SHOP $1,300, bennettwinch.com
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I travel a lot. Many hours of my life are spent traversing airport terminals on my way from one destination to another. Being a style-minded guy by both nature and trade, I devote a good chunk of those hours to checking out what other travelers are wearing—and carrying. And other than the odd wedding party lugging tailoring for the big day, one thing that seems to have all but disappeared from the luggage pantheon is a proper suit carrier. It’s a testament to the continuous casualization of menswear; suits simply aren’t as essential as they once were.
I’m no exception to this rule. Most of the time, I’m either not bringing a suit or bringing one because I want to, not because I have to. And yet here I am, telling you that one of the smartest things you can do is reconsider the suit carrier and invest in one of the most cleverly constructed versions I’ve ever come across—even if you’re not packing a suit at all. The carrier in question is Bennett Winch’s best-selling Trifold, a sleek, simple, made-in-England workhorse that might just revolutionize the way you pack. Here’s why it’s worth the investment.
Smart Simplicity
When I first saw the Trifold in person, I told the English brand’s cofounders that it looked “tactical.” At the time, I was joking about how a character like James Bond might reach for the compact piece of luggage to stash a broken-down sniper rifle or some other piece of weaponry fit for 007. Another one of Bennett Winch’s bags, the Suit Carrier Holdall, made an onscreen appearance in No Time to Die, so it wasn’t an entirely absurd thing to say. But it was also just a goof—or so I thought.
Turns out, tactical is a pretty good way to describe the Trifold. Every component is deeply considered, from the nylon exterior—there’s now a leather version too—to the rugged hardware. But the real trick is in how it comes together (literally). Instead of folding tightly in three and zipping around the exterior like many trifold suit bags, this one is secured by a set of heavy-duty snaps at the top and a couple of leather straps at the edges that fasten with snaps. The result is an open-sided design that allows the bag to roll more than fold and doesn’t compress or crease your clothing. It’s impossible to entirely avoid wrinkles, of course, but traveling with the Trifold significantly decreases your chances of needing a last-minute press. Oh, and a built-in sleeve with internal support means you can slip the Trifold over the handle of your roller bag and it’ll sit there comfortably without drooping or sliding around. There’s even a small pocket for essentials like passports or a tablet.
SHOP $1,300, bennettwinch.com
A New Way to Think About Packing
I’m not going to oversell the size of this thing. The Trifold is meant to be compact and easy to carry, which means that the three-suit capacity advertised by the brand is a pretty good guideline for how much you can fit inside when you want to avoid wrinkles and creases. But consider how much room those same three suits would take up inside of a roller bag—more than half of the useable space is a very conservative estimate—and you can see how the Trifold can completely change the way you approach packing. Now think about this: What if you need just one suit? What if you don’t need a suit at all? You can start throwing casual jackets, button-up shirts, hell, even tees and swim trunks in the Trifold. One savvy Trifold user I met told me that he’s streamlined his wardrobe for short trips so that he can fit all the garments for three or four days in the Trifold and saves his roller bag for shoes, toiletries, electronics, and whatever he decides to buy when he’s out of town. Pretty damn handy, if you ask me. (One caveat here: The Trifold’s slip pocket can fit an 11-inch iPad but nothing larger. If you’re traveling for work, that may mean stashing your laptop in your roller bag, which isn’t super convenient if you need to access it en route. Something to consider.)
SHOP $1,300, bennettwinch.com
Tough as Nails
Bennett Winch has built a well-deserved reputation for making—by hand, in England—luggage and accessories that’ll stand the test of time. The Trifold is no different. That exterior I mentioned earlier is a hardy 600 Denier nylon that’s waterproof and feels damn near bulletproof (though, let’s be clear, you shouldn’t test that). Inside is a dense but plush cotton lining that’s woven in England. The zippers and other hardware are brass. The shoulder strap and handles are military grade. And the leather—Tuscan, naturally—is vegetable tanned and starts off stiff but softens up the more you use it. In other words: This thing is made from stuff that starts off great and just gets better as it travels through life with you. The only question left, then, is when you’re going to get a Trifold of your own and start the journey.
Photographs by Joe Lingeman. Prop styling by Heather Greene.
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