How to fold and pack clothes for posting: shirts, knits, dresses and coats

Before you fold

• Check the pockets. Receipts, tissues and coins have a way of turning up in the parcel.
• Check it against the listing. Same size, same condition, same flaws you declared.
• Make sure it is completely dry. A slightly damp piece sealed in plastic can smell musty by the time it arrives.
• Do up buttons and zips. This keeps the shape and stops teeth or buttons snagging the fabric.
• Remove pet hair and lint with a lint roller or a strip of tape.

T-shirts and tops

1. Lay the top face down and smooth it out.
2. Fold each side in towards the middle so the sleeves lie flat along the back.
3. Fold the bottom up to the neckline, in half or in thirds depending on the bag.
4. Turn it over so the front is on top.

For printed T-shirts, fold so the print is not creased across the middle.

Shirts and blouses

1. Do up the top button and every other button down the front.
2. Lay it face down and fold one side in, about a third of the way, with the sleeve folded back down along it.
3. Repeat on the other side.
4. Fold the bottom up once or twice, depending on the size of the bag.
5. Turn it over and straighten the collar.

A sheet of tissue paper inside the fold helps a crisp shirt or a silky blouse arrive without sharp creases.

Jumpers and knitwear

Knitwear stretches if it is pulled about, so keep it gentle.

1. Lay it face down.
2. Fold the sleeves across the back, one over the other, or fold each side in by a third with the sleeve tucked in.
3. Fold the bottom up to the shoulders.

Thick knits can also be rolled loosely from the hem. Do not squeeze the air out too hard or you will leave creases in the stitches.

Jeans and trousers

1. Fold in half lengthways so one leg lies on top of the other.
2. Tuck in the little triangle of the crotch so the fold is straight.
3. Fold up from the hem in halves or thirds.

Tailored trousers with a crease keep it better folded along that line.

Dresses and skirts

1. Lay the dress face down and fold each side in towards the middle, with any sleeves along the back.
2. Fold in thirds from the hem up.
3. Put tissue paper between the folds of anything delicate, beaded or sequinned.

For long or full dresses, a loose roll from the hem often leaves fewer creases than a stack of folds.

Coats and jackets

1. Do up the buttons or zip.
2. Lay it face down and fold the sleeves across the back.
3. Fold each side in so the coat is a long rectangle.
4. Fold in half from the hem up, or in thirds for a long coat.

A heavy coat is usually the extra large parcel size on Rewear, so weigh it packed before you choose.

Shoes and bags

These are the exception: they need a box. Stuff shoes and structured bags with paper so they keep their shape, wrap each shoe or put them in a dust bag so they do not scuff each other, and fill any gaps in the box with paper. Our guide to selling shoes online has more.

Packing the parcel

• Use an inner bag. A clean plastic bag, or a bag inside a paper mailer, keeps rain out.
• Choose the smallest mailer that fits without squashing the piece. Too big and it slides around; too small and it creases.
• Press out the extra air and fold the open end over before sealing.
• Seal every seam on a box with tape, and fold the mailer flap flat.
• Stick the label on a flat, smooth side, with no creases across the barcode.
• Remove old labels if you are reusing packaging, or cover them completely.

A short handwritten thank-you is a nice touch, but keep personal details such as your phone number off it. Everything you need is already in the app.

Packing a bundle

On Rewear a buyer can buy several pieces from one seller in a single order. Everything goes in one parcel, so fold each piece separately and stack them flat, heaviest at the bottom. Our guide to bundling clothes explains how bundles work.

Posting on time

When a piece sells on Rewear, you print the prepaid label from the app, and the buyer has already paid for delivery. Post within five days of the sale and keep your proof of posting until the buyer confirms it has arrived. If you cannot post in time, cancel the order in the app so the buyer is refunded straight away.

The short version

Clean, dry, buttons done up, pockets empty. Fold into a flat rectangle the size of your mailer, use an inner bag against rain, choose packaging that fits snugly, seal it well and stick the label on flat. Boxes only for shoes, bags and anything that could be crushed.