How To Travel With A Suit

When traveling for an important business trip or formal event, you will need to take a suit with you. Your suit must arrive looking as neat and wrinkle-free as possible but this can be a tricky task when traveling.

In this article, we will look at how to travel with a suit.

Should I Check-In My Suit When Traveling On An Airplane?

If you’re traveling for a longer distance or are going away for several days, you may be taking both carry-on and checked luggage.

This gives you the option of packing your suit in your check-in baggage or taking it onto the plane with you as a carry-on and you may be wondering which option is better.

We would recommend always taking your suit with you as carry-on luggage wherever possible.

Checked suitcases are often handled roughly and thrown by baggage handlers have to work under and this will not help your suit stay neat and unwrinkled.

There is also the possibility that your checked luggage might get lost and if you’re traveling for an important business meeting or event, losing your suit could be a major problem.

Packing your suit as carry-on luggage means you can ensure it doesn’t get lost and is handled with care throughout your journey.

If, however, you have no choice but to pack your suit in your checked luggage, there are steps you can take to keep it as neat as possible and we will discuss these later in the article.

How To Pack Your Suit

The best way to pack your suit depends on the bags you are using. We will give you step-by-step instructions on how to pack your suit in a variety of different bags.

Garment Bag

Undoubtedly, the most effective way to travel with a suit is with a garment bag. These bags are specifically designed to protect your suit so that it doesn’t get wrinkled.

They’re also very practical as they’re easy to carry and maneuver through busy airports and planes.

Many garment bags are designed to be hanged and some planes will allow you to hang your garment bag in the cabin. This is especially true in First Class and Business Class.

This isn’t the case with all planes and other sections of the plane, however, so you may want to check this before you fly.

If you can’t hang the bag, you will need to fold it and place it in the overhead compartments. Some garment bags take this into account and will fold or roll to make themselves smaller and prevent wrinkles.

If you do have to put your garment bag in the overhead compartments, try to place the bag on top of other bags.

If the garment bag is placed flat at the bottom of the compartment and then has heavy bags or suitcases placed on top, the movement of these bags can cause the garment bag to move around and wrinkle your suit.

Suitcase

If you have no choice but to pack your suit in a suitcase and check it in for your flight, then here are our instructions on how to ensure your suit stays as neat and wrinkle-free as possible.

Don’t try and pack your suit just before you have to leave for the airport, make sure that you have enough time to fold and pack it correctly.

• Step 1 Fasten the top button of your jacket. Lay out your jacket on a flat and solid surface such as a table, desk, or large counter. 
• Step 2 Fold back the left shoulder of your jacket. This will make your left lapel face forward. 
• Step 3 Turn the right shoulder of your jacket inside out so that the lining shows. Then tuck the folded left shoulder into the right, so that it is inside the fold.
• Step 4 Fold your jacket in half lengthwise, from top to bottom, and then fold it horizontally, from side to side. 
• Step 5 Next, fold your pants in half at the waist and along the front seams. This should leave your pant legs flat and folded together.
• Step 6 Lay out your pants on the flat surface and place your folded jacket in the middle. Fold your pants over your jacket so that they wrap around it. Start by folding the bottom of your pants and then the top.
• Step 7 You can place the folded suit into a protective bag, such as a dry cleaner’s bag if you wish. Place the suit at the top of your suitcase with the rest of your clothes packed underneath it.

How To Pack Your Dress Shirt

A suit isn’t complete without a dress shirt but unfortunately, these are some of the most easily wrinkled items of clothing in any man’s wardrobe. Learning how to fold your dress shirt is just as important as packing your suit correctly.

To make sure that you pack your shirt correctly, you must always remember to fold it and not roll it. As before with your suit, lay the shirt onto a flat surface.

Fold both arms in the middle of the sleeves. You can place a dryer sheet onto your shirt at this point for extra protection against wrinkles.

The sheet will prevent the material of the shirt from bunching and will also make your clothing and bag smell great.

Fold in both sides of your shirt towards the middle of your shirt. You should fold around three inches from each side and this will result in a “V” pattern being present at the back of your shirt.

Then, fold the shirt in half vertically, from the bottom to the top. You can fold your shirt a second time if your space is at a premium.

Final Thoughts

Traveling with a suit and keeping it wrinkle-free can be a difficult task. In this article, we explained how to travel with a suit and dress shirt and hope our hints and tips will prove useful next time you travel.