A Wrinkle-Free Suit Packing Blueprint for the Traveling Professional

Business conferences, weddings, funerals, awards – there are many reasons to pack and travel with a suit. No matter the purpose of your trip, you always want to arrive looking dapper. So how do you achieve this when your luggage seems determined to wrinkle your suits? 

Suit packing can be a nuisance. You're using every packing hack, you know, including:

• rolling your socks and ties
• alternately stacking dress shirts
• folding your pocket squares
• Making origami out of your trousers

However, when it comes to your suit jacket, you attempt to fold it five different ways before realizing that it will crease no matter what you try. 

So you place it on top of the pile before zipping up your suitcase - almost as an afterthought. Of course, when you later unpack, your suit is a wrinkled mess that requires more than a steamy shower to fix.

Worry not! This article will show you a suit packing blueprint that produces wrinkle-free results every time.

The Two Methods for Packing a Suitcase

There are two ways of packing your suit, depending on the size of your suitcase.

If you have a big-enough bag:

1. Grab a quality suit hanger and drape your dress pants over the bar. Put your dress shirt and suit jacket on the same piece and pull the shirt sleeves through the jacket sleeves.
2. Place your suit inside a garment bag.
3. Fold it in half.
4. Lay it on top of the pile inside your suitcase.

The garment bag will do the work in protecting your suit from rubbing against other items in the suitcase, causing unnecessary wrinkling and possible garment damage.

If you are working with a smaller bag, such as a weekend-size duffel or a carry-on travel bag, try the following inside-out trick.

1. Lay your suit jacket face-down on your bed or a flat surface.
2. Fold the left shoulder back.
3. Turn the right shoulder inside out, and tuck the left side into the right.
4. Fold it in half lengthwise and then horizontally.
5. Fold your dress pants neatly.
6. Place the folded jacket in the center of your outstretched pants.
7. Fold the pants' bottom over the coat and repeat with the top part.

Expert Tip:

(After step four above) Place your folded jacket inside the top part of a protective plastic cover and lay it on top of your outstretched pants. The plastic prevents the garments' fabric from rubbing against itself, which causes wrinkling.

How to Pack Shoes and Accessories

To fully utilize the space inside your bag, treat your shoes like packing cubes (mainly if they safely flatten with the bag).

You could use a suitcase with a designated shoe compartment, but it will reduce the overall space available for other items you want to carry. Whereas, using a separate shoe suitcase increases your luggage, which means extra airline fees.

Use the following suit packing tips when packing shoes for travel:

1. Pick only a few essential shoes, depending on the destination and other activities you plan to do, such as shoes for a business meeting, jogging, or beach sandals.
2. Wear your bulkiest pair when traveling.
3. Make sure you only pack clean shoes.
4. Use shoe trees to protect your shoes from flattening. Alternatively, you can pack socks and underwear inside the shoes.
5. Place shoes inside clear plastic bags to prevent dirt from getting on the lining of your suitcase or your clothes. It also allows you to see what shoe is inside the bag if you carry multiple pairs.
6. Place them inside the suitcase with a heel in each corner and the soles against the walls.
7. You can also arrange the shoes using the 69-method to save space.
8. Place flip flops or sandals on top.

Once you pack your shoes and suit, stuff every corner, nook, and cranny with accessories such as socks, belts, pocket squares, ties, jewelry, chargers, adapters, and other smaller items.

By thinking strategically about your packing space and choices, you can utilize every inch of your suitcase and have the shoes and accessories you need on your trip.

Make Sure to Have All the Necessary Tools

Once a standard travel accessory, the efficient carry-on bag has now replaced the suitcase. Therefore, making the most use of limited space is now a skill that guarantees a fresh suit, saving you valuable time during stressful travel.

Butler Luxury offers only the best in garment covers and suit hangers, be it for travel or long-term storage because we care about your quality garments. Our products make suit packing efficient and help protect your attires and keep them looking sharp, professional, and ready to wear. 

Visit our suit covers page to start shopping today or contact us for any queries.

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