How to Pack a Suit

We’ve always said to never store your garments long-term in our plastic poly bags.  Our poly bags are designed for short-term protection only.  Long-term use will suffocate your clothes and possibly cause staining or mildewing problems.  But, don’t place them in the recycle or throw them away just yet.  We’ve got another fantastic use for them.

There are two major things that cause clothing wrinkles from suitcases.  The first reason is over packing, which will be addressed in a later blog post.  The second reason is friction.  By placing your finer garments – your business suit and dress shirts – inside our poly bags, folding them properly, and strategically placing them in your suitcase, you can reduce the chances of wrinkles.  Here are our suggestions:

• Roll items like jeans and t-shirts and use them to line the bottom of your suitcase.

• Place each delicate item – suit jacket, trousers, and dress shirt – in its own poly bag.

• For the jacket – button it, place it inside the bag, and lay it out flat.  Then fold the jacket in half length-wise, and then fold it in half again the opposite direction so that it is ¼ of its original size.

• Do the same thing for the trousers.  Lay them out flat.  Slide the plastic bag over the pants and fold in half, and then half again.

• Finally on the dress shirt, lay it out flat, make sure it is buttoned, and place the plastic bag over it.  Flip it over and fold in each sleeve and approximately ¼ of each side.  Then fold the top half over the bottom half.

• On a side note, Shores can fold your dress shirts for you so that they are packaged and ready to place in your suitcase.  Just ask for that service, and we will take care of the folding for you.

• Pack these items in the center of your suitcase, avoiding the edges.  Pack other rolled items on top to create a cushion for your business garments.

• While you shouldn’t over pack your suitcase, it is also important to fill any empty spaces so that items don’t move around.

• Tuck your shoes around the edges of your suitcase.

• If you travel frequently, you may want to invest in a tie carrier.  But if you don’t or would prefer to go a less expensive route, you could always roll up your ties, place them in Ziploc bags, and put them inside your packed shoes.

As soon as you arrive at your destination, unpack your bag and hang up your suit.  If there are a few wrinkles, you can always hang it in the bathroom (but not too close to the water) for about 10 minutes with the shower on hot so that it creates plenty of steam.  After you return from your trip, be sure to drop off your suit at any one of our locations.  Our Certified Master Dry Cleaners and educated staff will expertly clean and finish your suit and have it ready for you when promised.