The principal leaves the yacht at 0600 and steps off a jet into a meeting at 1400. The suit in the case has to walk out of that case and onto him without a laundry, a steamer or an hour to hang. Packing is not stuffing a bag; it is a technique with a measurable outcome.
The layering principle
Pack in layers of decreasing robustness, heaviest and least creasable at the bottom, most delicate on top.
| Layer | Contents |
|---|---|
| Bottom | Shoes (bagged, soles to the case wall), heavy denim, wash bag |
| Middle | Rolled casualwear, knitwear folded flat, belts around the perimeter |
| Upper | Shirts folded flat with collar stiffeners, trousers |
| Top | Jackets, silk, evening wear, anything beaded, interleaved with tissue |
The methods
- Rolling: for casualwear, T-shirts, chinos, swimwear. Saves space, reduces hard creases, wrong for tailoring.
- Folding flat: for knitwear and shirts. Fold at the seams, tissue at every fold line.
- Interleaving: lay acid-free tissue between and inside folds. Tissue prevents the fold from setting into a crease. It is the single biggest upgrade to any pack.
- Garment bag: for tailoring and gowns when the guest travels with a hanging wardrobe or a chauffeur transfer. Best method by far, but not always practical.
- Stuffing the voids: fill shoes, sleeves and hollows with rolled socks and tissue so nothing collapses.
Packing a jacket so it arrives ready to wear
- Lay the jacket face down. Turn one shoulder inside out so the lining faces you.
- Nest the other shoulder inside the reversed one, so the two shoulders sit together, lining outward.
- Fold the jacket in half lengthways, then once across, with tissue at every fold.
- Place it face-up on the top layer of the case, never under anything heavy.
- On arrival: unpack first, hang on a shaped hanger, and give it 12-24 hours. Most travel creases fall out with air alone.
Trousers: fold along the existing crease, tissue in the fold, and lay flat across the case width so the fold falls at the hip, not the knee.
Hand luggage
Into the guest hand baggage go: valuables, jewellery, watches, spectacles, medication, documents, chargers and one change of clothes. Never check a guest valuable, ever. Confirm liquids and any restricted items with the PA before you pack them.
Onboard Notes
- Beaded and sequinned gowns travel flat, face-up, wrapped in tissue, and preferably in a garment bag. Their weight tears the beadwork if hung for a long transfer.
- Never pack anything damp. A slightly damp swimsuit in a closed case will mildew silk in twelve hours; bag wet items separately.
- Perfume, sun cream and oils leak. Bag them, cap them and keep them away from cloth and leather.
- Pack shoes soles-out against the case wall, in shoe bags, and keep them off anything pale. Polish transfers.