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!

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.