Caring for clothing while you’re on the road starts with strategic packing – but from there, things get much more creative

Last modified on Mon 20 Dec 2021 21.10 EST

A lthough for a lot of us, it’s been a long while between trips, holiday season is finally here and borders permitting, we might be able to head to the countryside or the coast for some much-needed rest and relaxation.

This week I spoke to two of the most stylish travellers I know about their tips for taking care of clothes on holiday – and looking good doing it.

Aside from neatly folding the contents of her suitcase, designer and creative director, Lucy Folk says she often packs things “on hangers ready to put straight into the hotel cupboard”. This helps any creases fall out before you reach for the garment the next day.

This tip is even more handy if you’re travelling by car. Creative director Ashley Helvey says she often hangs garments in the back of the car if she’s driving to her destination.

She says, “depending on where and how long I’m going I sometimes pack dry cleaning with their hangers. If kept in their bags they tend to wrinkle less”. Plus, she says “it’s nice to have extra hangers in the place you’re staying”.

It’s also useful to pack bras, swimwear and anything else delicate in smaller, individual bags to prevent clasps or hooks from getting tangled and snagging. Any liquids should also be stored in separate bags to prevent leakages from damaging your clothes.

Depending on where you’re going, Helvey suggests wearing a sweater and your coat on the train or plane. She packs one pair of flats and one pair of heels, more blouses than pants or skirts and two dresses. She says a “silk scarf and lipstick always make me feel fresh while travelling”.

Folk says, “I like to pack things I can wear from day to night”. She recommends twin sets, “because you can vary your outfit but you still have one strong look”. She says fabrics that are easy to wash and dry, like towelling, are great for travelling, especially for “mums as we need to wash our clothes as much as our kids’ clothes!”

Her other tips include robes that can be worn “around the hotel and to the beach”, they can also be dressed “up at night with some festive jewels”. She also likes sarongs because you “can wear them a myriad of ways, they are easy to wash, quick to dry … and they are great to put in your beach bag for a pre-lunch outfit change”.

If you’re travelling for an extended period, Folk recommends “washing underwear and socks in the hotel bath or bathroom sink” before hanging them over towel or shower rails to dry. She packs her own washing detergent to be sure her clothes smell fresh and chemical free.

Helvey also washes things in the bathtub and travels with her own detergent, she recommends flaked olive oil soap because it’s “easy to travel with as it’s not a liquid”. She says you can “make this yourself by grating olive oil soap with a cheese grater and putting it in a little cotton sack. Add some essential oil and it will also keep your suitcase smelling good.”

Folk says she often hangs crushed garments in the bathroom, turns on a hot shower and lets the steam help reduce the creases. “It can work a treat but wastes water,” she says. Helvey has a slightly different method. She lightly wets her garments, then hangs them, or stretches them out flat to dry.

For a garment that’s been crushed in your suitcase or needs a refresh after being worn a few times, Helvey carries a steamer with her. She recommends the eSteam by Jiffy and says, “I always bring a steamer and a little lavender oil or rose water to drop in the steamer chamber, the ultimate life hack”.