One of the most important pieces to pack in your suitcase when traveling home for the holidays is an elegant dress to you can wear to all your family gatherings. But it's also one of the most difficult fashion items to pack because of how easily it can wrinkle. That's one travel hiccup we definitely want to avoid, especially when we find ourselves running to a Thanksgiving feast just minutes after hopping off a plane.
The secret to preventing clothes from wrinkling while traveling all comes down to how you pack it into your luggage. Which is why we decided to create a step-by-step guide to follow on exactly how to pack up your dress to avoid wrinkles. Of course, certain fabrics are also more prone to wrinkles than others (find a complete list here). Read on for our wrinkle-free guide, and then shop 15 holiday dresses we can't resist.
1. Before you pack…
Make sure the dress is smooth and ironed before you pack it into your suitcase. This means either iron it or lay it on a flat surface, such as a bed or table, and smooth it with your hand if ironing is not needed.
2. Grab a plastic dry cleaning bag or large tissue paper.
And lay it on the back of the dress. Both materials serve as barriers to help avoid wrinkles from setting into the fabric.
3. Fold the dress.
The next step is to fold the dress to a size that works for your suitcase, smoothing out the wrinkles while doing so. Note: Keep the plastic bag or tissue paper on the dress—you'll be folding the material with the dress.
4. Pack your suitcase with other pieces to create a flat layer on which to lay the dress.
This is essential, as having a flat surface on which to lay the dress is important in preventing wrinkles from forming. Avoid overpacking your suitcase as well.
5. Pack the dress last.
Place the folded-up dress on top of your other pieces and lay another plastic bag/tissue paper on top of it.
Shop our favorite holiday dresses:
Go for long sleeves (and skip a jacket!).
The ruffles, the puffy sleeves—there's just so much about this dress we admire.
A fun, flirty LBD in which to dance the night away.
For the partygoer who really wants to sparkle.
So chic!
A fun LBD to wear to all your holiday parties.
If you don't own a velvet dress yet, buy this one ASAP.
So sleek.
This color.
We love the high neckline on this one.
These sequins.
This one's pure elegance.
We can't resist a good polka-dot print.
So breathtaking.
You can never own too many wrap dresses. And this one's perfect for the holiday season.
Dress this one up with statement jewelry.
Throw in bright red shoes for the perfect Christmas Eve look.
Next up, check out the one dress that will work for every holiday party.
This post was published at an earlier date and has been updated.