How do you pack dress clothes?

[TwinCruiserMom]

We have a normal sized fold over garment bag that holds a fair amount of garments. How do you pack the long formals? They are obviously longer than the garment bags.

 

I have to pack one long formal (slinky material, dd), one long skirt (satiny, mine) and a suit in this bag. Also the boys each have a suit coat and then there are many pairs of pants for all 3 of my guys and many sundresses (some longer) and skirts for dd and I.

 

Which items could I pack easiest in regular suitcases? Should I just purchase another garment bag and make it easier?

 

I could just take on a rolling hanging cart :D With 5 of us, I could probably fill one of those babies!

 

Luckily, we are driving to the port, but I still have to get all this clothes to the ship in decent condition. I just have no experience with packing nice clothes as most of our vacations have been Disney or the beach or camping.

 

Help!

[gonna go cruising]

We have a normal sized fold over garment bag that holds a fair amount of garments. How do you pack the long formals? They are obviously longer than the garment bags.

 

I have to pack one long formal (slinky material, dd), one long skirt (satiny, mine) and a suit in this bag. Also the boys each have a suit coat and then there are many pairs of pants for all 3 of my guys and many sundresses (some longer) and skirts for dd and I.

 

Which items could I pack easiest in regular suitcases? Should I just purchase another garment bag and make it easier?

 

I could just take on a rolling hanging cart :D With 5 of us, I could probably fill one of those babies!

 

Luckily, we are driving to the port, but I still have to get all this clothes to the ship in decent condition. I just have no experience with packing nice clothes as most of our vacations have been Disney or the beach or camping.

 

Help!

 

 

We always go to the dry cleaners and purchase the plastic bags for each item. We cram all of it into one garment foldover bag, and the plastic helps to keep things from wrinkling up. Of course we hang them up as soon as we get to the room but works for us. Last time we had a suit, and at least eight dresses in the bag. I think we had to sit on it to zip it and fold it but the bags worked wonders!

[pg.]

I am dealing with the same numbers as you ( family of five, two boys one girl).

I have two formals. One slinky one satiny. The slinky one with be rolled and packed in a suitcase, it will come out fine. Daughters dress also roll and packed. My satin one is stressing me a bit, too long for garment bag , but I will most likely stick it in there anyways, and count on having it pressed on board. My sun dressed will be packed, same with skirts. Its not like you need that much , two formals for two formal nights, that leaves only 5 more nights to dress for.

Husband brings one dark suit, that is in garment bag. Plus two/ three of his dress shirts. Everything else is packed. I can fold and pack the boys pants easily, just layer everything and overlap with no sharp folds in anything. Their dress shirts will need ironing, nothing I could do about that. Boys do not have jackets, just shirt and ties, guess we will have some eyeballs burning holes on our backs for that, too bad. lol

 

We are flying in, taking three flights, so I don't think the garment bag is going to keep everything that nice anyways. Last time we used it we found stuff had slipped inside and all bunched up in bottom of bag. So I will tape, wrap etc most everything that goes in there this time.

[CanuckCurlers]

Leaving your clothes in the dry cleaning bag has worked well for me in the past. We also fly and found the garment bag a nuisance. I'm not sure my explanation will be clear but this is what I do. I lay pants, skirts, dresses in the bottom of the suitcase with the shoulders or waistband along one end and then let the extra length go up and out the other end. I alternate pieces using each end of the suitcase. I then pack the suitcase with everything else and then fold the extra lengths back into the suitcase over top of everything else. I'm sure that this is as clear as mud, but it works for me.

[CanuckCurlers]

Leaving your clothes in the dry cleaning bag has worked well for me in the past. We also fly and found the garment bag a nuisance. I'm not sure my explanation will be clear but this is what I do. I lay pants, skirts, dresses in the bottom of the suitcase with the shoulders or waistband along one end and then let the extra length go up and out the other end. I alternate pieces using each end of the suitcase. I then pack the suitcase with everything else and then fold the extra lengths back into the suitcase over top of everything else. I'm sure that this is as clear as mud, but it works for me.

[CanuckCurlers]

Leaving your clothes in the dry cleaning bag has worked well for me in the past. We also fly and found the garment bag a nuisance. I'm not sure my explanation will be clear but this is what I do. I lay pants, skirts, dresses in the bottom of the suitcase with the shoulders or waistband along one end and then let the extra length go up and out the other end. I alternate pieces using each end of the suitcase. I then pack the suitcase with everything else and then fold the extra lengths back into the suitcase over top of everything else. I'm sure that this is as clear as mud, but it works for me.

[CanuckCurlers]

Gremlins at work, sorry about that.

[obnurse]

This may be a stupid question, but do you put only one dress/outfit in each dry cleaning bag?

[LidoShuffle]

I lay pants, skirts, dresses in the bottom of the suitcase with the shoulders or waistband along one end and then let the extra length go up and out the other end. I alternate pieces using each end of the suitcase. I then pack the suitcase with everything else and then fold the extra lengths back into the suitcase over top of everything else.

