specialist

Expert Interview}
- Gorgis says that “Some dress pants are best dry cleaned, which can be costly, but will keep the pants looking new after each use.”^{[13]
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  Rani Gorgis
  Laundry & Cleaning Specialist
  
  Expert Interview}
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Iron the pants if they are wrinkly. Read the care label on your pants for ironing instructions. Use an ironing board and a hot iron, and smooth out the wrinkles, mainly using the steam function and gentle pressure rather than the typical back-and-forth ironing motion. If the pants are creased, make sure to iron along the crease rather than across it.^{[14]
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- If you are nervous about ironing or if the care instructions say “dry-clean only,” take your pants to a professional cleaner.
- If you don’t have an iron, Jaymes says to try hanging your pants up in your bathroom while you take a hot shower. The steam should help relax the wrinkles.^{[15]
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  Expert Source
  
  Caitlin Jaymes
  Closet Organizer & Fashion Stylist
  
  Expert Interview}
- Make sure your pants are washed before you iron them, as ironing dirty pants can permanently set any dirt, grime, or stains into the fabric.

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There are wrinkle-release sprays you can buy to freshen up your pants in case there are small wrinkles when you go to wear them.

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