How to pack a silk blouse for travel

Silk is a lustrous and beautiful fabric that is very strong and hardwearing yet it can succumb to wrinkles. Traveling for business or leisure means not only remembering to pack all the essentials but to pack efficiently so as your belongings travel as safely as possible. Whether it’s a business trip, holiday or weekend away, if your beautiful silk blouses are going to be coming with you, we have some helpful packing tips and techniques. Ensure your blouse remain crease-free during your journey and arrive in style with Real Silk Life’s guide to how best to pack your silks.

1. Iron everything before packing Sometimes I use a bit of spray starch to make folding a bit easier. Do the roll-up thing with most of your luggage, but I prefer to fold silk scarves, tops, dresses and skirts using white tissue paper and packing them in an A3 zipped bag/ document wallet, which you can pick up at any stationery store. Try to layer silk items on top of each other, then lay the zipped-up bag flat on the bottom of your suitcase.

2. Fold lengthwise rather than crosswise. This way, wrinkles are less visible and drop out quickly once the item is hung up. Also, fold it in thirds rather than in half (in the way t-shirts are folded in stores) - this will make any vertical lines less obvious. To pack a silk blouse, fold the sleeves crosswise across the front of the blouse.

Be sure to unpack right away and hang it up in the shower to steam when you arrive.

3. Don't be afraid of silk. It is very resilient and much easier to care for than you may imagine. Silk is not only a soft and luxurious fabric but also very strong and insulating. When you pack a scarf for your trip, make sure it is big enough to cover you up for when it gets a bit chilly.