How To Pack Your Suit For Travel
For the modern business traveler, arriving at your destination with a crisp, wrinkle-free suit is essential for making the right impression. Whether you're heading to a crucial meeting or a networking event, how you pack your suit can make all the difference. Here's a guide to ensuring your suit travels as smoothly as you do.
Garment Bags
Garment bags are the go-to choice for keeping suits wrinkle-free. When using a garment bag, hang your suit on a sturdy hanger. Place the trousers on the same hanger, ensuring they're folded along the crease. A high-quality garment bag will have enough space for hangers and come equipped with a sturdy zipper to protect your suit from external elements. If you’re traveling with multiple suits, it’s beneficial to layer tissue paper between garments to minimize abrasion of your suit fabrics and prevent wrinkles during transit. There are several types of garment bags, from breathable linen/cotton bags to waterproof plastic ones. I generally recommend the breathable bags for storage, but if you’re putting your suit bags in with toiletries, it’s best to pack for the worst case scenario, like a bottle of cologne breaking, with a waterproof bag.
Specialized Luggage
If a garment bag isn't an option, specialized luggage with built-in garment sections provides an excellent alternative. These hard-shell suitcases offer structured protection, keeping suits from being crushed. Many softer bags have a “garment roll” function to reduce wrinkles, but this tends to take up a lot more space and isn’t ideal if you’re traveling with multiple suits.
With the Rest of Your Clothes
Despite being in the custom suiting industry, this is honestly my go-to way of packing suits (likely because I hate having to check a bag and want to conserve space). Start by folding the suit jacket: turn it inside out so the lining is on the outside, and then fold the jacket in half vertically. Fold the suit pants along the crease and either roll them from the hem up to reduce creasing or fold them into quarters to fit inside the inside-out jacket (folded). If you’d like to follow along, the video above shows this process! Place the suit at the top of the suitcase to prevent it from being compressed by other items. Use packing cubes or a small bag to keep your suit separate from other items and prevent movement.
Best Practices for Business Travelers
Unpack Immediately
Once you get where you’re going, hang your suit on a suit hanger immediately to let any minor wrinkles fall out naturally. This will save you time with the next step if you’re not a morning person (I am not a morning person).
Steam Your Suit Before Wearing It
I always recommend frequent business travelers invest in a small travel steamer to keep their garments free of wrinkles before wearing them. If you had to bring a suit, chances are you have to look good for a meeting, dinner, presentation, or something else worth being wrinkle-free! If you don’t have a steamer, use the hooks in the bathroom and blast the shower on full heat! After a few minutes, the steam will relax your suit’s fabric and the wrinkles will be gone.
PRO TIP: Don’t use the hotel iron. Ever. We’ve ruined so many custom garments by forgetting this tip and letting the hotel iron spit decade-old rust water onto a suit. Just don’t trust them. Steam is good. The public iron is bad.
Use Suit Hangers
Some hotels will have suit-specific hangers with wider arms to protect a suit jacket’s shoulders. I always recommend using these, especially if you’re a frequent business traveler. If your hotel doesn’t have them, that’s okay. Normal hangers won’t harm your suit overnight, but if your suit jackets have shoulder padding, they will eventually start to show a crease where the padding folds over a thin hanger. Interested in other ways to care for your custom suits? Check out our post here!
Pack a Fabric Freshener and Spot Cleaner
If you travel often and don’t always have time to dry clean your well-worn suits, packing a fabric safe freshening spray can make a huge difference. This is also useful if your suits spend a lot of time in the same bag as your shoes. The funk travels with you and it’s worth the investment in a product that keeps you smelling as good as you look. The same principle goes for spot cleaning. Despite our best efforts, travel can make even the most coordinated individual prone to spills, stains, etc. Packing a travel-size stain remover can be a lifesaver if you find yourself without time to take your suit to the cleaners before you need to wear it.
Suit Packing FAQs
How do I fold a suit to prevent wrinkles when traveling?
It’s tough to fully prevent wrinkles when packing your suit, but using a garment bag is your best bet. If you don’t have the space, rolling your suit pants and folding your jacket inside out can help prevent wrinkles and protect the fabric.
What is the best luggage for transporting suits?
A garment bag is ideal for keeping suits wrinkle-free and protected. If that’s not an option, opt for a hard-shell suitcase with a built-in garment section for structured protection.
Is it better to roll or fold my suit for travel?
Rolling trousers can save space and reduce creases, while folding the jacket properly helps maintain its shape and prevents wrinkles.
How should I store my suit in a suitcase?
Place your folded suit in a designated garment section or at the top of your suitcase, ensuring it's not compressed by other items. If possible, separate it with a bag or something similar.
Can I iron or steam my suit when traveling?
Yes, a travel steamer is recommended for a quick refresh, but we recommend avoiding hotel room irons to prevent stains. Remember, always check fabric care instructions first.
