How do you bike commuters fold/pack your work shirts?

[DRZRM]

I prefer to drive in over the weekend and hang clothes for the week, but I don't always get to do it. Anyone have a effective way for folding a dress shirt to stick in your backpack? I launder and iron my own shirts (too many buttons destroyed by the laundry) so having them folded and boxed is not an option.

I figure this crowd would have some good ideas.

[tuxbailey]

Do you have an office/closet at work? Perhaps you can stock up for the week?

I wear polo shirts so I just carry my clothes in my backpack.

[deechee]

Someone was telling me the other day wrapping shirts in plastic (like at the dry cleaners) helps reduce wrinkles. Never tried, I wear t-shirts at work...

[icepick_trotsky]

Folding versus rolling clothes is a hotly debated topic among commuters, but I've never found either way completely eliminates wrinkles. Best to keep them at work or a local gym locker room if possible.

I park my bike at a commuter station with a locker room. I use the hair dryer to blow out any wrinkles that accumulated on the ride.

[BlueFly]

I don't usually/like to iron my shirts. Most of my work shirts are JABank traveler long sleeves. YMMV.

I fold them with the Right 3rd and Left 3rd over each other, smooth and flatten. Bring the tail to the collar and smooth and flatten. Then roll from the bottom to the collar. I pack the shirt last on top of all other clothing and I do this in the morning before starting my ride. This method does not eliminate all wrinkles but it provides a professional look that does not look like the shirt just came out of the wash. HTH.

I prefer to drive in over the weekend and hang clothes for the week, but I don't always get to do it. Anyone have a effective way for folding a dress shirt to stick in your backpack? I launder and iron my own shirts (too many buttons destroyed by the laundry) so having them folded and boxed is not an option.

I figure this crowd would have some good ideas.

[happycampyer]

Kinda hard to explain, but to fold a dress shirt with minimal creases, I take an unbuttoned shirt by the shoulders and fold it in half on itself, so that the front half of the collar is face to face. Take the sleeves, which are now flat against each other, and fold them back against the shirt. Then fold the shirt up to fit whatever you are packing it in. Victorinox makes nice rectangular clothing "folders" (not sure what they're called) that will fit nicely in a backpack and keep the shirt from getting scrunched up.

[Anarchist]

With this ...

http://www.rei.com/product/866232/eagle-creek-original-pack-it-garment-folder-small

[MattTuck]

A few different thoughts.

1. If you can get some kind of caddy like the one above, that can help, if nothing else, it gives some structure to keep the shirt from getting crushed into a ball.

2. I've seen in the past on youtube, videos where butlers (professional butlers) demonstrate how to fold various articles of clothing. Pretty sure there was one for shirts.

3. Finally, as was mentioned above. Fabric choice is going to be key. Some shirts are more prone to wrinkling, and some are more resistant. If you think it is going to become a regular thing (as opposed to the weekly restock), consider getting shirts that are more wrinkle resistant.

[downtube]

I use to take my car to work on Monday morning with a weeks worth of clothes hanging inside and along with my bike. Then I would ride back and forth all week and on Friday evening I would drive my car home with my bike inside. My job required me to travel to our stores as part of my job so I always had a vehicle at work and got to commute 8 of the 10 possible commute trips each week. It worked for me and my clothes / suits always looked good. I was lucky to have a full gym at work that had shower facilities.
chuck

[Bob Ross]

I wear t-shirts at work...

^^^This. I have never been so grateful for having a casual work environment as when I ride to work.

[classtimesailer]

Chose your shirts wisely. Find the ones that you can loosely fold/roll and put in your saddlebag/pack for the 1 hour +/- trip. I used to use nothing but oxfords which travel pretty good. Now I have some Nordstrom something or others that come out of my bag ok and look fine by 9 am and they are cut a little nicer than the oxfords from LL bean.

[Lewis Moon]

Polos and khakis are the agreed upon uniform of aquatic ecologists. I think there's been a journal article written...

[SlackMan]

I second the Eagle Creek garment folder linked above. I had great success with it. One word of warning, though: After many years when the vinyl starts to degrade, it will permanently stain shirts if you continue using it. But, I emphasize, that is after many, many years.

[d_douglas]

I store my basics at work and just aim for mediocrity in the. Logging department. I don t wear suits, bu. have to dress 'smartly' for work :)

The trifold technique is what I use, but I only have it in the backpack for. 30min, then out on the hook while I shower...

[alembical]

I have a few shirts always stored at work, but still find myself needing to bring something with some regularity. I take a picture each evening of what is at work, because my memory sucks. Then I know which shoes, belts, pants, etc.. are there. I try to bring as little as possible on the bike, but for all of my shirts, rolling them carefully, packing them carefully and unpacking carefully while trying to minimize the time they are rolled works surprisingly well.

[johnmdesigner]

Tissue paper is your friend.
On the ironing board face down fold the sleeves and then put 2 sheets of tissue paper on top.
Fold into thirds so that the top of the pocket shows with the collar.
Insert into large zip loc bag and press the air out as you seal it.

[flydhest]

Leave shirts and suits in the office and my assistant takes them to the dry cleaner up the block. Easy. Leave 4-5 suits and 6-8 shirts in the office.

[DRZRM]

I knew I should have gotten a job with an assistant. That is clearly the best method of them all.

I do have a few of the Brooks Brothers extra slim fit shirt that don't need ironing. I should get some more when they are on sale, they are perfect for this sort of this, and they don't fit like sacks. I'll also pick up one of those folding boards, that looks like it will help.

It seems like the ziplock bag would make it wrinkle more, but I'll try it out.

Thanks everyone.



Leave shirts and suits in the office and my assistant takes them to the dry cleaner up the block. Easy. Leave 4-5 suits and 6-8 shirts in the office.

[Geeheeb]

At my last job (linux sys admin) I would fold the shirt so the front wouldn't wrinkle and hide the rest under a sportcoat or something. But it was the state senate and no one really expected the IT people to be anything but weird or scruffy. Now I wear scrubs, which is so much better.

[shovelhd]

Folded and rolled.

[dbh]

I kept a small steamer in my office. My shirts would always get wrinkled, but the steamer took care of most of them, and then a sport coat would hide everything else.

[sjbraun]

Seems the older a shirt is, the less it wrinkles.

Another option is to leave a set of clothes at work. Bring a new set each morning, but wear the clothes you brought the day before. That lets the wrinkles from the previous day's hang out. Then just repeat the process.

Steve
Tucson

[flydhest]

I suppose I was a bit glib. I keep shirts and suits at the office. Even if I didn't have an assistant, I could do a run to the cleaners. Socks and boxers are the only question.