10 Ways to Keep Your Style Crisp While Traveling

Looking good while traveling: a challenge any modern, well-dressed gentleman will inevitably face in today’s global society, and one that can feel impossible. Wrinkles always seem to find their way into your favorite dress shirt. But don’t lose hope! Whether you’re headed to a week of relaxation or a high-powered investor meeting, we can help keep you looking sharp, even if you just stepped off the plane.

Starting out right goes a long way. Make sure all the clothing you’re planning to bring is clean and pressed before you pack it. Don’t shoot yourself in the foot before you even leave your house.

If you can bring one, a garment bag is the easiest way to keep your clothes looking neat while you travel. You hang them at home, so why change that when you’re on the road? Keeping shirts in separate cleaning bags within the garment bag can help keep them from bunching up and wrinkling, not to mention keep things organized.

Of course, sometimes a garment bag isn’t practical. If you need to pack your clothing in a suitcase, we recommend folding and tightly rolling items. Fold and roll everything you plan to take before selecting your suitcase–that way, you can choose luggage that will be tightly packed. (Loose packing means room for clothes to move around, which leads to wrinkles.) You could also pack folded shirts still in the packaging used by your laundry service.

Well, sort of. When you reach your destination, immediately unpack your clothes and hang them in the bathroom as you’re taking a shower–the steam will help ease out wrinkles.

Speaking of steam, a travel steamer is a great way to quickly smooth out clothing if the unthinkable happens and wrinkles invade. They’re relatively inexpensive and a good investment for the frequent traveler.

Modern technology has allowed the manufacture of wrinkle-resistant fabrics that hold up to the rigors of travel (e.g. overzealous baggage handlers) better than more traditional fabric blends. It can be worth it to have a non-iron outfit or two specifically for those business trips where you have to hop off the red-eye and go straight to a client meeting.

As far as we know, shoe-polish stains aren’t in this season. Packing your footwear in shoe bags will keep your clothes from getting ruined. As a bonus, they’ll help preserve the shine on your shoes.

Ideally, this will be a separate zipper bag, but at the very least, a suitcase pocket, to keep your ties from getting crumpled, and keep your outfit looking crisp.

It’s the little things that matter. Insert collar stays before packing, so you don’t lose them in transit. The last thing you want in that investor meeting is a limp collar.

Your cologne might smell great, but the last thing you want is for your shirts to be saturated in it. Packing liquid toiletries in plastic bags will keep spills away from your clothes.

You can’t control every variable while you’re on the road, and the unexpected will undoubtedly happen at some point. But through a combination of preparation, smart packing and clever maintenance, you can keep your clothes looking good, no matter the situation.