By item: mind your folding method to keep things neat and long-lasting

This time, we'll introduce folding methods suited to winter fashion items,

along with how to store them.

Winter items that you don't wash or send to the cleaners every time you wear them

need the right folding and storage methods to stay looking neat.

Preventing wrinkles and stretched-out shapes matters a great deal in the long run.

No matter what item you're folding, the key point is to fold it to match the width

of your storage space (drawers or a chest).

Clothes vary in width and thickness depending on the item and design,

but fine-tuning how you fold lets you keep the width consistent.

If you can fold something to fit snugly within your storage space,

it will shift around less and develop fewer stretched-out spots while stored, keeping it looking neat.

Wearing a crisp, wrinkle-free shirt straightens your posture and

sharpens your focus.

Shirts are stored either by "hanging on a hanger" or by "folding,"

but either way, you'll want to use a method that resists wrinkling.

With a thick, brushed flannel shirt, wrinkles aren't much of a concern,

but thin cotton shirts worn for business

wrinkle easily, and given the situations you wear them in, you'll want to keep a sharp impression.

【Hanging on a Hanger】

Hanging on a hanger is still the method least likely to cause wrinkles.

The hanger you choose should be "on the thicker side."

With a thin wire hanger, the shoulders—the part most prone to losing their shape—

won't be held firmly in place and will end up stretched out of shape.

A hanger whose shoulder width matches your shirt's width and that has

enough sturdy thickness will keep the line from shoulder to sleeve from wrinkling.

Also, please keep the top three or so buttons closed when storing.

When hanging on a hanger, the weight of the shirt pulls it downward, so

if the buttons are left open, the weight of the collar can cause the front to shift out of shape,

or the shirt can slip off the hanger and develop wrinkles.

【Folding a Shirt】

When storing a shirt folded, the key is how well you can

keep it fixed in a neatly folded state without letting it come undone.

1. Turn the shirt inside out and lay it flat. Smooth out wrinkles and creases with your hands on both the front and back.

2. Fold both sleeves in to match the width of your storage space. Check as you go, since the underarm area tends to wrinkle easily.

3. Fold up about 10cm from the hem, turning it upward.

4. Fold in half and arrange it with the front side facing up.

*Of course you'll match the width to your storage space, but be mindful in steps 3 and 4 that the folded vertical length also fits your storage space size.

The key point is to tuck the sleeves, which stretch out of shape easily, on the inside when storing, and

if you're stacking shirts, it's best to shift each one slightly so as not to crush the standing collar.

Top: INDIVIDUALIZED SHIRTS／LADIES BAND COLLAR SHIRTS
Bottom: ZUTTO／Brushed Wide Pants (gray sold out)
Shoes: dansko／Ingrid Black Oiled
Bag: SUNSET CRAFTSMAN CO.／Canvas Bag SCCF001 BROWN/MILK
Knit Cap: Highland2000／Knit Cap　NAVY

Unlike underwear or T-shirts, knitwear isn't washed or

sent to the cleaners every time you wear it, so

how you care for and store it afterward matters a great deal.

First, after wearing a knit, brush it with a clothes brush to

remove dust and to loosen tangled fibers and smooth the nap.

Even in winter you sweat, so rather than putting it away right away, it's a good idea

to hang it on a sturdy hanger for a while to let the moisture escape.

(Depending on the knit's material or shape, some pieces stretch easily or

lose their shape easily—for those, lay them flat instead of hanging.)

【Folding a Knit】

The key is to fold it without adding bulk, while paying attention to the underarms, which wrinkle easily.

1. Turn the knit inside out and lay it flat. Smooth out wrinkles and creases with your hands on both the front and back, and align the seams at the underarms and sleeves.

2. Fold the arms inward. Placing the arms in a staggered, non-overlapping position at this point helps keep the bulk down.

If your storage space is wide enough that this width is fine as is, simply fold in half by bringing the hem up to meet the shoulders, and you're done.

3. If your storage space is narrower, fold the arms inward once more.

4. Fold the hem up to meet the shoulders, fold in half, and arrange it with the front side facing up.

Top: ANDERSEN-ANDERSEN／Sailor Sweater THE NAVY CREWNECK offwhite
Bottom: GUNG HO／Fatigue Pants Olive
Shoes: CHIPPEWA／Engineer Boots Women's Black
Knit Cap: Highland2000／Knit Cap BURGUNDY

The more times you fold, the more likely those spots are to develop fold-wrinkles,

and the final result will also end up bulkier, so especially with thick knits,

the key is to think about reducing the number of folds as much as possible.

If you store them flat in a drawer, the ones underneath keep getting

piled on as you add more knits on top, and the weight crushes the ones at the bottom.

When that happens, not only do wrinkles form more easily, but the knit's fluffy feel and

texture can also suffer, so if possible, we recommend storing them vertically.

Fold the knit, then fold it in half again, and stand it upright to store.

(Adjust the height to match the depth of your drawer.)

Even if a single piece can't stand on its own, once you have a certain number

of pieces in the drawer, they'll support each other.

For larger drawers, adding a divider partway through, or

using a bookend, is a good idea—this way you won't end up with

everything toppling over the moment you take out a single knit.

Among your knits, there may be some that are especially precious to you,

or ones whose texture you don't want to compromise.

For those pieces, rather than storing them together with your other knits,

why not go ahead and set aside individual storage space for each one?

Woodlore's cedar storage box is a clothing storage box made from

American-grown red cedar.

Red cedar has deodorizing, moisture-resistant, and insect-repelling properties, so

you can use it not only for dress shirts and blouses, but also for folded sweaters.

Taking the practical approach of one box per garment,

it's perfect for carefully storing that one special piece.

The boxes can also be stacked on top of one another, which is convenient.

Top: JOHN SMEDLEY / A3837 Long Sleeve Crew Neck Cardigan
Shoes: chausser / plus by chausser Side Gore Boots BL
Hat: ITALIAN HAT COMPANY / Lapin Felt Hat

A cardigan is a handy layer for offices where temperature control

is needed even in winter.

When storing a cardigan, you need to watch out for stretching in the buttonholes.

Knit fabric, being knitted, stretches easily, and that's actually part of what

makes it so comfortable to wear—but it's the buttonholes that take the damage

each time the buttons are done up and undone.

For this reason, when putting away a cardigan, we recommend leaving all the buttons

undone before folding and storing it.

This avoids putting strain on the buttonholes and prevents them from stretching out.

The folding method is basically the same as for a shirt, but

you might wonder how to handle the hood, right?

If your priority is keeping things from shifting during storage,

tucking the hood inside will let you store it more neatly.

1. Turn the hoodie inside out and lay it flat. Smooth out any wrinkles or twists by hand on both the front and back, aligning the seams at the sides and arms.

2. Fold both sleeves in to match the width of your storage space. The underarm area tends to wrinkle at this point, so check it as you go.

3. Fold the hood down from its base and smooth out any wrinkles so it lies flat.

4. Fold the hem up to meet the shoulders, folding it in half, and arrange it with the right side facing up.

If you want to keep a plump, fluffy hood looking its best,

it's better not to tuck it inside, and instead fold it last.

After folding in both sleeves in step 2, fold the garment in half with the right side up,

then fold the hood over on top to finish.