THE LAZY WAY TO PACK A SUIT
If you are looking for an easy way to transport your suits, then maybe you should buy a packable suit. Fortunately for you, IsuiT - Italian Luxury, recently teamed up with the professional tailors of Kired, and decided to create a collaboration suit with them, which has both a modern cut and is packable. Thus, removing the need to learn how to fold a suit to travel with!
If you want to just watch a video instead, check out this video of a professional tailor packing a suit into a dust cover to stop it from both getting wrinkled, and also from getting damaged by dust:
THE OLD WAY - HOW TO PACK YOUR SUIT INTO A PROTECTIVE BAG
This method of preparing a suit for travel is outdated, because most men these days have several suits, and it's just not feasible in today's world of minimalist traveling and constant journeys for business.
However, if you have just one suit, you can put it into a protective cover (which comes with most suits for free) and put it on a hanger. This method is NOT FOLDING THE SUIT and therefore it will almost definitely be wrinkle-free when you get it out from the plane. This method of transport is actually optimal, but only if you have one suit, and only if your airline will allow you to bring it onto the actual plane.
If instead, you have multiple suits, and you want to travel with all of them, you will have to eventually learn how to fold and pack your suits into a duffel bag or carry-on bag.
How to pack a suit into a carry-on
This part of the article will deal with the difficulty of traveling on an airplane with a suit. This can cause all kinds of problems, and some airlines will not allow you to hang the suit in the cabin. Thus, we have to learn exactly how to fold and pack a suit into a carry-on bag.
The reason is that if we do this ourselves, we have complete control over how our suit is treated. If instead, you do the old way of using a garment cover, your airline may not allow you to hang it, and they will simply stick it in the overhead lockers where it will get crushed and wrinkled.
Step 1 - Prepare your suit to be folded
This step is the most important in making sure your suit comes out wrinkle-free and looking fresh. You want to remove any creases from the suit before folding it up for travel.
Start by unbuttoning all buttons on both the jacket and trousers of your suit. Remove any pockets, squares, or other items that may have been in the pockets.
Then, lay the suit out on a flat surface and smooth out any wrinkles with your hands.
Step Two - Fold the Jacket
There are a few different ways to fold a jacket for travel, but we recommend the method below:
Fold the jacket in half lengthwise, so that the front of the jacket is facing the back.
Then, fold the bottom half of the jacket up to meet the top edge (so that it looks like a long rectangle).
Step Three - Fold the Trousers
Just like folding the jacket, there are a few different ways to fold trousers for travel. We recommend this method:
Fold each trouser leg in half, so that the front and back of the trouser legs are facing each other.
Then, fold the bottom half of each leg up to meet the top edge (so that it looks like a long rectangle).
Step Four - Pack your Suit Jacket
Now it's time to pack your suit jacket. Start by rolling it up, from the bottom of the jacket to the top.
Then, place it in a dust cover or suit bag. If you don't have either of those items, you can also use a garbage bag as a makeshift suit bag.
Step Five - Pack your Suit Trousers
Next, pack your suit trousers. Again, start by rolling them up, from the bottom of the trousers to the top.
Then, place them in a dust cover or suit bag. If you don't have either of those items, you can also use a garbage bag as a makeshift suit bag.
Step Six - Pack any Additional Items
If you have any additional accessories that go with your suit, such as shoes, a belt or tie, pack them in their own bag and then place the whole thing inside your suitcase.
That's it! Your suit is now ready for travel. It should be kept wrinkle-free and looking fresh throughout your journey.
The other method of transporting a suit on an airplane
There is a secret way to transport a suit which most people do not think of. That is, of course, by wearing it! My Uncle once wore 5 sweaters on a flight, in order to save money on luggage.
While I wouldn't recommend you wear several suits at the same time, it might be a great idea for those who are wanting to save money and hassle, just to wear the suit instead.
This obviously depends on whether or not you find the suit to be comfortable, as you don't want to be uncomfortable for several hours with screaming babies all over the place.
Why is folding your suit so important?
When it comes to a luxury suit from a high fashion brand such as Kiton or Cesare Attolini - they are often made with such rare fabrics as Vicuna or Mohair, and therefore learning to fold your suit is absolutely essential. This is because these suit blazers and suits are often deconstructed, and packing them incorrectly can ruin them!
Conclusion
Why does this method work? By folding both items of clothing lengthwise, you are helping to prevent any creases from forming in the fabric. This will keep your suit looking fresh and sharp for when you arrive at your destination! You now have everything you need to know about how to pack a suit for travel, so get out there and start packing! This is an essential part of the classic menswear outfit.
