Whether for business travel or a special event, ensuring your suit arrives at its destination in pristine condition requires care and attention during packing. However, with the right preparation, you'll become a pro at packing a suit for travel without worrying about wrinkles. We've listed some top tips to help you prepare your suit for transit, whether across town or the country.
Preparation is Key
If flying, carrying on a garment bag is usually out of the question, however, utilizing a garment bag when driving offers great benefits of protecting your suit when traveling. Regardless of how you're traveling, it's important to avoid overpacking, which is one of the number one causes of creating wrinkles in your clothes. If you have space in your luggage to pack a small hand garment steamer, it can help remove wrinkles in a pinch when you arrive at your destination. Another thing to always check while packing your suit or business attire is that all items (like cuff links, belts, etc) are accounted for before closing your bags. It can be helpful to make a list of what you need to pack for your trip beforehand and check off each item as it's added to your bags.
Packing Your Suit Jacket for Travel
A suit jacket may be one of the hardest to pack because of its thick and unique material. Understanding the build and material of your blazer or suit jacket is the first step to knowing how it will withhold folding. Avoid creasing the fabric when packing your suit jacket by making gentle, loose rolls instead of rigid folds.
The most efficient way to pack a suit jack is the classic way and will create a neat square.
Place the jacket/blazer facedown on a flat surface.
Fold one shoulder into the back midpoint so the sleeve is flat along the back, which may require folding the sleeve back toward the outside.
Repeat step 2 for the other sleeve, which should create two parallel lines down the jacket's back center.
Fold the hem just under the collar.
Place your hands under the folded jacket to flip it so the lapels face you.
You are ready to place the folded suit jacket on top of the other packed items in your luggage!
Using the inside-out shoulder method can help reduce the number of creases for delicate suit material, such as satin or silk-lined jackets.
Place the jacket facedown on a flat surface.
Fold one shoulder to the center midline of the sleeve back. If needed, fold it back toward the outer edge.
Then, turn the other shoulder inside-out to create a "pocket."
Insert the first shoulder into the created "pocket."
Bring the inside-out sleeve toward the jacket's center.
Fold the jack in half vertically, and then fold the bottom to the top.
If desired, place your folded jacket in a dry cleaning bag for extra protection before adding it to the top of your other packed items.
Suppose you are not worried about needing more space in your luggage. In that case, you can try the simple method of hanging the suit inside a garment or dry cleaning bag and folding the bottom of the jacket to the collar so the lapels and the jacket's front are safely inside.
How to Fold Suit Pants for Travel
Once you get your jacket folded, it's time to move on to the suit pants. Use the below method to fold your trousers for travel neatly.
Lay your pant on a flat surface and fold them in half lengthways.
Place your folded jacket in the middle (around the knee).
Fold the pant's bottom over the jacket, and do the same for the top half of the pants for a neat square fold.
Following these tips will help you pack your suit and avoid dealing with wrinkles when pulling it out to wear for your big event. You may also want to check out our post on folding a dress shirt for business travel to pack all your outfits and ensure you look your best during your trip.
Let us know if you need help preparing your business attire for travel. Upon request, our professionals will efficiently fold your shirts after dry cleaning your items so they are ready to pack for your upcoming trip.