Are You Packing Your Suit Wrong?
Joe Cortez May 03, 2017
High-end clothier suggests garment bags are the wrong way to travel with suits.
Executives can start leaving garment bags behind thanks to new advice from Brooks Brothers about traveling with suits. Speaking to Smarter Travel, the iconic tailor has revealed a new way to travel with fine garments.
Prior to Brooks Brothers’ revelation, travelers were often forced to check a suit in a garment bag, or hope that their airline would provide a place in the cabin to hang their clothes. Accordingly, the garments would serve as one of two allowed carry-on bags for the executive. Using the method outlined by Brooks Brothers, executives and others traveling with suits can face the world without the fear of wrinkles.
To pack a suit in a carry-on bag, tailors for Brooks Brothers recommend turning the coat inside-out, with the arms freely hanging on the inside. Inside the suit coat, travelers are recommended to pack a thick, soft item, such as undershirts or a sweater. From there, the pants can be folded around the suit jacket, creating a compact bundle. A clear plastic bag, such as a dry-cleaning plastic bag, can be used to protect the suit from any additional damage.
Once the suit is folded, travelers are free to pack the bundle in a carry-on suitcase and hang it when they arrive at their destination. Properly packed suits will be wrinkle-free upon arrival. The clothier also suggests packing shirts folded vertically with the sleeves inside and rolling up ties to prevent creasing. Packed shirts can be freshened up using steam and an iron at the hotel.
