One of the challenges of travelling for business, or an event, is making sure you look smart on the other end of the journey. These tips and tricks will help keep your suit crease-free, sharp and ready to impress at your destination.
Choosing your Suit
Some fabrics are more difficult than others to keep wrinkle-free, so select your suit carefully. Visit stores like Politix that have a wide range to choose from and pay attention to fabrics. For travel, wool or polyester blend are the best options; steer away from linen and 100% cotton as they crease very easily.
Take it to the Dry-cleaners
To have the best possible chance of arriving wrinkle free, it’s best to start out that way. Take your suit to the dry-cleaners the week before you travel so that you have a freshly cleaned and pressed suit to begin with.
Wearing your Suit
For short trips, it is sometimes best to wear your suit on the plane, especially when you are meeting associates right after you land. However, always remove your jacket no matter how short the flight. Roll it up and store it away for when you reach your destination. Talk to your flight attendant as sometimes they can hang your jacket for you, even if you are travelling economy.
Garment Bags
Garment bags are a great way to pack your suit and keep it looking sharp, so invest in a good one before your trip, and make sure it is big enough for all the suit options you want to take.
Fold like a Pro
It is possible to keep clothes crease-free without a garment bag if you learn to fold like a pro. As a general rule, use as few folds as possible, as each fold is a potential crease. One trick is to turn the jacket inside out. This way any creases that happen during travel will be on the lining. Also pop the shoulders inside out to avoid any awkwardness with shoulder pads, and fold vertically, then horizontally.
With trousers, fold along the pleats and then roll. Horizontal folds will inevitable cause creases, so save space by rolling instead. When folding business shirts, use a flat surface and place the shirtfront down. Fold at the shoulders and avoid creasing the sleeves as much as possible. Then fold horizontally once. Store shirts at the top of the suitcase to avoid them being crushed. All items can be placed individually in dry-cleaning bags as well to help avoid wrinkles.
At the Destination
Unpack and hang your suit as soon as you arrive to prevent clothes being folded for longer than they need to be. Consider packing a padded hanger for your suit jacket as sometimes hotel hangers are too narrow to support the shoulders properly. Also, ring ahead and ask your hotel about dry-cleaning or pressing services, so that you can take advantage of them if you need to.
How do you store your suit when you travel? What are your tips and tricks for arriving sharp and crease-free? Share your secrets in the comments below.