As soon as reach your destination, unpack and hang up your tailored clothes. Jackets should always be hung on wooden, wishbone-style hangers. Wire hangers are the bane of good clothes, so avoid hanging your jackets from them. Ordinary wooden hangers are an acceptable alternative if the heavier wishbone hangers are unavailable. The trousers can be folded over the centre bar.

However, it is always better to suspend them by their cuffs from a clip hanger, or, if your hotel is really classy and provides them, small wood trouser hangers with felt pads to prevent the trouser cuffs from wrinkling. When suspended by the cuffs, the full weight of the trouser is brought to bear, retaining the unbroken crease down the leg. If there is no time to have your clothes professionally pressed, hanging a suit in a steamy bathroom and then letting it dry in a cool room is a good way to remove its wrinkles. A good-quality travel iron can also work the wrinkles out.

Try to arrange your schedule so your clothes can be properly pressed after unpacking. A freshly pressed suit will always look better than one that was pressed just before packing. If you have your suit pressed at the hotel, find out what quality of work it provides. Too often, either dry-cleaning chemicals or an inexperienced presser can take the life and bounce out of a fine suit. Fine tailors prefer to do their own pressing when possible, because a bad press can ruin a well-made suit, while a good one can totally rejuvenate one. Ask the hotel’s concierge or valet service to have your garments soft-pressed by hand. Tell them you want the jacket’s lapels soft-rolled and the trousers steamed, brushed, and hand finished.

Avoid dry-cleaning a suit unless it is absolutely necessary; for instance, if perspiration has seeped completely through it. If the suit (other than a light-coloured summer suit) becomes stained, have it spot-cleaned first, then pressed. It is important to attach a note to the garment, telling the cleaner what caused the blemish. Technology has developed specific chemicals. If raspberries were the suspected culprit, he might try a fruit cleaning agent, whereas if it were blood, a protein-based solvent would be in order. Allow the cleaner as much time as he needs to deal with the stain. Some stains never get properly removed because the job was rushed to meet the travelers schedule.

If you spill something, blot it up immediately. The more you get out of the fabric, the less there will be to eradicate later. Putting seltzer or water on oil-based stains such as salad dressing, mayonnaise, and the like only spreads the surface of the stain, making it ten times harder to remove. For water-soluble spill such as wine, the soiled garment should be placed on top of a dry, flat surface where it can be daubed with a warm, wet cloth. If it needs further attention, the spot can be dispatched with proper dry-cleaning. Some food stains are harder to remove than others; therefore the more time you allow the cleaner, the better the chance of receiving a spotless garment.

Packing tips:

    * Place heavy items such as shoes in the bottom of your bag and face them along the sides.
    * Stuff socks and underwear into the collars and folds of your clothing.
    * Pack jackets inside out.
    * Pack dry-cleaner’s plastic between all the folds and garments.
    * Use press-seal bags for all spillable items and soiled clothing.
    * Decant as many of your toiletries as possible into smaller containers which are readily available from chemists and luggage stores.
    * To prevent back strain, take several smaller bags rather than one large one.
    * Older, less expensive bags are less of a target for theft and baggage searches than new and expensive bags.