I bought my first Longchamp Le Pliage almost eight years ago, mostly because everyone said it folded flat and would survive years of daily use. What nobody mentioned was that folding it the wrong way for the first year left a stubborn crease across the front panel that never fully disappeared. Since then I’ve folded, rolled, packed, and stored more Longchamp bags than I’d like to admit, including a few for friends who were traveling and needed help fitting one into an already full suitcase.
If you’ve ever wondered why your bag doesn’t sit as flat as it did in the shop, or why the corners look slightly bent after a trip, the folding technique is usually the culprit. Here’s the method I actually use, along with the mistakes that taught me to change it.
Why Folding Technique Actually Matters
A Longchamp bag is built from nylon and leather trim, and both materials respond differently to pressure and creasing than a stiff structured handbag would. Fold it carelessly and you risk permanent lines in the nylon or a leather strap that starts to crack at the bend point. Fold it properly and the bag can be flattened for storage or travel without losing its shape once you unfold it again.
This matters most in two situations: packing the bag inside a suitcase where it gets compressed under other items, and storing it in a closet for weeks or months between uses.
Step by Step: Folding a Longchamp Bag
Step 1: Empty Every Pocket First
This sounds obvious, but it’s the step people skip most often. A stray lip balm or a forgotten receipt in the side pocket will create an odd lump right in the middle of your fold, and if you leave it there under pressure for a few days, it can leave a permanent indent. Turn the bag over and give it a shake before you start.
Step 2: Lay It Flat and Smooth Out the Wrinkles
Put the bag down on a hard, flat surface, a table works better than a bed because the give in a mattress makes it harder to get a clean line. Run your hands over the surface to push out any wrinkles left over from carrying it. If the bag has been balled up in a drawer, this is also a good moment to let it air out for a few minutes before folding, since flattening warm, slightly damp nylon holds a crease better than cold, stiff fabric.
Step 3: Fold Lengthwise First
Bring the bottom of the bag up to meet the top edge, matching the side seams as closely as you can. This is the fold that most retail staff demonstrate in store, and it’s the one that keeps the bag’s proportions even rather than lopsided. Getting the edges aligned here saves you from having to redo the whole fold later.
Step 4: Fold Widthwise for a Compact Shape
Once you have the long fold in place, fold the bag in half again from side to side. At this point it should be roughly the size of a paperback book, small enough to slide into a side pocket of a suitcase or sit flat in a drawer.
Step 5: Tuck the Handles In
This is the step that separates a neat fold from a messy one. Push both handles inside the folded bag rather than letting them dangle or wrap around the outside. Left outside, handles get creased at odd angles and can develop a permanent bend near the stitching, which is one of the first places these bags show wear.
Step 6: Roll It Instead, If You Need Extra Space
When I’m packing for a longer trip and space is tight, I roll the bag rather than fold it flat. Start from one end and roll tightly toward the other, tucking the handles in as you go. It takes a bit more practice to get a clean roll than a flat fold, but it compresses into a smaller shape and tends to leave fewer visible crease lines than folding does.
Everyday Care That Keeps the Bag Looking New
Storing It Between Uses
A dust bag or a soft cotton pouch does more than keep dust off. It also stops the nylon from rubbing against other bags or shoes in a closet, which over time can dull the surface or scuff the leather trim. I keep mine in the dust bag it came with, and after years of use it still looks noticeably better than a friend’s identical bag that’s been stored loose on a shelf.
Cleaning Without Damaging It
A damp microfiber cloth wiped gently over the exterior handles most everyday marks. Let it air dry completely before folding or storing it again. I’d avoid reaching for anything stronger than a mild soap solution, since I once used a household cleaning spray on a stubborn mark and ended up with a faint discoloration that never came out.
Not Overpacking It
It’s tempting to treat this bag like it can hold anything, and to be fair, it usually can. But cramming it full on a regular basis stretches the nylon at the seams and can leave the bag permanently baggier than it started. I learned this after a two-week trip where I used it as an overflow bag every single day, and it never quite snapped back to its original shape.
Mistakes Worth Avoiding
- Folding the bag while items are still inside it, which creates uneven lumps and creases that are hard to smooth out later.
- Leaving the handles outside the fold instead of tucking them in, which bends them at the stitching over time.
