A ten-thousand dollar suit isn’t worth a plug nickle if you’re wearing it wrinkled. It’s a Ferrari without an engine, a rocketship without fuel, a Piña colada without the rum.
Wrinkles, rumples, and general dishevelment are a non-starter in the business world, and one of the few truly unforgivable sins when it comes to exercising power and exuding authority.
Though it’s understood that not everyone can afford the best spun silk suit that Italy has to offer, everyone should be able to travel with quality attire and not turn your trousers into elephant skin or crease your jacket down the center.
Your choices for keeping the gatherings and tucks from wrecking your suit are fairly limited.
You can either befriend a nearby dry cleaner who can steam and press your pieces while you wait, rely on your own ironing skills and whatever tools you have on hand, try a quick shower steam, or you can do the simplest thing which is to avoid wrinkles in the first place by stowing your suit in a quality garment bag.
The last will also protect it from the elements, permit you to go to the ends of the Earth, and has a more professional look than standing around at the local Press ‘N’ Pack while waiting for your pants to flatten out.
In summary: Get a good garment bag and stop the madness.
Mercury Luggage Executive Series Tri-Fold
Inexpensive yet posh, the outside is ripstop denier polyester which will stand up to most light excursions, though might not be enough to take your suit into the bush – if that’s what you were planning to do. The compact design is easy to lug about, and the price is perfect for the occasional traveler who only needs a suit to go with them a couple times each year.
WallyBags 858
Lightweight yet built out of 600 D polyester, there’s space inside for 8 garments, shoes, accessories, and more, all in a handy bag that wraps up tight and can attach to most standard luggage without a hitch.
Combatant Gentlemen Weekender
Ingenuity is what is on display here. Though it looks compact enough to be your favorite purse, the Weekender from Combatant Gentlemen is a fanfare of zippers that can be loaded flat for carrying clothes, or upright for when you just need a shoulder bag for a Vegas weekend. Cotton canvas and twill, there’s even a place for shoes in this little carry-on that can.
BagLane Roll-Up
A dual-purpose pair of bags, the Roll-Up begins with a waterproof duffel section that has space for your standard gear, with padding and protection for your electronics. Then, around the outside it has a wrapping garment section where you can keep your suit or tux. The split personality here lets you have an everyday bag for being out and about, with a hanging bag for your formalwear that never needs to move.
Henty Wingman Suit Bag
Managing to make a commuter bag into a duffel into a carry-on into a suit bag is no small feat. The go-anywhere choice, you can alter and rearrange the Wingman to suit your needs and lifestyle, however rough or refined it may be. If you were hoping to solve all your mobile storage woes in one swing, this is the tool to choose.
SkyRoll Garment Bag
Made to be a whole garment system, there’s a standard bag where you lay your suits and hang your ties, but it folds up around the base cylinder, which is a stash box for keeping your nice shoes, accessories, and even a dopp kit – there’s one included, or you can bring your own – for helping you handle all your primping and grooming before the big presentation.
Filson Suit Cover
Unadorned and uncomplicated, the Suit Cover brings Filson’s badass build to the garment bag industry, creating a tough, waterproof, untearable, unbreakable canvas twill exterior along with bridle leather handles. It’s guaranteed to guard your gear come hell, high water, heavy rains, or small fires.
Andiamo Avanti Collection 22 Inch Wheeled Garment Bag
A survivor of any storm, the exterior is Duramax Nylon that has full-grain leather accents, for a look that is timeless, and a durability that is unmatched. It balances well for easy carrying, and has aircraft grade aluminum in the frame, meaning even sloppy baggage handlers can’t hurt it.
Samsonite Silhouette Sphere 2 Deluxe Voyager
Nylon and fabric, there’s little to say here, since Samsonite is very much transparent about what you see is what you get. It won’t last forever if you’re a major jet-setter, but it’s good for beginners who want to go the distance and take along their Sunday finery. Think of it as an entry-level bag for the future corporate partner.
Hook & Albert Waxed Canvas
Though looking for all the world like a standard waxed canvas weekender, the ability of this bag to lie flat and get loaded up with a set of suits makes it handy for clothes as much as for organizing your equipment should you be using it as nothing but a shoulder carryall. Stylish with buckled exterior pockets for all your odds and ends, it’s as utilitarian without any fancy garb being put inside.
ECBC Sparrow II
Jean-Luc Annet was a business traveler who saw a better way, so he founded ECBC. Barely a garment bag, there’s a 6,000 mAh power bank on board for charging up your stuff, a simple sleeve for electronics that allows them to be slipped out quickly for security checks, and still manages to fit int a brilliant way to stuff a suit or two without worrying it will come out looking battered.
Victorinox Werks Traveler 5.0
Victorinox doesn’t do many things, with most of their line tied up in Swiss Army Knives and luggage. While that might not be much, they do each so well that we wish they’d go into healthcare or politics. Ripstop nylon with a bright orange interior to prevent losing any bits of bling, this is a large option for those who want to roll or fold, crease or contort their clothes as little as possible.
Briggs & Riley Baseline
The Baseline looks like an ordinary carry-on, with its narrow build and rolling construction, but it is a fully hangable, lockable bag that bears a garment section where you hook your hangers. It’s clever, keeping size down and allowing for average travelers to decide if and when they need to reach for the hanging features, or letting the Baseline stand on its own.
Moore & Giles Gravely
A fashion piece unto itself, the Gravely is comprised of Martexin Original Wax material, which is why it carries such a heavily classic appearance. There’s little more than meets the eye to be had here, but it meets the eye so well, along with being comfortable and resilient, that it earns its stripes with ease.
Tumi Alpha 2
Tumi is largely one of the most beloved high-end luggage makers ever to wear the badge, and the Alpha 2 is proof of why they’ve become such a staple of the industry. Made more like a messenger bag than a standard garment carrier, you can get a couple of suits inside, along with loading the pockets full of watches, accessories, pocket squares, or EDC gadgets.
Rimowa Salsa Deluxe 3-Suiter
Since this gorgeous creature comes with a garment bag inside, complete with separate shirt bag, we decided it counted in this countdown. That hard shell exterior is no joke, coming outfitted with TSA combo locks for safety, and a whole flex divider system for organizing your clothes and equipment into a rolling storage locker that is lousy with professionalism.
