Formal Wear Question

[hpjmom]

Okay--this is not about what to wear. Got that down & I don't want to start anything.

 

My question is for those of you who fly to the port, how do you travel with your formal wear? Do you use hanging bags? (I'm not sure how else you would travel with a suit. Is there another way?) Don't the hanging bags get tossed around on planes? Do you just plan on sending your stuff to the laundry when you get there to get it pressed? Or is there some secret that I don't know about? Obviously, DH & I don't travel by plane much & when we have we haven't needed formal wear.

[karena1]

Okay--this is not about what to wear. Got that down & I don't want to start anything.

 

My question is for those of you who fly to the port, how do you travel with your formal wear? Do you use hanging bags? (I'm not sure how else you would travel with a suit. Is there another way?) Don't the hanging bags get tossed around on planes? Do you just plan on sending your stuff to the laundry when you get there to get it pressed? Or is there some secret that I don't know about? Obviously, DH & I don't travel by plane much & when we have we haven't needed formal wear.

 

 

I always pack our formal stuff in my suit luggage bag, but don't put it in there until the day we leave for the airport. Then fold it in half and clip it to transport on the airplane.

 

As soon as I get the bags in the room, I hang them up. For the most part, any wrinkles fall out after a few hours. Last year I took some Downy Wrinkle release as it was recommended on the boards, but never ended up using it. Luckily, my dresses are the type that the wrinkles fall out easily. For DH, his tux is fine, and since I can't take a small iron anymore, I will probably use the Downy wrinkle release on the next cruise.

[cb at sea]

My suitcase has a 2nd section (like an enclosed garment bag) where you "hang" your dress or suit (in a drycleaning bag, so it won't wrinkle). Then you close the top, folding the suit or dress in half, and because of the drycleaning bag (or tissue paper will work just fine) the clothing arrives with no wrinkling!

You can use a garment bag, but if you're flying, that counts as 1 of your checked luggage items--we bring way too much stuff to use a garment bag for just a couple of things.

[WhenIsOurNextCruise]

We also use a hanging bag that folds over and zips. The clothes all arrive just fine. And my husband rents a tux through the cruise line. It is so easy and saves a lot of room in our packing. And I agree that the wrinkle release works like a champ.

[Starbright]

I pack my dresses/gowns in dry cleaning bags. I also pack my DH tux that way. They then go into our suitcases. They always arrive looking fine. I took a garment steamer last time but never needed to use it. Last year we flew from England to Vancouver and even after all those hours the garments were fine.

[luvscruising2007]

We use a hangup bag. But on the fashion forum they discuss this topic quite thoroughly. Use dry cleaner bags. They work wonders. Just ask your dry cleaner for bags, mine had long and short, and I got a combination of both. I put them on the hanger over our clothing. I used them in the suitcases as a layer between the clothes and had virtually no wrinkles.

J

ps there is a small charge for the bags

[katiel53]

We have been using the dry cleaner bags with hangers for years. We pack all clothes in them except for shorts and undies etc. My husband's suit goes into the bag by itself. His shirts go 2 to a bag. All of my outfits go 2 to a bag on hangers. For my formal wear, it's that outfit alone in a bag. When we get onboard, and get our luggage, it's really easy to unpack. Just open the suitcase, hang up the hangers. Our clothes aren't wrinkled. Should there be a small wrinkle that bugs me, I put the article in the bathroom for the shower to remove the wrinkle.

 

Before we leave to go home, we send my husband's suit to the cleaner because it's cheaper to have it cleaned onboard than it is at home. I have to say, I don't iron at all. My ironing things, all go to the dry cleaner at home to be starched and pressed. I save the bags for our trips as the cleaner packs several shirts in one bag and several pants in others.

 

Living in Fl, cotton clothes are the best and that's what I wear. So, the dry cleaner bags work for us.

 

After all I said, if some clothes are wrinkled, who cares? No one notices, so why do I drive myself nuts?

[hpjmom]

As far as the dry cleaner bags go--are you just talking about the thin, clear plastic bags the clothes come home in? Or are there thicker plastic, "special" dry cleaner bags? I'm glad to hear that things can arrive unwrinkled. And I have Downy Wrinkle Release, maybe I'll pack some just in case.

[CLQ]

You guys are making me consider putting the tux in my suitcase and seeing if it needs to be pressed once I get on board. I know there are all kinds of gyrations you can go through to pack things without wrinkles, but I'm basically a pretty lazy packer. We've preferred so far to just use the rolling garment bag and check it through. We always put EBQ's formal stuff in there, along with slacks. So far my tux has arrived just fine in that, with the drycleaner bags over it.

[cruisenfever]

As far as the dry cleaner bags go--are you just talking about the thin, clear plastic bags the clothes come home in? Or are there thicker plastic, "special" dry cleaner bags? I'm glad to hear that things can arrive unwrinkled. And I have Downy Wrinkle Release, maybe I'll pack some just in case.

The regular thin plastic bags that your clothes are sent home in from the cleaners.

[Frazzle]

Well, I was under the impression that I could bring a garment bag as a carry on so I was just going to carry it and ask for it to be hanged up (my wedding dress)...and my fiancee will bring his garment bag as a carry on (his suits, and my dresses).

[Starbright]

I think the airlines are usually helpful with wedding dresses. My friend from the USA came over to England to be married. She had her wedding dress on a hanger in a bag. The on board staff took it from her and hung it up in first class. She still had to travel in economy!

[hpjmom]

Thanks, everyone! I was actually a little stressed about this. I feel better now!

[karena1]

Trust me, I pack just as much in a rolling garment bag as a regular suitcase, The weight of my garment bag for our April cruise was 47 pounds, so you know I had a lot in there!!! I put my formals, DH's tux, all his pants and silk shirs, shoes, toiletries, sometimes my blow dryer and all kinds of other stuff. When we get to the room, I just hang everything and it is normally just fine.