ALPHA MALE: Smart Packing for Summer Travel

ALPHA MALE: Smart Packing for Summer Travel

While I’ve seen men time and time again skillfully pack a cooler, I have yet to see the same artisan approach when packing a suitcase. It appears most women have found ways to fit a school bus inside their luggage, and most men are unable to successfully pack a few shirts without a lot of wrinkles.  With summer here, and vacations on our mind, here's how to successfully pack for your next trip.

Do not attempt this at home

With a combination of mild wit and paramount laziness, one of our close colleagues devised a methodology that marries dirty laundry with hotel laundry service.  Our colleague would throw a ball of dirty laundry into a suitcase and upon arriving at his destination, send his trip’s wardrobe to the hotel’s laundry service.  This approach has resulted in missing buttons, a few unsought color alterations, and countless clothing casualties.  A creative approach to packing, but we wouldn’t recommend it.

Plan, to succeed

When getting ready for a trip, it is important to pack with some basic methodology.  Keeping in mind that most men live out of their suitcase (as opposed to arriving to the hotel and putting everything in drawers), the order in which you pack each item is important as is each item/s location in the suitcase.  Additionally, it is important to protect your clothing – both so it doesn’t look bad for the trip and so it doesn’t get ruined.  The seven steps below provide an outline of tips that will lead suitcase success.
 
 
1. Start by packing your shoes around the perimeter of your suitcase –it builds a layer of padding when the baggage handler tosses a 50 yard hail mary with your luggage.
 
2. Next, stuff your underwear in your shoes to save space.
 
3. Place the least important items on the bottom of the suitcase.  These will have the greatest likelihood of getting wrinkled.
 
4. Roll your trousers to maximize space and minimize wrinkling.
 
5. Place dress shirts on top.
 
6. Pack all liquids and toiletries in a plastic bag.  A leak in a bottle of cologne will ruin any well packed suitcase.
 
7. Wear or carry sports coats and jackets.  When packed, they take up too much room and are bound to wrinkle.
 
Bonus tip: Make sure to pack a laundry bag for the trip home. A quick lesson in clothing hygiene: 50% dirty clothes + 50% clean clothes = 100% dirty clothes.  Make sure that all dirty clothes are properly tucked away in a laundry bag, isolated from the clean clothing.

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Marc Streisand is president and owner of Marc Allen Fine Clothiers, and takes the custom clothing business very personally. Having enjoyed a successful career in the clothing industry since 1985, Marc brings his clients extensive specialized experience in menswear. Prior to taking over the Marc Allen store in March 2005, he cultivated his knowledge of luxury male attire in New York and his home state of New Jersey, where he began his vocation at Wallach's Specialty Stores. Nothing gives him greater pleasure, he says, than seeing raw cloth transformed into a custom outfit that can directly impact his customer's lifestyle.

Don't miss Marc Streisand's tips for men on GoLocalTV, fresh every day at 4pm and on demand 24/7, here.