Guide

Quick drying and no ironing needed? These fabrics are perfect for travel

9.5.2025

Translation: Veronica Bielawski

With the summer holiday season right around the corner, the question of what to pack inevitably arises. Want particularly carefree solutions? Then I recommend these three fabrics.

It’s always the same story: suitcase space is at a premium and you’ll most likely need to really squeeze things down to close the zipper. Then, once you’ve finally arrived at your holiday destination, you find yourself pulling out one wrinkled wad of fabric after another.

The first piece of good news is you’re on holiday, so who cares about a few unsightly wrinkles! Not satisfied with that? The second piece of good news is that you can, in fact, do something about it. With these simple strategies, you can curate your vacation wardrobe to stay wrinkle-free – or to look intentionally wrinkled. How? Your best bet is to stick to the following fabrics, which come with a whole host of advantages.

Artificial fibres such as modal and recycled polyester

It’s no coincidence that functional clothing and sportswear is primarily made from these synthetic fibres; they’re light, soft and crease-resistant. They also transport moisture to the outside instead of soaking it up and are much quicker to dry than cotton, for example. These nifty features will not only save you space and weight when packing, but will also spare your nerves. Clothing made from modal and recycled polyester will survive even long-distance journeys without getting all wrinkled. This also means you can easily wash and wear them again in no time.

Background information
Is polyester wrongly demonised? A textile engineer explains
by Stephanie Vinzens

Merino wool

Granted, it may sound a little strange to pack woollen clothing in your summer luggage. But actually, merino wool is super breathable and even has a cooling effect at high temperatures. It’s odour-resistant, dries quickly and doesn’t crease. What’s more, merino packs very small. I challenge you to name a material with better summer vacay potential!

Product test
Clad in merino wool from head to toe: how outdoor wear fares on a city trip
by Patrick Bardelli

Linen

Speaking of cooling and airy, clothing made from linen is basically a portable textile air conditioner. The natural fibre is also breathable, hypoallergenic, antibacterial and dirt-repellent. If you do drip some ice cream on your linen outfit, you can easily throw it in the washing machine at up to 60 degrees Celsius (read the label!) or simply wash it out by hand. What about wrinkling? Linen is known to wrinkle, isn’t it? Indeed, but that’s part of its charm! No matter what you do – sit, walk or stand – your every movement is documented with its own little crease. Given this, it may as well get crinkly in your suitcase. Should things end up looking a touch too wild, you can smooth out the problem piece while damp – or turn it inside out to iron while damp.

Guide
How to keep your linens lovely for longer
by Stephanie Vinzens

Header image: Vlada Karpovich via Pexels

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Laura Scholz

Senior Editor

Laura.Scholz@digitecgalaxus.ch

Always in the mood for good hits, great trips and clinking drinks.

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