If you’re anything like me, you’ve reached the point in your life where your weekends are taken up with weddings and your weekdays are taken up with work. How should one dress for a formal occasion? When you have to travel there, how do you manage?
Unbelievably, a suit can fit in a carry-on bag. I once packed a suit in my luggage, took a flight to London for three weeks, and then took a flight back to the United States for a wedding where I wore the same suit that I had never ironed. I want to give you one general piece of advice before we start. When attempting to keep your jacket, slacks, and shirt wrinkle-free, do not overpack your carry-on.
You will develop wrinkles even if you fold and pack everything properly if any part of the suit is compressed under pressure for extended periods of time. Avoid taking a chance. Whenever you need to pack a suit, leave the extras at home.
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Suit Jacket and Pants: How to Pack
Normally, we advise against bringing larger goods and instead advise wearing them on the plane. Many people would also suggest this for a suit. However, if you wear your suit on the flight, it will get wrinkled. Even risky is putting it in the overhead compartment. In this situation, even if the suit takes up a lot of room in your backpack, we advise packing it.
Pack your suit appropriately in your bag to ensure that it arrives looking sharp and wrinkle-free. There are two ways you can carry your suit.
Folding Technique
I utilized the fold method for my journey to London and back because it is the most well-liked, tried-and-true strategy. Even Brooks Brothers advise using this approach. I used the technique for lining out where you tuck one shoulder of your jacket into the other. Here is a second, related technique where the completed item appears to be ready for retail display. For a bonus tip on utilizing a plastic bag with some air inside it as a cushion, watch the entire video.
The Dry-Cleaning-Bag Technique
The dry cleaner bag method is the easiest and most effective option if you don’t have anything else to take in your carry-on or if you’re prepared to give up a room for a suit coat and pair of pants that are almost wrinkle-free. Keep your suit coat and pants on a hanger inside the plastic dry-cleaner bag, and fold the suit in half horizontally. Instead of leaving your folded jacket exposed in the overhead compartment, use this technique to keep it safe in your suitcase. A dry-cleaning bag is not a space-effective storage solution. The folding approach is preferable if you need to carry more than just your suit on a longer trip.
Packing a Dress Shirt
The shirt is possibly the most difficult item to pack. One technique that leaves your shirt properly folded and prepared to be displayed at a department shop is demonstrated towards the conclusion of the above video.
We have an entirely separate guide on how to accomplish this well if you need further guidance. To summarize this article’s major ideas:
- Fold your shirt, not roll it.
- Fold the arms into the middle, halfway up the sleeves, and place the shirt on a flat table.
- Fold the shirt in half from the bottom once, then fold it in half again for a tighter fold after folding in each side 3 inches.
- Shirts made of wrinkle-resistant materials, such as merino wool or polyester, are preferable to those with a chemical “spray-on” coating.
How to Pack a Cumberbund and Waistcoat
Just as there are situations that call for a cumberbund, there are times and places where a three-piece suit is appropriate. Since those events are more formal than business-related, suit-worthy occasions, packing a suit for them often entails more difficulty.
The good news is that neither of these things requires much packing effort.
- Make a fold along the vertical centre back seam of the waistcoat, followed by a horizontal fold (just two folds altogether).
- Roll it rather than folding it, and place it into a shoe.
Packing Dress Shoes
The only piece of your suit ensemble that I would wear on the plane is these dress shoes, which I think is a hazardous move. Instead, bring your casual shoes. In this manner, you can be certain that your shoes will be in fine shape when you land. Additionally, it is much simpler to clean your shoes than a whole suit.
Dress shoes should be stuffed if you plan to pack them to prevent collapse and creasing. You can help them by stuffing them with dress socks, a rolled-up tie, or your cumberbund.
Putting Ties, Socks, Belts, and Accessories in Your Bag
All the effort you put into making sure your suit looks immaculate might be undone by a wrinkled tie or another accessory. If you want to look spectacular, you must perfect the details. Accessories can be packed easily. Roll up your belts and ties. You can choose to fold or roll your socks. Fill your shoes with all of those (if you packed them). Maintain your pocket square, cufflinks, suspenders, and any additional suit accessories in a separate bag that keeps things organized and simple to discover.
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