How to pack a suit in a carry bag without ruining it
Want to arrive with your suit still looking dry cleaner fresh? It’s not impossible.
1. Skip the garment bag. It used to be an inflight mainstay, but fashion experts now say that it’s more convenient – and better for your suit – to fold it carefully and keep it in your carry on bag.
2. Fold the suit jacket in half so that the lining is on the outside. It should look inside out, but don’t pull the arms through.
3. Fold it in half horizontally, so the jacket becomes almost a square shape. To prevent hard creases, you can put a soft jumper or tshirt inside the horizontal fold of the jacket.
4. Next, hold the suit pants up from the bottom hems and find their natural break. Lay them down flat along their natural crease, with on leg of the pants on top of the other.
5. Lay the suit jacket in the middle of the pants. Fold up the top and bottom of the pants, wrapping the jacket inside the folds.
6. For protection, you can wrap the whole bundle in the dry cleaning plastic or a very thin plastic bag.
7. For your matching dress shirt, button it up the whole way, fold in half vertically with the sleeves tucked inside and then roll up from the bottom. Ties and belts should also be rolled. Store these softer items around the suit for cushioning.
8. When you arrive, unpack the suit straight away and hang it up. You can request an iron or steamer from the front desk if you want to give it a little refresh. Alternatively, hang the suit in the bathroom when you have a hot shower – the steam will work wonders.