I also do this for packing our formal stuff and it works really well. With this method nothing gets squashed!

[Lois R]

This may be a stupid question, but do you put only one dress/outfit in each dry cleaning bag?

 

Its not a stupid question:)

I use drycleaner bags everytime I pack. It depends on the

outfit. I also know the people at the Drycleaners and they

are always helpful. If I want each outfit in a separate bag

they will do it for me. I also use empty bags....sort of as an

extra buffer...they really do prevent wrinkles:D

If it is a long dress, yes each one is in its own bag. Dress

slacks, one pair may be inside the bag.....the other in between

layers of the plastic.

Hope this helps:)

[Jane110]

Here's my best trick that I've shared before.

 

Take your long formal and put it on a hanger.

Place a dry cleaning bag over in in the usual way. The bottom of your dress will be stickingout. Then take another dry cleaning bag and place it over the dress from the bottom up. The two bag bottoms will meet in the middle with some overlap. DO NOT squeeze out any air, in fact leave as much air in as possible creating a little air cushion. Tape them together with a few bits of tape. You can then gently fold and place in the top of your suitcase - make it the last thing to go in and first thing to come out.

I've never had a wrinkle yet.

 

For any short dresses, where the drycleaner bag covers it all. Know the bottom of the bag creating a little air pillow.

 

Do each formal on a separate hanger.

[gonna go cruising]

Yes, we use one bag per item. Our drycleaners have extra long ones as well for the longer formals. We pack them all and then fold the formals back up over the others, then zip it up and go. No pressing was necessary!

[TwinCruiserMom]

Great information! I also dislike our garment bag and it is a pain. I really like the idea of using the dry cleaning bags and that certainly would make things easier.

 

For those of you who do not take garment bags, how do you pack the suit jackets? If you pack them with the dry cleaner bags, do they come out ok?

 

How much do the dry cleaner bags cost if you walk in and buy them?

 

Thanks so much!

[gonna go cruising]

Great information! I also dislike our garment bag and it is a pain. I really like the idea of using the dry cleaning bags and that certainly would make things easier.

 

For those of you who do not take garment bags, how do you pack the suit jackets? If you pack them with the dry cleaner bags, do they come out ok?

 

How much do the dry cleaner bags cost if you walk in and buy them?

 

Thanks so much!

 

I think the extra long ones were maybe forty cents each and the others a quarter. I still use the rolling garment bag but it keeps them from being wrinkled. I imagine a large suitcase would work just as well though if you use the plastic drycleaning bags.

[CanuckCurlers]

I'm lucky that my husband is only a 38 so his jacket fits flat in the bottom of the suitcase. If it were bigger I'd put it in like I do the dresses and pants but put the shoulders along the long side of the suitcase and have it come up and out then fold it over once the suitcase is packed.

[Smitty24]

I do the dry cleaner bag thing, too, but then I also bring Downey Wrinkle Releaser. That stuff is a life saver! If the dress can't take it (like satin..I wouldn't risk it), or the dress is too wrinkled...for 5 bucks I send it out to be pressed. But then, I'm lazy when it comes to packing.:rolleyes:

[FinelyRetired]

I, too, am one of the many devotees here who packs dresses, slacks, etc. while they're still in the drycleaning bags and often with the hangers still on them.

 

However, when there's an overlap, overage I often layer some smaller clothes (sweaters, undies, etc. in either cleaning bags, tissues or ziplocks) on top BEFORE I fold the overlap, overage back over. When the overlap of the dress or slacks is folded back over the top it creates more of a cushioned "roll" fold and less of a deep "crease." If I have nothing left to "pack between" I create a little 1"-2" "bolster roll" by twisting another empty cleaner bag the width of suitcase and place in the crease before I fold back the overlap, overage to avoid a sharp crease in the fold. The vertical creases that show up will usually "hang" out. Horizontal creases are a pain.

 

Shoes, toiletries, etc I usually pack first in the bottom of suitcase and attempt to arrange/to create another "flat" bottom before I begin packing clothes. Items MOST susceptible to wrinkles are "last minute in" / "first out."

 

Nothings perfect....it's why they have pressing service on ships and at hotels!

 

Do any of us DARE admit in this day and age to creating a steam room in a hotel/ship bathroom via the shower full on hot to get the creases out? :rolleyes:

[MHF]

We have a normal sized fold over garment bag that holds a fair amount of garments. How do you pack the long formals? They are obviously longer than the garment bags.

 

Help!

 

I bought a gown-length garment bag many years ago but I have never taken it on a cruise. I have this mental image of it being pitched into one of those metal crates! However, if I can figure out how to walk it on this fall, it may go.

 

A friend of mine bought a long garment bag from Lillian Vernon and I bought their shoe bag (holds 6 pairs or fewer with small handbags). The shoe bag is going for sure.

 

Melissa