On-the-go professionals prefer traveling with as little luggage as possible. Still, it’s hard to get around hauling big luggage when you’re packing professional, expensive, wrinkle-sensitive attire – namely, suits. 

Is it possible to ditch the garment bag on your next business trip and still come out looking profesh and virtually wrinkle-free? Yes. How? It’s all in the art of folding. 

“Garment bags are a waste of money. You can pack your suit, shoes and shirts in your normal suitcase and they will emerge in a similar, if not a better, state,” advises Business Insider.

Not sure if you should even travel with your suit at all? Check out this article:

Why You Should Always Travel With a Suit

Now that we got that out of the way, let’s walk you through how to properly pack a standard suit in a suitcase. Here are a couple of different methods based on the shape and size of your luggage.

Pro tip: Keep reading to find out how to avoid any special suit folding. Hint…buying the right suit will save you from the packing stress.

How to Pack a Suit with One Fold in a Larger Suitcase 

Packing a suit may sound super complicated and risky, but it’s not as scary as it seems. If you’re traveling with a standard rectangular suitcase, whether hard or soft-sided, you only have to make a single fold. The single fold helps to mitigate the chance of wrinkles — which we know you don’t want to deal with when you get to where you’re going!

Here are five simple steps to packing a suit in a large suitcase:

1. Hang the suit neatly on a suit hanger with the suit jacket on top of the pants (that last part may sound obvious, but hey, just in case)
2. Place the suit in a dry-cleaning bag (a large trash bag with a hole in the bottom for the hanger will work in a pinch)
3. Fold the bottom to the top of the suit, folding it in half horizontally (hamburger style)
4. Lay the suit face down on a flat surface within your suitcase
5. Grab your bag and go

Pro tip: Place the suit in the smaller zip side of the suitcase, if yours has one. Keeping the suit confined in a smaller compartment will minimize movement, thus staving off wrinkles even further. 

How about if you don’t have the luxury of traveling with a large, rectangular suitcase? No worries. A carry-on will do just fine.  

How to Pack a Suit in a Smaller Carry-on Bag

Traveling light is all about maximizing your carry-on real estate. Thankfully, you can fit a suit or two in your carry-on and still have plenty of room for other necessities. Packing a suit in a carry-on bag involves a few more steps than the above method, but it’s still safe and doable. 

Here are nine steps to packing a suit in a small carry-on or duffle bag:

1. Take the suit off the hanger
2. Turn the jacket shoulders inside out, revealing the lining
3. Fold the jacket in half vertically (hot dog style), lining up the lapels with the lining facing out
4. Lay the jacket on a flat surface
5. Fold the pants into neat thirds
6. Place the folded pants on the bottom of the folded jacket (remember, suit creases run down the front and back of the pants, so you should start with the hips of the suit laying flush to form a crease rather than the front laying on the back)
7. Fold the jacket once horizontally, keeping the pants sandwiched inside (this extra padding should help minimize wrinkles in the jacket)
8. Place the suit in your carry-on
9. Grab your bag and peel out (safely)

Pro tip: Place the folded suit in a plastic bag for extra protection from wear and tear and wrinkles.

Ok, so folding a standard suit isn’t too hard, but still a bit stressful. What if you’re packing in a hurry? Or what if you’re just not interested in having to baby your suit? Is there a suit that doesn’t require special folding? Yes.

A Suit That Doesn’t Require Special Folding

We present you (drumroll please)...the xSuit. The xSuit is not the typical suit that you have to tip-toe around and guard with your life. This revolutionary line of no-fuss suits can travel as easily as your socks and jeans. 

With the xSuit, there is no garment bag or special folding process required. You can literally just fold these suits like your normal shirt and pants and toss them in your bag without thinking twice. These suits retain shape, delivering a sharp, defined structure ready for any occasion. Should you notice any unsightly wrinkles, you’ll be able to iron or steam them away in a jiff.

Since xSuits take up little space, they can fit inside virtually any bag – even your briefcase. That way, you’re ready to show stop wherever you end up. 

Tips for Traveling with a Suit

There’s always a lot to remember when you travel. Packing can be stressful, especially when the stress of that upcoming important business meeting or your best man speech you still haven’t written is pressurizing the process. Take a deep breath and consult the following list to help keep you on track.

Here are some more tips to help you protect your suit and your sanity whilst traveling:

• Remember to mitigate spill risk. – Safely seal and pack all liquids in a plastic zipping bag to save yourself the hassle and expense of any leakage. Try to place your suit as far away from your toiletries as possible within your suitcase. Thankfully, the xSuit is spill and stain resistant!
• Remember to pack your dress shoes strategically. – Your shoes could be dirty on the bottom, so try to pack them in a plastic bag or at least position them to where the bottoms are not touching your suit. Using a bag can also prevent your shoes from scuffs. The good news is that if something gets on your xSuit, you can just toss it in the washing machine. No more wasting time and money at the dry cleaner’s. 
• Remember to unpack your suit when you arrive. – Don’t waste time when getting your suit out of your bag and hanging it up once you reach your destination. If you see any residual wrinkles, you can always hang the suit in the bathroom for makeshift steaming while you shower or follow any instructions on the label for ironing. Of course, with the xSuit, you don’t really have to stress about this.

Let’s talk more about that special suit – the one that makes traveling with a suit as easy as packing a pair of sweats. 

Best Suits for Business Travel

xSuit offers the modern businessman the ultimate travel suit. Our state-of-the-art fabric technology is wrinkle and stain resistant and totally packable. The lightweight, ultra-convenient xSuit can be thrown in your backpack, travel across the world, and still have you looking sharp as ever when you land.

Ready to get your hands on one of these high-tech, low-maintenance, maximum-performance suits? Shop our catalog today, and choose from several styles and colors to find your perfect travel suit.