Garment Bags

Clothes travel on their hangers inside a garment bag. This is a long flat carrier with a full length zip that folds in half over a bar or a handle. Because the garments hang from a hook or a clamp at the top, a jacket keeps its shoulder shape instead of being pressed flat under everything else. Length usually runs 40 to 54 inches unfolded, which covers a suit, and longer versions take a full length gown.

The hanger fitting is what separates a useful bag from a dry cleaner sack. A metal clamp or a locking hook holds hangers at the top so nothing slides down into the fold. By comparison, a plain loop lets everything migrate as you walk. Fold placement matters just as much: a single fold across the hips of a jacket lands in a low visibility area. A bag that folds at chest height puts a crease across the lapel. Better versions add a padded bar at the fold, which means a stuffed tube the clothes drape over, which spreads the bend across two inches rather than one line.

Nothing else in luggage does this job. A carry-on will hold a folded suit, but you fold it three or four times and press it under everything above. Some cases include a suiter panel, which is a fair compromise for one jacket and no help for three. Duffles are the worst possible container for tailoring. If your trip is one suit and a week of casual clothes, the case with a suiter wins; if it is three suits and two nights, the dedicated bag does.

Business travelers, wedding parties and anyone flying to an event where the clothes are the reason for the trip should carry one. It also solves storage at home, keeping off season wool away from moths and dust. Tri fold versions, which fold twice into a cabin sized footprint, are worth considering if you fly economy and want it in the cabin. Casual trips do not justify one, since a garment bag is bulky, awkward on a shoulder and holds very little that is not on a hanger.

Hang the bag full and look at where it bends. The fold should sit below the jacket's waist button, and no part of the garment should touch the zip teeth. A breathable panel is the thing to insist on, because sealed vinyl traps moisture against wool and invites both mildew and moths in long storage. Air the bag open for a day after a trip, and never put a damp suit away inside one, as trapped humidity damages tailoring faster than years of wear.