Packing a tuxedo without creases

The safest way is to carry your tuxedo on board in a garment bag rather than check it. If you must pack it in a suitcase, fold the jacket with the inside-out shoulder method, put tissue paper in every fold, fold the trousers along their crease and steam the whole thing when you reach the hotel. Done well, the tuxedo comes out with a few soft creases that steam will release.

A carry-on garment bag

A garment bag lets the jacket lie almost flat and fold just once at the middle. A bi-fold carry-on bag fits the overhead bin on most flights; check the airline's size rules before you travel.

When packing, fasten the jacket and hang it on a wooden hanger or the bag's frame, with the trousers over the top bar along their crease. If the bag has no frame, roll a thin towel and place it inside the fold so the fold is not too sharp. On the plane, ask the crew to hang the bag in the garment closet if there is one, or lay it flat, and never put heavy luggage on top.

Small accessories such as the bow tie, cufflinks and studs belong in your own carry-on bag, not in checked luggage. Losing a pair of cufflinks right before an event is a bigger problem than a creased suit.

The inside-out shoulder fold

When the jacket has to go into a suitcase, this fold keeps the outer cloth from folding across a hard crease.

1. Unbutton the jacket and hold it by the shoulders, or lay it face down.
2. Reach inside one shoulder and grip the shoulder tip from the lining side.
3. Turn that shoulder inside out and tuck it into the opposite shoulder so the two nest together.
4. Fold the jacket in half down the centre back, lining outward, with the wool and satin lapels on the inside.
5. Fold once more if the case needs it, and lay it flat on top.

This protects the shoulder shape, because the shoulders are not crushed, and the fold falls where it shows least. Place the jacket on top of the suitcase with other clothes beneath it, gently, and do not pile luggage on it.

Fold the trousers along the crease: bring the legs together and fold once near the knee, or twice if you must, keeping the fold off the satin braid.

Tissue paper

Tissue paper is not just decoration. It does three jobs when you pack:

• In the folds. A layer of paper at the fold makes it round rather than sharp.
• In the sleeves. Loosely scrunched tissue inside both sleeves keeps their shape, so they do not flatten.
• Against friction. A sheet between the satin lapel and the cloth facing it stops the satin rubbing and picking up shine.

If you have no tissue, a thin T-shirt or cotton cloth does the same job. Avoid newspaper, since the ink can mark pale fabric. Do not stuff too tightly, because packed paper creates creases of its own.

Shoes go in their own cloth bag with socks tucked inside to hold their shape. Put them at the bottom of the case, where the weight sits, and the jacket on top.

Steaming at the hotel

When you arrive, take the suit out at once. Do not wait until the last minute before the party.

• Hang it on a hanger, preferably a wooden one if you brought one.
• Run the hot water in the bathroom for a while, then hang the suit there with the door closed so the steam releases the creases. This works well on light creases.
• Many hotels offer pressing or steaming, or lend a handheld steamer. If you hand it to the hotel, tell them not to press directly on the satin lapel and trouser braid. See steaming and pressing without shining the satin.
• If you travel to events often, bring a compact travel steamer.

Leave time for the cloth to dry and cool before you put it on. A suit worn damp creases again quickly.

Choose a crease-resistant cloth to begin with

If you travel often, the cloth itself helps. Tightly twisted wool yarns, such as worsted, usually recover from creasing better. The piece on tuxedo cloth that resists creasing explains more, and attending an event abroad offers further advice for the trip.

Advice from the Mon Amie workroom

If you plan to have a tuxedo made to take to an event far from home, tell the tailor when you choose the cloth, so we can suggest a cloth and construction that suit travel. Book a consultation at the showroom or see the made-to-measure tuxedo page.