Flying with Luly: How to pack a suit

Over the next two years, internationally known Seattle fashion designer Luly Yang will redesign uniforms for more than 12,000 Alaska Airlines employees. Between design sessions, Yang will share her favorite fashion-related travel tips.

As a fashion designer, I travel often for my work and inspiration. Though I work with textiles and clothing everyday, there’s something I have to confess – I prefer not to spend time ironing when I’m traveling. With how much I travel, my clothes spend a fair amount of time folded into suitcases, but over the years I’ve picked up a few tricks for arriving at my destination as wrinkle-free as possible.

More: How to pack a wedding dress

How to fold a suit or tuxedo pants for your suitcase

  1. Find a clean, flat surface to fold on.
  2. If you have just one pair of dress trousers, fold pants along the existing creases, then in triple fold.
  3. If you are traveling for work or several nice events and need more than one pair of dress trousers, stack two or three pairs of pants on top of each other then roll from the hem up to waist band. You may also use a rolled t-shirt or sweater as padding to roll with.

How to fold a suit or tuxedo jacket for your suitcase

  1. Find a clean, flat surface to fold on.
  2. Button the suit jacket, then flip it face-down.
  3. Find the natural fold where the shoulder pad ends at the neck. Extend the arms down naturally from the shoulder pad.
  4. Fold the jacket in half vertically with the buttons facing out. Tip: Avoid wrinkling along the jacket fold by folding it around a pair of folded pants or a folded sweater.

Tip: To avoid wrinkles, don’t press down on the jacket once it’s folded.

How to fold a dress shirt for your suitcase

  1. Find a clean, flat surface to fold on.
  2. Button the shirt, then flip it face-down.
  3. Fold the shirt into thirds, flipping the sleeve back where it naturally folds from the shoulder.
  4. Fold the shirt in half with the buttons facing out. Tip: To avoid wrinkles, do not press down on the shirt once it’s folded
  5. For added wrinkle prevention, place the shirt into a plastic bag (like the ones you receive from the dry cleaner) to keep a pocket of air around it in the suitcase.
  6. Place the suit elements in your suitcase and you are ready to travel. Tip: Do not over pack the suitcase as this will cause fold creases and winkles.

Bon Voyage.