How to Army Roll Shirts: A Time-Tested Storage Solution

In this article, I’m going to show you how to army roll a shirt. It’s efficient and wrinkleless, perfect for storage and travel.

When it comes to men’s style, you can’t go wrong with anything that originated in the army. From field watches to trench coats, menswear classics became classics because of their tried-and-true function. From good, honest function comes ubiquity, and from ubiquity comes what we call style.

As it turns out, we can incorporate other military-inspired elements into our closets.

If you’ve never heard of army rolling your shirt, you’re in for a treat. It’s so efficient you may never go back to regular shirt folding again. And frankly, I find the final product of an army roll is more consistent. It’s possible I’m just bad at folding shirts.

The army roll, or the ranger roll if you love alliteration, leaves tons of room in your drawer or suitcase. It’s also wrinkle-resistant, which is always a plus. Once you’ve learned it, it’s easy to do. I also think it’s a lot more fun than a traditional fold.

How to Army Roll Shirts

Alright, here’s your complete guide on how to military roll shirts. The first thing you’ll need, other than the T-shirt in question, is a flat, clean, and even surface. You can use a table or even a hardwood floor. The more flush the surface, the better.

Start by laying the shirt flat on your chosen surface. Lay it on its back so that the front of the shirt faces you. Make sure it’s as flat and as flush to the surface as possible.

Then, fold the bottom hem of the shirt inside out. You can do this by placing your thumbs inside the bottom sides of the shirt, creasing it, then folding the bottom two to three inches over itself. Basically, you’ve made a beanie-like pocket.

You want this fold to be as flat, straight, and clean as possible.

Make sure it’s equally as clean and straight in the back and that the fold is level throughout. I do this by quickly flipping the bottom over so I can see the other side. If it looks good, I put the bottom back in place with the fold intact.

From there, you’ll fold the shirt vertically one-third of the way. It’s just like folding a piece of letter paper for an envelope. One side of the shirt will be folded over, close to the collar.

Then, you’ll fold the sleeve back on itself. It’s important that as you’re taking each step that you ensure everything is straight and in line. Make sure the bottom pocket fold continues to exhibit a straight line even as you’re folding parts of it over itself.

Next, you’ll fold the other side all the way over. It’s going to sit on top of the initial fold from the other side. Again, it’s like a letter fold. You’ll then fold its sleeve back on itself.

Now, we get to the rolling part. Starting at the collar, you’re going to roll it towards the folded beanie pocket at the end of the shirt. Keep the roll tight and clean. The tighter it is, the more compact the final product.

Once you get towards the folded bottom at the end, roll right over it — not into it. This is important. With that pocket there, it may seem instinctual to roll it into the fold. But there’s a tighter, more efficient way to use that pocket.

Now, flip the roll over so that you’re seeing the backside of the pocket. You’re going to take that backside of the pocket and roll it inside out on top of itself. Pull it over as tight as you can.

And there you have it! A perfect military roll.

The final product is so tight and compact it’s perfect for storage. Consider doing a ranger roll when you’re putting clothes away from one season in preparation for another.

Or, consider using this technique when packing luggage for travel. Perhaps you’ll find that all you need is a carry-on all along.

FAQs

Here are some abbreviated, at-a-glance answers and explanations regarding the army roll. These are perfect if you only have a few seconds or need a ranger roll refresher!

How Do You Fold a Shirt in the Military?

You’ll first fold the bottom of the shirt up, creating a pocket. Fold one side in and tuck the sleeve back, then fold the other side over that. You’ll roll it from the collar area over the pocket, then tuck it all into the side of the pocket you didn’t roll over.

Should You Roll T-shirts When Packing?

Efficiently rolling your shirts for suitcase storage can often leave more room. This allows you to pack more if need be.

How Do You Army Roll Long-Sleeve Shirts?

You’d army roll long-sleeve shirts the exact same way you do with short-sleeve shirts. Just make sure the long sleeves are perfectly vertical when you fold them in. They should sit parallel with the one-third fold on each side.