Transporting suit by airplane

[14022]

I have a few interviews next month to which I will have to fly, and I was wondering if anyone had any ideas how to transport suits neatly on an airplane. Did you guys fold the jackets and pants inside a normal suitcase? Did you buy one of those pieces of luggage that accomodates a suit specifically? Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

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[Butch]

Use a garment bag (this is the piece of luggage). If you ask politely, many high-end clothing stores will give you one for free (especially if you bring the receipt from a purchase there).

Bring it on the plane. Most airlines have a hanger section in the first-class section. If you ask nicely, it is standard for them to hang your garment bag/suit bag there even if you are in coach. Explain that you have a job interview.

 

[orientedtoself]

If you don't have a garment bag, you can still get your suit to your destination wrinkle-free. There is a section in Iserson's about packing a suitcase (p. 416) that is also described in one bag packing techniques. Basically, your suit goes on the bottom, and all of your clothes are folded interlocking in the middle, and your suit folds around on top. I've used it three times now and it works great. The only problem is it takes some time and I don't have that kind of patience in the airport restroom changing out of my suit (plus I don't want things touching the ground).

 

[14022]

Most airlines have a hanger section in the first-class section.

Thank you for your advice, however Southwest doesn't have a first-class section. And according to my credit card bills, Southwest is the only airline that exists. As a matter of fact, I only applied to places that are Southwest destinations.

 

[8744]

Use a garment bag (this is the piece of luggage). If you ask politely, many high-end clothing stores will give you one for free (especially if you bring the receipt from a purchase there).

Bring it on the plane. Most airlines have a hanger section in the first-class section. If you ask nicely, it is standard for them to hang your garment bag/suit bag there even if you are in coach. Explain that you have a job interview.

Good advice.

I just want to chime in and say that I bought a high quality garment bag, put my suits in it, and let the airlines handle it. I have never had a problem checking it. If you pack things flat before you fold the garment bag I Imagine it would take an explosion to wrinke things.

Also, I always dress well when I travel now. (shirt, jacket, etc.) If you're going to be a physician you should look the part.

 

[Bobblehead]

If you don't have a garment bag, you can still get your suit to your destination wrinkle-free. There is a section in Iserson's about packing a suitcase (p. 416) that is also described in one bag packing techniques. Basically, your suit goes on the bottom, and all of your clothes are folded interlocking in the middle, and your suit folds around on top. I've used it three times now and it works great. The only problem is it takes some time and I don't have that kind of patience in the airport restroom changing out of my suit (plus I don't want things touching the ground).

The technique described on the onebag.com website is called bundle-wrapping and I've used it successfully many times to pack a suit. lay the suit jacket out on the bed, lay the pants directly on top of the jacket, legs unfolded, lay the dress shirt on top of the pants, then put other things (under shirts, underwear, socks) on top of this and wrap it in a bundle.

As soon as you get to the hotel you should unpack. In case you did get a few wrinkles you can hang your suit in the bathroom, run the shower as hot as you can with the door closed for about 15 minutes which should take most of the wrinkles out. Most half-decent hotels also come with an iron in the room or at least one you can borrow from the front desk. Wrinkle-free shirts also help, L.L.Bean makes good ones if you're a standard size.

Check your interview clothing at your own risk. If you're willing to go in what you wore on the plane to your interview by all means have at it with checked luggage.

 

[cytoborg]

Check your interview clothing at your own risk. If you're willing to go in what you wore on the plane to your interview by all means have at it with checked luggage.

Word. Carry it on if at all possible. If they try to make you check it at the gate, you could change into your suit really quick and wear it on to the plane.

Re. wrinkles, I stuffed mine into a tiny rolling suitcase for each of 12 interviews and it looked good, taking it out immediately and hanging it up in the steamy shower as Bobblehead described above. I'm sure a garment bag would have worked too.

 

[(nicedream)]

How about just wearing the suit in your travels? No need to worry about packing it then...

 

[orientedtoself]

How about just wearing the suit in your travels? No need to worry about packing it then...

Because then it gets wrinkly while you're sitting in the plane, and you could spill stuff on in in transit or brush up against something dirty.

 

[14022]

How about just wearing the suit in your travels? No need to worry about packing it then...

I hate flying, so I tend to wet myself in flight. Although Iserson does not specifically address this, I would imagine that smelling of urine in an interview may knock you down a few spots on their match list.

