How to Fold Socks: The Best Way for Every Type of Sock

How to Fold Socks: The Best Way for Every Type of Sock

Written by: Harry Palmer

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Published on

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Time to read 4 min

There are almost as many ways to fold and pack a pair of socks as there are brands and styles of socks themselves. It can be a simple, easy process, or it can become a more complex, almost meditative process that’ll leave you with a satisfying stack of crisply folded socks. 

As such, there is no real ‘best’ way to fold a pair of socks… so you should choose the method that you find the quickest and easiest to do - or the method that leaves your drawer highly-organised and a joy to look at.

So, without further ado, let’s take a look at some popular methods for folding different kinds of socks, and get your sock drawer looking fit for Marie Kondo herself. 

How to properly fold regular socks

First up, let’s take a step-by-step look at the very simplest way to fold your regular socks that’s perfect for stacking them and if you’re in a hurry: the single fold method. This really is the very quickest and easiest way to fold your socks. 

  1. Stretch your socks out on a flat surface and place one on top of the other
  2. Grab both socks by the cuff
  3. Fold the cuffs over so they’re now in line with the toes
  4. Stack them in your drawer

This method is perfect for easy everyday use on your standard trouser length socks, such as these BOSS George socks. While there are more advanced methods, the classics never die.

How to fold socks to save space

If you’re looking to ensure that your socks stay neatly packed together - and save a whole bunch of space at the same time, then look no further than: the military method.

  1. Place your socks on top of one another
  2. From the toe, tightly roll the socks up to the cuff
  3. Take the outer cuff and fold it back and over the roll, creating a tight bundle
  4. Place the precision bundles in your drawer

Why not give this nifty little method a try on these Tommy Hilfiger Iconic socks. Be careful though - using this method over a prolonged period may compromise the strength of the elastic in the cuffs of your socks. But, if you’re looking to save space, there’s no better way. 

How to fold ankle and no-show socks

We’ve already mentioned her up in the intro, but Marie Kondo’s space-saving and de-cluttered folding methods have taken the world by storm. Fortunately, they’re also extremely easy to put into practice - especially when it comes to folding socks. This works for all types of common-length socks as well Here’s the KonMari method for ankle and no-show socks: 

  1. Place the socks on top of each other
  2. Visually divide the socks into 3 sections
  3. Perform 3 folds - from the toe up, keeping in line with your 3rds
  4. Stand the tightly folded socks up on their ‘sweet spot’ 
  5. Repeat until your sock draw is MUCH more organised and satisfying to look at

Grab a couple of these delectable Calvin Klein Deangelo socks and give this nifty little method a try!

How to fold long and knee-high socks

These longer socks can be a bit of a pain to fold and keep neat, but follow this second method by Marie Kondo and you’ll have your longer socks tightly and neatly packed in your drawer like a lil’ collection of sushi rolls:

  1. Lay them on top of one another
  2. Fold them in half - grab the toes and fold them up to the cuffs
  3. Roll them up tightly (from the creased end)
  4. Pack in your drawer

How to fold socks for a gift

If you’re giving a pair of socks as a gift, you’ll want to grab a small, square gift box and get your best folding skills at the ready - we’re going to be walking you through the slightly more complex, but very professional-looking ‘square method’:

  1. Flatten out each sock so that the heels are facing up 
  2. Place them on top of each other in a cross shape - one heel on top of the other
  3. Flip the toe of the bottom sock up and over, tucking it into the other side
  4. Fold the cuff of the bottom sock over - but don’t tuck yet!
  5. Repeat step 3 for the top sock
  6. And then repeat step 4 - you should now have a square shape with 2 cuffs sticking out
  7. Take the first cuff and fold it backwards and under the other cuff
  8. Take the final cuff and tuck it into the pocket created by the folded socks

This certainly is a more complex method, but it looks very professional and is perfect for making your socky gift looks that much more special. It’s also an excellent method for keeping your own socks stacked in your drawer - making it incredibly easy to see the patterns and colours of your socks. 

Which method will you try?

There are, of course, many MANY other methods for folding your socks, but these are just a few of our favourites at Pants&Socks.com.

Why not talk us through your favourite methods in the comments below?

Remember, for other tips, tricks and pieces of pants and socks wisdom, keep up-to-date with our iconic Below the Belt Blog.

And, if you’re itching for a brand new pair of socks to test these methods on, you can find all the socks you could ever want on our main site and browsing from our sock homepage.

Now, get to folding! You wanna impress Marie or not?

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