- Using an iron or a hairdryer to try to remove creases. Heat can warp the nylon coating and is one of the fastest ways to damage the bag permanently. Letting it sit flat for a day or two works far better and costs nothing.
A Few Extra Tricks for Travel
If you’re packing this bag inside a suitcase rather than carrying it, packing cubes make a real difference. Slipping the folded bag into a cube keeps it from shifting around and picking up creases from whatever gets packed on top of it. On a recent trip I skipped this step because I was in a rush, and the bag ended up wedged under a pair of shoes for most of the flight, which left a mark that took a few days of flat storage to fade.
Rolling belongings before placing them inside the bag, rather than folding them, also tends to reduce wrinkling both in your clothes and in the bag itself, since rolled items distribute pressure more evenly than folded stacks do.
Some people prefer folding the bag into thirds rather than the standard lengthwise and widthwise method described above, particularly if they want a slightly more structured rectangular shape for a specific bag or drawer. There’s no single correct way to do this beyond avoiding the mistakes listed above, so it’s worth experimenting a little to see what suits the space you’re working with.
Does the Folding Method Change by Bag Size?
Longchamp makes the Le Pliage in several sizes, from the small crossbody version up to the large tote, and the folding steps stay the same across all of them, but a couple of things shift depending on which one you own.
Small and Medium Bags
These fold down small enough to fit in almost any suitcase side pocket or a coat pocket if you’re just carrying it as a backup bag for a night out. Because there’s less material to work with, the crease from the lengthwise fold tends to sit closer to the middle of the bag, so it’s worth double checking that the edges line up evenly before you fold widthwise, otherwise the final shape can come out slightly skewed.
Large Totes and Weekender Bags
The bigger bags hold their shape less predictably once folded, simply because there’s more nylon involved and more surface area that can wrinkle unevenly. I’ve found it helps to smooth each section flat before moving to the next fold rather than rushing through all three folds in one go. If you’re packing a large tote for a flight, rolling it tends to give a tidier result than folding it flat, since the roll distributes the extra material more evenly.
Leather Trim Bags
Some Longchamp styles use more leather trim around the top and base than others. Leather doesn’t fold as forgivingly as nylon, so avoid pressing hard on the fold lines that run through a leather panel. A looser, less compressed fold protects the trim better than trying to flatten it as much as possible.
How Often Should You Refold It?
If your bag lives in a closet for most of the month and only comes out occasionally, it’s worth refolding it every few weeks rather than leaving it in the exact same fold indefinitely. Nylon that sits creased in one position for months at a time is more likely to hold a permanent line than nylon that gets moved and refolded periodically. This is a small habit, but it’s one of the reasons some Longchamp owners get a decade or more out of a bag while others notice visible wear within a year or two.
A Related Read
If you’re building out a capsule travel wardrobe around a versatile bag like this one, our guide on packing light for a weekend trip covers a few extra tricks that pair well with the folding method above.
Final Thoughts
Folding a Longchamp bag properly isn’t complicated once you’ve done it a few times, but it does make a real difference over the years. The nylon holds its shape better, the handles stay straight, and the bag doesn’t develop the permanent creases that show up when it’s folded carelessly or left crumpled in a drawer. A few extra seconds of care each time you put it away pays off the next time you pull it out and it still looks like it did the day you bought it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the correct way to fold a Longchamp bag?
Empty the bag, lay it flat, fold it in half lengthwise, then fold it in half again widthwise, and tuck the handles inside. This keeps the shape even and protects the handles from bending.
Can I roll my Longchamp bag instead of folding it?
Yes, rolling works well when you need a more compact shape for travel. Tuck the handles in as you roll to avoid creasing them.
Will folding my Longchamp bag damage the material?
Not if you follow a proper fold and avoid using heat to remove wrinkles. The nylon is designed to be folded flat, which is part of why these bags are popular for travel in the first place.
How should I store my Longchamp bag when it’s not in use?
Keep it in a dust bag or a soft cotton pouch, ideally away from shoes or anything with buckles or zips that could scuff the surface.
Is it bad to overstuff a Longchamp bag?
Regularly overstuffing it can stretch the seams and leave the bag looking baggier over time. It’s fine for occasional heavy use, just try not to make it a daily habit.
What’s the best way to remove creases from the bag?
Lay it flat somewhere for a day or two rather than reaching for an iron or hairdryer. Heat can warp the coating on the nylon and cause damage that doesn’t reverse.
