A dress suit is delicate and expensive. Whether you're shipping it to a friend, a buyer or home from a trip, you want the garment to arrive in excellent condition. There are many misconceptions about the best way to fold and pack a suit for shipping or travel. Contrary to popular belief, you do not want to store it in a garment bag. Using a hanger and garment bag takes up space and allows for too much movement in the parcel, which could yield a wrinkled suit once the recipient opens the package.

Turn the jacket inside out.

Fold the jacket in half, vertically. Tuck one shoulder inside the front and into the other shoulder. The jacket should be in half, lengthwise, with the shoulders nested together.

Place tissue paper in the jacket to support the lower shoulder. Lay the folded jacket on a flat surface, like a bed or counter.

Fold the trousers in half vertically. It should look like one pant leg when you hold it in front of you. Fold the trousers in half horizontally.

Lay the trousers on the jacket. Fold the jacket in half horizontally with the pants inside.

Prepare a box that is large enough to hold the suit without crushing it, but small enough that the suit cannot move around freely during shipment. Line the bottom of the box with tissue or plastic dry-cleaning bags.

Lay the suit in the box. Cover it with another layer of tissue or dry-cleaning bags, and pack it to ship.