How to Keep a Dress From Getting Wrinkled on a Plane Ride

Cramped airline seats may seem intent on giving you wrinkled clothes, but choosing your in-flight outfit carefully can minimize the damage. Proper dress selection ensures you look as good when you step off the plane as you did when you stepped on. You must also keep packed dresses in the best shape and as wrinkle-free as possible, since you may not have the ability to give them a proper cleaning and ironing at your destination. Here are some of the best hacks to keep your clothes wrinkle-free during your next trip.

Select wrinkle-resistant fabrics when deciding which dress to wear on the flight. Knits and fabrics containing spandex rarely wrinkle, while linen and some cotton weaves are prone to severe wrinkling. If you’re not going on an upscale business trip, consider a casual t-shirt dress.

Choose darker colors for air travel. Wrinkles that are obvious on lighter colored clothing won't show well on dark-colored fabric. Darker colors also have the benefit of not showing stains or soil.

Wear wrinkle-resistant clothing that is loose enough to be comfortable, but not so loose that any fabric bunches up under you while you are sitting on the plane. Large skirts are more likely to become wrinkled since the fabric is forced to fold upon itself when you are seated.

Rolling clothing is a great packing method that helps save space for other travel clothes. Roll casual dresses on a flat surface, then wrap the rolled dress in packing cubes to prevent wrinkles. Tightly rolling clothes into a suitcase make them less likely to wrinkle, and they won't develop deep creases that happen when you fold clothes. Packing cubes can easily be found on Amazon before your trip so you can use the rolling method.

Another great way to pack dresses is to hang the dresses in a dry cleaning bag, then place the wrapped dress inside a hanging travel garment bag. Some airlines offer closets for hanging garment bags, which allows you to pack clothes as a piece of carry-on luggage. Plastic bags also result in fewer wrinkles even if you must check the bag.

Stuff wedding dresses and formal gowns with acid-free tissue paper before hanging them in a garment bag. The stuffing helps the dress hold its shape while reducing the chances of wrinkles. Be sure to use a hanger that will be sturdy enough to support the weight of your dress to prevent it from falling and wrinkling during the flight.

Bring a handheld travel steamer or a bottle of wrinkle releaser with you to get rid of any wrinkles that do occur during packing. If wrinkles occur on a formal gown you may need the services of a dry cleaner at your destination to get the wrinkles out.

Tip

If you’re on a busy business trip, save time by steaming your in-flight clothing items while you are wearing it upon arrival at your hotel. Standing in a bathroom for a few minutes while a hot shower is running helps the wrinkles relax and smooth. It takes less than five minutes to make any dress wrinkle-free in most cases.

Hang up your dresses in the hotel room when you aren't wearing them so they won't wrinkle further.