Q. I remember George Carlin joked about how everyone is obsessed with his own "stuff" and needs "special stuff" when traveling, and then the "best of that stuff" when traveling for a weekend. I had trouble enough packing as a college kid for a weekend; I am completely at a loss as to what to bring now, as an adult. I have two long weekend trips ahead of me, in which I should look presentable. Is this within your areas of expertise?
A. We have two subjects here: What to take and how to pack it.
About the first, in my lectures I always say that men figure out which items they will need for a trip; then when they pack, they subtract one of each (as opposed to women who figure out what they will need and then pack double that number). While it is true that men can fairly easily buy what they are missing and a carry-on is easier than a full suitcase (excuses that men use for under-packing), if the need to look your best and be comfortable is important, you want to address what you are likely to need.
The trick is to think of yourself at your destination and consider what you will want for each activity. That said, there is no shame in wearing the same thing twice and it's worth it to avoid checking luggage. Wear the bulkiest pieces on the plane: a sport coat or suit jacket, plus a sweater, and comfortable shoes. Men often do fail to consider the possibilities of a change in weather, a change in plans, an unexpected stain or spot, a missing button, or (gasp!) possibly even a whimsical change of mood. Men almost never give themselves options when they pack. They don't like to carry anything extra, especially anything that is heavy or bulky, such as a spare jacket or extra shoes. At the very least, a man should add one more of each of the smaller items: tie, shirt, undershirt, knit polo, and socks.
If you take two jackets, a navy blazer and a tweed sport coat, you'll give yourself a lot of options. Wear one and carry one in your luggage. Two dress shirts are a bare minimum, with at least one tie that is perfect for both shirts. Add a nice sweater and two well-cut pairs of pants -- one should be tailored well enough to wear with your blazer and one can pair up with a sport shirt or sweater. (Depending on your age, one pair might be jeans, but no one likes to see out-of-shape, older men wearing age-inappropriate jeans!)
As to how to pack: Some people recommend the roll-everything-up method, but this has always seemed to be good advice if you're a teenager going on a hike. It's not so great for a man who should look like an adult when he gets to where he is going. Still, a lot of men like to roll their soft items to take up less room. The part of this advice that I agree with is tucking a rolled-up tie and a pair of socks into each shoe to cut down on wasted space (in a zip-close bag if those shoes could perhaps smell a bit "fresher").
My strong advice for hanging jackets and shirts is to cover each one separately with a thin dry-cleaner-type plastic bag to prevent wrinkling. The plastic really works; tissue paper does not do very much. Or, if you are folding (rather than hanging) your jackets, turn them inside out, fold in half with the fold in the middle of the back. Hang them upon arrival and, if needed, steam out in the bathroom while the shower is running; allow them to hang out overnight.
In terms of your clothes getting there in the best shape, a lot depends on the luggage they are carried in and whether that luggage allows the garments to retain their shape.
I believe the best travel gear is a lightweight soft-sided bag with wheels that can be carried on and stored in the plane's overhead compartment or thrown into the trunk when traveling by car. The ideal piece of luggage has two outside pockets to slip in nonhanging items, such as folded knit shirts and underwear. For short, casual trips, some men prefer a large duffle bag or satchel; it seems more spur-of-the-moment and not so much like burdensome "packing." The better ones are well-built, nicely compartmented with zippers, sturdy enough to hold up without coming apart, and they come in great colors -- easy to spot on an airline conveyer belt.
Last week, while attending Fashion Week in New York, I had the opportunity to meet Shark Tank's Daymond John, spokesman for a new upscale line of luggage from Andiamo. The luxury soft-side collection, called Avanti, is designed for extreme resistance to tears and uses tension to expand storage space (by 20 percent) by gently compressing belongings to help meet airline baggage requirements.
Another great source, Magellan's Travel Supplies (Magellans.com), is the country's leading catalog of travel products and accessories. You'll find more useful travel items than you ever knew existed, including a variety of helpful packing devices. My favorite, an amazing item called "Shelves to Go," is a lightweight, hanging three-shelf device that I find indispensable. You stack it as if you were putting clothes on shelves, drop the whole thing into your suitcase, lift it out on arrival and hang it in the closet, with never any need to "unpack" it. Everything stays in perfect order. I'm also a big fan of the mesh Velcro-closing envelopes (my favorite, the "Pack-It Folder 15," holds up to six shirts).
No matter which luggage you choose, when packing, put heavy items (shoes) on the bottom and soft items (sweaters) next. Place the shelf gadget in next, then jackets and shirts in their plastic covers. The mesh envelope goes on top. Zip it all up and you're ready. Or the mesh envelope can slip neatly into one of those large outside pockets of the garment bag.
Reminder: Since most bags in the airport are black, be sure to put some clearly visible tag or identifiable clue on yours.
Send men's fashion queries to Male Call:
Lois.Fenton@prodigy.net
High Profile on 09/14/2014