Folding Men's Shirts vs Hanging

[OC Mom]

DH and I don't do much dry-cleaning as our jobs allow us to wear casual clothes, but I took some items in for our cruise this weekend (suit jacket, ties, and shirts). We usually take in one or two items at a time before an event. I happened to be talking with my dad before I went to the cleaners and he recommended having DH's dress shirts folded and bagged versus on hangers. I was worried about the fold creases being visible on the shirts when DH wore them. He said this was a good thing. He felt it showed the person had them laundered versus just ironing them himself. I always thought, when I saw the fold marks, that some guys had just bought a new shirt and wore it before having it cleaned. I'm not up on men's "rules". I had them folded, but I'm still unsure. What do you think???

[johnql]

I don't think there are any rules about this. At least none that I'm aware of. Here's one man's opinion: shirts shouldn't have obvious fold marks showing.

[TootyJane]

I take my husband's shirts to be laundered. They are returned on hangers. However, when we have a vacation coming up I start having them fold them. They fold them and put them in individual packets (much like when you purchase them), they're so much easier to pack and the fold lines aren't all that bad. HTH

 

Lisa :)

[98Charlie]

IMHO the wrinkle factor of shirts, folded vs hanging, depends on several things. Type of shirt fabric - cotton, polyster, rayon, fabric mix; thread count of shirt fabric and length of time the shirt will spend in luggage bouncing back and forth inside that luggage.

 

We are landlocked here and must fly to any cruise port. Have discovered several fabrics that do not do well packed inside luggage that is bounced from luggage handler to plane, plane to luggage handler, thrown onto pallets at cruise dock and then jostled around a bit more until it arrives at my cabin door.

 

Have traveled with folded shirts, shirts carefully folded in those luggage folding system gagets and shirts packed carefully on hangars buffered by drycleaning plastic bags.

 

Have found no one packing system is best for all types of shirts, dresses, etc.

 

Dianne

[Tarkus]

i typically have the laundry fold & bag my dress shirts in advance of a cruise; i don't find the wrinkling to be any worse-or-better than if they're on hangars (because of the folding necessary to get them to fit into my suiter). what wrinkling there is usually smooths out anyway an hour-or-so into wearing, as i usually run quite warm when in full dress garb... :p

[Happy ks]

We have DHs shirts laundered and boxed before vacation (we don't take the boxes along, they are in plastic bags). They just seem easier to pack this way.

 

I don't think either one of us would feel comfortable wearing clothing that has not been laundered or dry cleaned before the first wearing. I can't stand the scratchy feel of the sizing that is added to fabric. My very first job was working in a womens clothing store, unpacking the new clothes, putting them on hangers and tagging them. I would get filthy handling those new clothes and the dust would make me sneeze. Am I one of the few who feels this way? the feel of new clothes grosses me out until they are laundered.

[lel5344]

Here's what I'm planning for a 10 day cruise in the Caribbean on Celebrity this coming November:

 

3 formal nights: I'm renting a tux on board.

 

2 informal nights: One sport jacket, 2 shirts, 2 ties, one pair of dressy slacks, all on hangers in the hanging section of my 26" Travelpro rollabout.

 

5 casual nights: polo shirts and khakis. The pants will be folded and the polo shirts will be rolled or folded.

 

Day wear is shorts and polo shirts or T-shirts, all rolled or folded.

 

My problem is always shoes: I think I'll have 4 pair for this trip: gym shoes for working out, walking shoes for ports, dress shoes for formal and informal nights and casual shoes for casual nights. Plus a pair of sandals. But I'll wear the walking shoes on the plane and for our one pre-cruise night in a hotel.

 

Last 2 cruises were cool weather cruises (Alaska and Canada/New England) so packing was much more of a problem!

[EbayCruiser]

My drycleaner recommends "boxed" shirts for travel. They are not actually in a box - they are folded and bagged. They look very similar to when you buy them. Took them on our last cruise and they worked great!

 

Vickie

[happysinglemom]

Am I one of the few who feels this way? the feel of new clothes grosses me out until they are laundered.

 

Me too - I can't help wondering who has tried in on before me....I gotta get it clean.:(

[OC Mom]

Thanks for the replies about the travelability (if that's a word) of baged shirts. Does anyone have an opinion on my Dad's assertion of the "creases" of baged shirts and what they say about the wearer? That was the unusual part of our conversation.

[esther e]

I don't think either one of us would feel comfortable wearing clothing that has not been laundered or dry cleaned before the first wearing. I can't stand the scratchy feel of the sizing that is added to fabric. My very first job was working in a womens clothing store, unpacking the new clothes, putting them on hangers and tagging them. I would get filthy handling those new clothes and the dust would make me sneeze. Am I one of the few who feels this way? the feel of new clothes grosses me out until they are laundered.

 

Absolutely agree. Not just because of someone trying it on, but the sizing makes me antsy. Plus, if something is laundered or dry cleaned, it just feels better to me.

Esther

[Happy ks]

Thanks for the replies about the travelability (if that's a word) of baged shirts. Does anyone have an opinion on my Dad's assertion of the "creases" of baged shirts and what they say about the wearer? That was the unusual part of our conversation.

 

I've never heard of that before, maybe your dad made it up ;)

 

BTW. I wish we could find a cleaners who can iron as nicely as my DH does, he irons everything perfectly! I happen to love to iron myself (weird) and love the look of well pressed clothing, but I wish I could talk him into ironing my stuff!

[Jane110]

Thanks for the replies about the travelability (if that's a word) of baged shirts. Does anyone have an opinion on my Dad's assertion of the "creases" of baged shirts and what they say about the wearer? That was the unusual part of our conversation.

 

I've never heard that.

 

I have my husband's shirts washed and ironed weekly and have them returned on hangers. When we go on a trip, he hangs about 3 shirts on one hanger with the arms in the front w/ the cuff's touching each other. He puts dry cleaner plastic bag over them and put them in his garment bag - hangs like just like he hangs his suit jackets. There are never any wrinkles this way.

 

Happy K's -

What's your address? I'm sending my little muffin of love's shirts over for you to iron! LOL!!!

 

Jane

[critterchick]

And of course DH could always have the shirts cleaned or ironed onboard, too. We've found that the ships' laundry on Princess & RCI have prices that are comparable to our cleaner at home, so he will often send his tux shirt out on the first night for pressing, and get the shirt and the tux cleaned before we go home.

[OC Mom]

Can I put the hanging clothes in my garment bag on their metal dry-cleaning hangers or is that against some sort of airline regulations??

[Happy ks]

Wire hangers are perfectly fine.

 

Jane, you really want my DH to do the ironing, he's a master at it :D

[Jane110]

Wire hangers are perfectly fine.

 

Jane, you really want my DH to do the ironing, he's a master at it :D

 

I don't care WHO does it, as long as it's not moi! :)

 

Jane

[Out&About]

Until I read this topic re: folding vs hangin, I never gave it any thought. I've always placed dress shirts hanging in dry cleaning bags in suit bag. I'm definitely going to try folded on this next vacation. With a suit or sport jacket on, I don't think any minor folds would show. Then again there might be a fold across the abdomen; but, i don't think that will be a problem as I gain weight during the cruise and press the shirt naturally with my belly. :p

[OC Mom]

I just picked up my dry-cleaning yesterday. The five shirts I had folded were each in their own bag and then in one large box. It seems like the way to go! They seems to be pressed well, but not so sharply as to have strong creases. They should travel very well and have minimal fold marks. I think my dad was off on some of his comments, but the folding idea was a good one that I never knew about.