How to Pack a Suit for Travel and Arrive Ready to Wear
To travel with a suit, either carry it in a garment bag or fold it carefully using the shoulder-in-shoulder method and pack it on top. On arrival, hang it straight away and let time or a handheld steamer drop any creases. Skip the steamy bathroom, the moisture can damage the cloth. A resilient wool suit recovers quickly with a little care.
Travelling with a suit worries men more than it should. Wool is resilient, and with the right packing and a few minutes on arrival, you can step off a trip and into a meeting looking sharp. Here is how to travel with a suit.
Carry It or Fold It Right
The easiest option is a garment bag that lets the suit hang, if you can carry one. When you have to pack it in a case, use the shoulder-in-shoulder fold: turn one shoulder of the jacket inside out and tuck the other into it, which protects the shoulders and halves the creasing. Lay it flat on top of everything else so nothing presses into it.
Freshen It on Arrival
The moment you arrive, take the suit out and hang it on a proper hanger with room around it. Most travel creases begin to fall out on their own within an hour. For anything stubborn, run a handheld steamer over it, held a few inches from the cloth. Do not use the steamy-bathroom and hot-shower trick you see online, the uncontrolled moisture can damage the suit, as covered in our post on getting wrinkles out of a suit.
Let the Cloth Do the Work
A well-made suit in a resilient wool is built to travel, because good wool springs back. That is part of why the cloth choice matters. Pack it with a little care, freshen it on arrival, and the suit does the rest, so you look fresh even at the end of a long trip.
FAQ
How do you pack a suit without wrinkling it?
Use a garment bag if you can carry one. If you must pack it in a case, use the shoulder-in-shoulder fold, turning one jacket shoulder inside out and tucking the other into it, then lay it flat on top of everything else so nothing presses into it.
How do you get creases out of a suit when travelling?
Hang it as soon as you arrive and most travel creases fall out within an hour. For stubborn ones, run a handheld steamer over the cloth, held a few inches away. Avoid the steamy-bathroom trick, the moisture is uncontrolled and can damage the suit, and keep a dry iron off the wool.
Can you travel with a wool suit?
Yes, wool is one of the best fabrics to travel with because it is resilient and springs back. Packed carefully and hung on arrival, a well-made wool suit recovers quickly and looks sharp even at the end of a long trip.
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