Reisadvies van Roetzel:
Suits en route:
Finding the right clothes for travel is an easy task for the average holiday maker. The bespoke addict will see various difficulties when he prepares for a journey. Will my suit wrinkle when I wear it all day long? Can I change before the meeting? Should I travel light and bring on only a minimum set of clothes? Or should I rather carry a suitcase with a two suits to choose from? How high is the risk of my treasured bespoke suits getting lost somewhere between Europe and Asia? Will the weight of the fabric be right for the climate at my destination? What does the freshly pressed suit look like when I take it out of the suitcase? As an answer to all these questions frequently flying businessmen will take great care in finding the right styles and cloths for their travelling wardrobe.
When traveling short destinations in Europe with rather brief periods of being seated in a plane any midweight quality will do the job. Nevertheless one should not choose fabrics made of fibres that are finer than Super 120 S or Super 130 S without regard to the actual weight of the cloth. The finer the fibre that the yarn is made of the more sensitive it is to rough handling. Thus a Super 120 S worsted with the weight of 280 g would be just right. This might seem pretty heavy by many people’s standards but a journey is not the same as a quite day in the office. So if you are heading for hot countries leave the summersuits in the case and travel in a midweight cloth because lightweights would wrinkle too much. Cloths made of highly twisted yarns are in general better suited for travel. During the colder seasons slightly heavier suitings are very recommendable because they keep you warm and crease less. The type of fibre is also an important aspect. The worst for travelling would be linen followed by cotton. Both fibres make great fabrics for warm days but unfortunately suits tailored of these two lose their shape at alarming speed. The fibre that is best suited to the rigours of travel is Mohair. By nature Mohair is very elastic and it will crease less than wool or Cashmere, for that reason it is a good choice for your travelling wardrobe. Purists reject the idea of synthetic fibres but they perform very well in blends with wool or cashmere. Especially in countries with a very hot and humid climate they are frequently used.
As for the choice of colour and pattern one must differentiate between a suit that is made for the actual journey and the one to be worn when you reach your destination. The latter will be chosen according to the rules of dresscode and the season without regard to practical questions. In the 1920s and 1930s, a time often termed the golden age of tailoring, a gentleman would wear a sportsuit on the train. Usually such a garment was made of a hardwearing tweed or cheviot. Glenplaid was also a classic choice for a travelling suit. Checks were popular because they gave the wearer a relaxed air and suited the adventurous aspects of travel. In addition little stains that may occur during the journey will not show on a vivid check. The modern world leaves less time for changing one’s clothes and thus most business men will wear one suit during the whole day. It is therefore advisable to spend some thought on the garment’s style and detailing.
Inside pockets should be made with buttons to avoid things falling out while the jacket is folded up for storage in the overhead lockers. Some men even insist on zippers for their inside pockets although to the majority this is not a very appealing solution. The outside pockets of the jacket should be made with flaps because they will help to keep things inside. A flap would also be a good idea on the breast pocket because it prevents glasses or mobile phones to slip out while bending over to pick up a suitcase. Sportjackets were frequently made with a flap on the breastpocket in the 1930s for this very reason but of course a handkerchief cannot be worn if this detail has been chosen.
The cut and the style of the pants may also be adapted to the special demands of the traveller. Cross pockets have the advantage that little things like keys, coins or tiny mobile phones will not be lost when one sits down. It is important to remember that they can only be chosen with flat fronted trousers so if somene prefers pleats he can’t have them. Cross pockets are also considered to look too sporty for a business suit by some but others would not agree. But most men would opt for side pockets either welted or cut in the sideseam anyway because this is the most frequent style. Bespoke tailors usually make them with a little pocket inside the lining for coins. As for the cut of the pants one would not recommend drainpipe styles for travelling because trousers that are cut very close to the leg may be very uncomfortable while one is seated. They also tend to stick to the kneelength socks at the calves which is very annoying. Slightly wider legs are thus recommended. The most reasonable and comfortable style for travelling are brace-top trousers because they will stay in place at all times. This can be very important when one has to carry bags in both hands. Brace-top trousers also have the advantage of fitting less tight at the waist which makes them more comfortable while sitting. Despite all these advantages most men prefer belted trousers nowadays. They should be measured just a little bit more generous around the waist to give the wearer the chance to loosen up the belt a bit during a longer journey.
Packing a suitcase is almost an art and was left to specialists in the past. The Duke of Windsor’s valet used to stuff the inside of the suits with paper to avoid creasing. In those days spacious trunks were used, sometimes with the suits hanging on a rail.
Many wealthy gentleman evaded the problems of packing suits completely by owning several sets of garments that were stored in their various residences. This practice is still fairly common among very rich suit lovers but for most patrons of bespoke tailors it is not an option. Trunks are still the best way to store suits during a journey and for men who are lucky enough to travel first class it is possible to use them. Most business travellers will use an ordinary suitcase though or a suit carrier.
Hard shell suitcase are to be preferred because they protect suits better than any type of soft luggage or suit carriers. The latter are usefull only when one travels in a car because in that case they can be hung up in the back or laid flat in the trunk. During airtravel suits will be crushed while carrying the sack through a narrow plane or storing it in the overhead lockers.
There are several schools of thought concerning the best way to fold suits. The most common one recommends to lay the jacket flat in the suitcase with the sleeves spread out. The pants are then folded up along the creases and placed on the chest of the jacket. The sleeves are now folded as if they wanted to embrace the trousers. Another popular way to store the suit starts by turning the jacket inside out and then tucking one half of the jacket in the sleevehead of the other half. No matter how you fold up the suit please remember to never pack too many garments in the suitcase. The more you stuff inside it the more pressure will be put onto the clothes. Always aim to preserve the three dimensional shape of the jacket either by actually stuffing the sleeves, the chest and the shoulders with paper or soft garments like socks, sweaters, polo shirt or underwear.
Take the suit out of the case as soon as you arrive in your hotel and hang it up. Wrinkles that are not ingrained too deeply into the fabric will disappear thanks to gravitation but allow some time for the process. The better the cloth the faster it will regain its shape. Deep creases will not disappear without the help of steam. Seasoned travellers carry little steaming devices in their luggage similar to the ones used in shops to remove creases on hanging garments. You can also use the steam of a hot shower that runs for a while in your bathroom. If you hang the garment in the misty clouds it will regain some shape but it don’t expect wonders on severely crushed cloths. They need either the help of a steaming device or an iron. In most hotels steam irons are available and the more expensive ones usually offer a pressing service. It is not wise to rely on that option alone because it may not be available on a while-u-wait basis so careful packing is always the way to minimize the risk of turning up in a badly creased suit.
If it does happen for reasons that are beyond your power don’t worry too much. A true Gentleman will wear a slightly rumpled suit with a stiff upperlip. Elegance is after all a state of mind.
Bernhard Roetzel
Bron:
http://bernhardroetzel.blogspot.com/
