How to pack suitcases without creases and wrinkles?

The folding technique

You have the option to fold your clothes in many different ways. We present the most effective methods to ensure your clothes survive the trip wrinkle-free.

Traditional folding

Traditional folding is the classic and most popular method that we most often find in our wardrobes. We explain in brief steps how to properly fold your clothes using this method. 

For tops, proceed as follows:

1. Spread the top out in front of you.
2. Place it on the right and left towards the center.
3. Fold the sleeves along the shoulders or downwards depending on their length.
4. Then fold it once more in the middle to get a neat square or rectangle.

Fold pants and skirts like this:

1. Spread the pants or skirt out in front of you.
2. Place one leg over the other or fold the skirt lengthwise in the middle.
3. Fold the pants or skirt two to three times until they have a compact size.

There are more organized and space-saving methods, but this method is especially suitable for delicate materials, which you often find in business clothing like suits, shirts, blouses, and so on, due to the simple folding. Also, the first steps of this method are found in the other variants as well. Only the last step differs among the three methods.

Casters

Experienced backpackers have known this trick for years: roll clothes instead of folding. This not only helps keep your suitcase organized so you can quickly see each item, but this method also saves a lot of space.

Roll tops as follows:

1. Spread the top out in front of you.
2. Place it on the right and left towards the center.
3. Fold the sleeves along the shoulders or downwards depending on their length.
4. Roll the rectangle from the top to the bottom.

Follow these steps for pants and skirts:

1. Spread the pants or skirt out in front of you.
2. Place one leg over the other or fold the skirt lengthwise in the middle.
3. Roll the pants or skirt up from the waistband.

To keep the clothing wrinkle-free, it is crucial to strictly remove wrinkles from the material while rolling by repeatedly smoothing or pulling the material taut and rolling tightly. Before rolling, place the garments in the corresponding starting shape, that of a rectangle, creating multiple layers. Make sure all layers lie flat and you smooth out the wrinkles. This way, your clothes will surely survive the trip wrinkle-free.

Bundles according to Marie Kondo

An alternative to rolling is the bundle method by Marie Kondo, which has been known among organization professionals for several years. If you belong to them, you can simply pack the bundles from the closet or dresser into the suitcase. If you are not yet familiar with the method, we explain it to you here.

For tops, proceed as follows:

1. Spread the top out in front of you.
2. Fold the right and left sides towards the middle.
3. Fold the sleeves along the shoulder or downwards depending on their length. Unlike the other method, here you make sure to fold the clothing as narrowly as possible to get a thin rectangle.
4. Now fold the bottom and top sides up or down so that a small square is formed.
5. Continue doing this until both squares meet in the middle and you lay them on top of each other.
6. You can now place the so-called bundles upright (with the open, folded side down) next to each other in the suitcase.

Fold pants and skirts like this:

1. Spread the pants or skirt out in front of you.
2. Place one leg over the other. Depending on the length, fold skirts once in the middle or, for wide models, fold the two outer sides (as in step 2 for tops) once towards the middle.
3. Now fold the bottom and top sides up or down.
4. Continue doing this until the two folded-over surfaces meet in the middle and you lay them on top of each other. Because the cut differs significantly from, for example, tops, it is quite possible that the shape at the end resembles not a square but rather a rectangle.

This variant is even more organized than rolling, as you can place and overview more garments side by side.

Depending on the occasion of the trip and accordingly the clothing to be packed, different folding methods are suitable for the various garments so that they survive transport in the suitcase wrinkle-free.

Business Trip or Beach Vacation? The occasion is decisive

Depending on the occasion, the selection of garments suitable for the trip also varies. For a business trip, you need the appropriate wardrobe, which in most cases consists of suits, shirts or blouses, and the like. Especially these garments often consist of delicate or comparatively stiff materials that require careful folding to arrive wrinkle-free. For a beach vacation, on the other hand, summer casual clothing suitable for the local climate is sufficient, which you can roll wrinkle-free and, above all, very space-saving or fold into bundles.

We give you some tips on the different garments that you can transport wrinkle-free with the right folding techniques depending on the occasion of the trip.

Business Trip: the different garments

Due to the often stiff fabrics of business clothing, the conventional folding technique is best suited in this case. This preserves the natural shape of the material.

To fold pants and skirts, proceed as follows:

1. Long fabric pants should first be folded along the crease, jeans can simply be folded in half. A skirt does not need to be folded.
2. Now place the pants in the suitcase so that they lie crosswise and the pant legs stick out of the suitcase. The same applies here for long skirts.
3. After placing the other garments on the pants and skirts, you can lay the pant legs or skirt ends over them so they wrap around.

Garments like jackets and blazers pose a greater challenge due to their shape. With these simple steps, they will also remain wrinkle-free.

1. Place the jacket or blazer buttoned up with the front side down.
2. For particularly delicate fabrics, we recommend turning the jacket or blazer inside out beforehand to protect the outer material. Make sure to press the shoulder area outward to avoid possible creases there.
3. Now fold both sleeves along the shoulder area.
4. Then fold it along the center line.
5. If possible, do not place the jacket or blazer too far under other garments to avoid pressure marks.

For shirts and blouses, proceed similarly as with a jacket or blazer.

1. Spread out the buttoned shirt or blouse with the button placket facing down.
2. Fold one sleeve and the side part of the garment towards the middle, leaving about 5 cm next to the collar.
3. Then fold the sleeve back down onto the folded surface and repeat on the other side.
4. Finally, fold the narrow rectangle crosswise in the middle downwards.

If you have several shirts and/or blouses, we recommend folding them in pairs. Place both front sides together, but keep the collars facing opposite directions. This way, they won’t get flattened.

Beach vacation: the different clothing items