Buzz
A garment bag is a long, zippered bag designed to carry travel essentials such as coats, suits, or dresses. It is relatively easy to transport as it can be folded in half or into thirds. By packing it correctly, you can hang multiple items, and the bag will protect your clothes from wrinkles throughout your journey.
Steps
When to Use a Garment Bag
Carefully consider the nature of your trip. Garment bags are typically used to keep formal wear or business attire wrinkle-free. Make a list of conferences or events you will attend to prepare everything you need.
- Everyday clothing does not need to be packed in a garment bag and can simply be folded and placed in a suitcase.
Pack as little as possible. Garment bags are bulky and not an efficient way to carry a lot of items. If your belongings can be folded and placed in a suitcase or bag, there’s no need to use a garment bag.
- Wear clothes and accessories that don’t need to stay wrinkle-free to save space.
- Casual pants, like khakis, can be folded neatly and placed in a bag.
- If possible, pack clothes that have been pre-treated to minimize wrinkles.
Use a garment bag for business trips. Short trips where most of your clothing is work-related are ideal for maximizing the use of a garment bag.
- Despite its benefits, a garment bag’s limited capacity makes it suitable only for short trips with a few outfits.
- For trips combining business and leisure, use both a garment bag and a regular bag to carry all necessary clothing.
Ask a professional to pack your wedding attire. If you’re traveling for a formal event like a wedding or awards ceremony, your luggage can become cumbersome. Take your suitcase to a bridal shop and have them pack it professionally for easy transport.
- Using a suitcase makes it easier to manage such a special item.
- Some planes have crew closets where you can hang your garment bag, but don’t rely on this as it can be inconvenient. A suitcase is sufficient!
- Upon arrival, steam the outfit to remove wrinkles. You can learn more about this in part three.
Packing a Garment Bag
Wash and iron clothes before placing them in the garment bag. If possible, have important items professionally dry-cleaned to ensure they’re ready before departure.
- Clean, wrinkle-free clothes in your bag mean you can simply hang them up upon arrival, saving time and effort.
- Check for any issues like broken zippers or missing buttons before leaving to avoid repairs while away.
Stuff tissue paper into pant legs and shirt sleeves to maintain shape and reduce wrinkles.
- Use white tissue paper to avoid color bleeding onto your clothes in case your luggage gets wet.
Review your itinerary to decide the packing order. Depending on the events you’ll attend during your trip, pack using the principle: items needed first go in last, and items needed later go in first.
- This step ensures you won’t have to rummage through your bag, which can cause wrinkles.
Hang the garment bag using a hanger. Only some designs include hangers, so most of us need to use separate ones. If your garment bag doesn’t have a hanger, opt for a metal one as it’s lighter and more space-efficient than wooden or plastic hangers.
- Hanging multiple items on one hanger saves space. For example, you can hang a shirt inside a jacket or sports coat. Don’t forget to tuck the shirt sleeves into the jacket sleeves. Finally, add a scarf or belt over the hanger.
- Use pants hangers for trousers or skirts. The fewer items you pack, the less likely they are to wrinkle.
Most high-end clothing comes with internal hanging loops; use them for formal attire. The weight of the clothes can stretch them when hung, and these loops help minimize that, especially for intricate dresses or heavily beaded garments.
Seal the garment bag to ensure clothes stay secure and wrinkle-free. Common sealing methods for garment bags include zippers, Velcro, and buttons or snaps.
Friction between items can cause wrinkles, so cover each hanger with a nylon garment bag.
Don’t forget the inner pockets of the garment bag. Use them to store underwear, toiletries, handkerchiefs, and other small items.
- If you’re carrying a suitcase or handbag, place these items inside the pockets.
- This also prevents small items from wrinkling the clothes on the hangers.
Place shoes in shoe bags or plastic wraps. Utilize the empty space inside the shoes to stuff socks. Then, neatly place the shoes at the bottom of the garment bag.
- Remember to wrap shoes in plastic to prevent dirt from soiling your important clothing.
Close the garment bag. Most garment bags are designed to be portable. Carefully secure all zippers or Velcro straps, then fold the bag in half or thirds. Once folded, it should resemble a document holder.
- When you first open a new garment bag, pay attention to how it’s packed so you can replicate the folding process later.
- Practice folding the garment bag several times before packing to avoid wrinkling your clothes.
Use plastic garment bags for protection. If you have one at home, it can serve as an alternative to a garment bag while traveling. Fold the edges of the plastic bag and gently fold it into thirds to fit your suitcase.
- Avoid using fabric bags, as the flat and hard surface of a suitcase offers better protection and convenience.
- Pack enough clothes to prevent them from shifting inside the suitcase, but avoid overpacking to prevent wrinkles and creases.
- Place the garment bag in the suitcase last to avoid the weight of other luggage wrinkling your formal attire or dresses.
Unpacking the Garment Bag Upon Arrival
Remove all clothing from the protective garment bag as soon as possible. As soon as you arrive, take out all the items from the garment bag and hang them in a closet to allow wrinkles to naturally smooth out.
Iron the clothes if necessary. Many hotels provide irons and ironing boards or offer complimentary ironing services. If any items need ironing, gather them and do it all at once to save time, especially if you’re in a hurry the next day.
- Check the clothing labels to set the iron to the appropriate temperature.
- Start ironing from the least visible areas, such as the hem, in case of accidental damage.
- Avoid ironing irreplaceable items like formal gowns, as they are often difficult to iron or made from delicate materials.
Steam the clothes. An effective way to remove wrinkles is by using warm steam. Before showering, hang your clothes in the bathroom, and the hot steam from the shower will help relax the wrinkles. Alternatively, dampen the garment with a towel and use a hairdryer to dry it.
- Natural fibers like silk, wool, and cotton absorb moisture, making this method effective for such materials.
- Synthetic fibers like rayon and polyester do not absorb moisture, so steaming may not reduce wrinkles effectively.
Remove dust. Use a lint roller or a dust brush to eliminate dust and lint from your clothes.
Tips
- Some larger garment bags come with wheels for easier mobility. However, oversized and heavy bags can be inconvenient and may require inspection. For this reason, larger garment bags are often made from more durable materials compared to lightweight ones.