 

[fantasty]

Ok - stupid hygeine question... But, how often should you clean your suit? I haven't had any reasons to wear the suit on consecutive days (I'm not interviewing yet so I just wear mine to conferences and only on days I'm presenting). Therefore, I can wash my pants at home (my "good" suit pants aren't dry clean only). But, I only dry clean the jacket whenever it's visibily dirty or funky smelling. What you guys doing when you have back to back interviews? Just minimizing wear time? Febreeze? Getting it cleaned at the hotel?

 

[Mumpu]

Please tell me your suit doesn't get funky after just one day.

Garment (gaahment) bag works just fine. You can always iron it at the hotel too (but be careful not to melt the polyester with a too-hot iron or to knock out the rhinestones).

 

[dodo2]

I have five interviews in a row in close but different cities. So no time to wash them. I am considering buying at least one more. Are blazers ok on any interviews?Any suggestions?

 

[Hurricane]

Ok - stupid hygeine question... But, how often should you clean your suit? I haven't had any reasons to wear the suit on consecutive days (I'm not interviewing yet so I just wear mine to conferences and only on days I'm presenting). Therefore, I can wash my pants at home (my "good" suit pants aren't dry clean only). But, I only dry clean the jacket whenever it's visibily dirty or funky smelling. What you guys doing when you have back to back interviews? Just minimizing wear time? Febreeze? Getting it cleaned at the hotel?

If the jacket and pants go together, then you should get them both cleaned together. If you wash the pants twice as much as the jacket, the pants will fade faster and then the jacket won't match anymore.

 

[DrRobert]

I think buying two suits helps tremendously if you plan on attending several interviews. Men's Warehouse has quality suits for a decent price. After spending all this money on airfare, hotels, etc. buying a couple suits won't kill you. And I think a good rule of thumb for dry-cleaning suits is after every 3-4 uses.

 

[CSI Miami]

?Really,
The guy in the suit store told me once or twice a year is all that is required. It has probably been 6 months since I dry cleaned 2 of my suits & they haven't started smelling yet.
The more you dry clean it, the more rapidly the fabric starts to look old

 

[(nicedream)]

Unless a suit smells or has stains, there is no need to clean it.

 

[Poety]

Unless a suit smells or has stains, there is no need to clean it.

I use the dryel freshner bag for mine - works ok, and doesn't get all that dry cleaning solution on the suit that seems to ruin the fabric, or make it less formed looking.

I also use a suiter for my travels. Its awesome - for about 50.00 you can pick one up and pack EVERYTHING including laptop, and it fits int he overhead compartment so no checking of baggage which is just scary to me!

 

[gungho]

I
I also use a suiter for my travels. Its awesome - for about 50.00 you can pick one up and pack EVERYTHING including laptop, and it fits int he overhead compartment so no checking of baggage which is just scary to me!

what is a "suiter"?

 

[locitamd]

BTW: garment bag at Target $30, online from Walmart $19.99. Here's to el cheapo!

 

[Poety]

what is a "suiter"?

Hi gungho, if you do a search, you should find them easily. They're small suitcases with an area that allows you to fold up your suit on one half and put all your necessities in the other half. Mine also has a slot for laptop, dirty clothes, flight tickets, etc - I found mine at overstock.com, just type in "suiter" it comes with a built in garment bag that you can hang in the closet too, with a toiletries bag, and shoe bag.

 

[hepatocyte]

A garment bag and another carry on is a great way to go, but the one downside is that garment bags generally have no wheels. It seems insignificant at first thought, but carrying all of your stuff around airports does add to the general fatigue of traveling, no matter how light you pack. The rolling carry on using the bundle wrap technique along with one other carry on item that can attach to the rolling item seems to be best. One other word of caution....if you sit in the front of the plane, you may run out of overhead storage space and be forced to check your bag containing your precious suit. The front of the plane obviously allows for quicker de-planing however.

 

[Mirror Form]

In case you did get a few wrinkles you can hang your suit in the bathroom, run the shower as hot as you can with the door closed for about 15 minutes which should take most of the wrinkles out.

You can get TONS of wrinkles out via that technique, especially at hotels where their hotwater is unlimited. You don't have to limit it to 15 minutes either. Just keep it in there as long as it takes to get rid of the wrinkles.