PURPOSE: To improve folding work ability by performing lateral folding at least once before longitudinal folding and performing the lateral folding while carrying clothes in a clothes folding device for performing the lateral folding and longitudinal folding of the clothes in respective folding stations.

CONSTITUTION: For instance, in the case of automatically folding a jacket 11, the jacket is supported by a foldable carrying hanger 12 and placed on a supporting and carrying member 14 through a carrying mechanism 13. Then, the carrying hanger 12 is folded and pulled out upwards, and then, the jacket 11 is folded through successive many folding stations. Among the folding stations, a sleeve folding station 15 for folding back both sleeves 16 of the jacket 11 to the back of a center body part 17 is arranged in the end part range of the upper side of the supporting and carrying member 14, two lateral folding stations 18 and 19, a longitudinal folding station 20 and a different lateral folding station 21 are successively arranged and the folded jacket is carried away onto a stacking table 22.