How to pack a suitcase without creasing your clothes
Short answer: Roll what is soft, lay what is stiff flat, and fill gaps with small items along the way. Creasing comes from folds under pressure, not from packing itself, so pressure is what to avoid, not the amount of clothing.
Roll what is soft and knitted
Knitwear and t-shirts can be rolled without getting sharp creases, because the fabric bends evenly instead of buckling at one particular spot under the weight of the rest of the case. Roll tightly but not too hard, so the air gets pushed out without stretching the fabric unevenly in the process. See bamboo t-shirt for women.
Lay stiff items flat at the bottom
Woven fabrics like shirts and trousers crease sharply if packed wrong, so they should lie flat with as few layers as possible between them at the bottom of the case. Slip paper or a soft item of clothing between the layers if there is room, so the creases are less visible once the case is fully unpacked again.
Fill gaps with small items
Socks and underwear pressed into shoes stop everything else in the case shifting around during transport and landing in a different order than you packed it. Use every gap deliberately instead of leaving air sitting empty between items, so the case overall takes up less room and the clothes sit more still. See bamboo socks for women.
Pack what you need first on top
That way you avoid digging through the whole case on the first evening, when all you need is a toothbrush or a change of clothes right after arriving. Put a small pouch with the essentials right on top, so you can find it without fully opening the rest of the case.
Do not pack the case too full
A case that only just closes presses clothes together with a force that causes creases, no matter how well they were rolled or laid to begin with. Pack a little less than you think is possible, so there is room for the clothes to sit naturally without constant pressure from the lid and sides.
Use layers instead of one big pile
Split clothes into layers by type, with the heaviest at the bottom and the lightest on top, instead of mixing everything into one big pile with no system. That makes items easier to find along the way and lowers the risk of heavy clothes pressing creases into the thinner clothes underneath them.
Bamboo clothing for women
Good quality materials handle packing better, because the fibres spring back a little after pressure instead of staying in the same crease permanently. See bamboo clothing for women for pieces that are easy to pack without worrying unnecessarily about sharp creases after a long trip in the case.
Pack in the order you will need it
Think about the trip ahead as you pack, so what you need first is also the easiest to reach without digging deep into the case. What you pack last is often what you need first on arrival, so reverse the order if you usually pack without thinking it through.
Bamboo underwear for women
Underwear takes up little room and rolls easily without creasing, so it is ideal for filling the last gaps in the case once everything else is already packed. See bamboo underwear for women for pieces that handle being rolled up tightly without taking any damage during a long trip.
Frequently asked questions
Should clothes be rolled or folded in a suitcase?
Roll the soft items and fold the stiff ones. Rolling gives fewer sharp creases on knitwear and t-shirts, while flat woven fabrics keep their shape best when laid flat.
Why do clothes crease in a suitcase at all?
Because folds get pressed together under the weight of the rest of the contents. Without sharp creases to begin with, there is nothing for the pressure to reinforce along the way.
What should you do with shoes while packing?
Fill them with socks and underwear. That makes use of the space that would otherwise sit empty and keeps the shoes in shape throughout the whole trip.
See our range of bamboo shirts for men.
