Suit therapy

A. When travelling with a suit the main question to ask one self is, "If I carry the suit, how do I pack it?"

There are two ways in which a suit can be packed:

  • The first method is in a suit carrier. This is the best way to carry a suit. The suit must be carefully mounted on a hanger; a hanger with shoulder supports gives the best results. The cover itself should be strong and durable. A purpose made travel cover with reinforcements will protect the suit. Avoid using the light less robust type of cover the garment was purchased in. If travelling by plane, the suit is best kept in the overhead luggage containers and not in the lockable undercarriage in the hands of the baggage handlers.

  • The second method is to pack the suit together with other items of clothing in a suitcase. Tissue paper should be used to protect contact around the suit. The jacket can be turned inside out to protect the outer cloth and the shape of the shoulders. The trousers must be correctly folded at the zipper by bringing together the legs and then folded in two at the knee, separated with tissue paper. Suits should not be allowed to move around in the case but tightly packed suits will become more creased.

    Most cloths crease. Creases that have appeared in a suit from packing are perfectly common and can be removed by placing in a simple trouser press, or in the bathroom with steam from the shower or bath.

    B. "Do I wear the suit to travel?"

    Most people like to travel wearing a suit. If the excursion is for business, this is more correct to do so. A more relaxed approach is to wear a blazer and trousers, more comfortable but less formal without a tie.

    Always try to remove the jacket when sitting during travel. The jacket should be removed and hung, preferrably on a shoulder supported hanger or by it's own hanging tab, or even laid flat without anything on top of it.

    Avoiding this will cause creasing along the back and down into the flap. The body creates a certain amount of heat and moisture that encourages creasing i.e. on a train or in a plane. These types of creases will be temporarily "fixed-in". The creases will not always drop out on their own, even if left in humid conditions. Pressing will be required to remove these creases.

    Sitting with a car coat over the jacket may protect the jacket from creasing to a certain degree.

    C. "What to do with creased suits?"

    Prevent carrying a heavy holdal, i.e. a travel bag or laptop case on the shoulder. This will not only crease the shoulder, lapel and front panel of the garment, but can also cause more serious damage to the build of the garment at the shoulder.

    All cloths will crease to a certain degree but some qualities crease less easily than others. There are several natural factors governing the crease resistance of a cloth in the form of a garment. These examples are a generalisation and are all properties within each and every cloth.

  • The raw material. Some materials have the ability to flex more readily than others. i.e. wool versus polyester. Polyester will come back into place more readily than wool under the same conditions of force.

  • The construction. The weave and firmness of the cloth play an important part in the pliability of the cloth. A firm cloth results in less creases and better crease resistance. Plain weave cloths can crease easily, but have good recovery. A loosely constructed cloth will crease readily and hold the creases until further treatment is applied to remove them.

  • Fabric finish. A cloth that has a brushed (overcoating) or milled finish (flannel) is less likely to crease than a clear cut worsted suiting cloth. This is substantially due to its more compact construction and it's larger surface area.












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