Here I am, always talking about a suitcase, packing a suitcase, reviewing a suitcase. Then it struck me, oddly at 2 am while re-reading an article of mine about a suitcase, why is a suitcase called a suitcase?
The passport is ready, the tickets booked, and the hardest part of the trip is about to begin. The packing! You carefully zip up your trusted travel companion, a rectangular box on wheels, and off you go. But have you ever paused to think about its name? A suitcase feels like a bit of a throwback. After all, how many of us are packing a full-on suit for a beach holiday?
To find the answer, we need to glance back to the 19th and early 20th centuries. Travel then was far from casual. Formal clothing was standard, and a suit was a key item in every traveller’s wardrobe. The suitcase was originally designed as a flat, shallow case to carry this very suit, carefully crafted to keep shirts, jackets and trousers crisp and wrinkle-free. Unlike the bulky trunks that came before, these cases were tailored (pardon the pun) to protect men’s formalwear on long journeys.
The name is straightforward. A suit plus case becomes a case used for carrying your suit. According to historical records, including entries in the Oxford English Dictionary and sources like Wikipedia, the term dates back to this era of elegant travel.
As the 20th century progressed, air travel grew more common and dress codes relaxed. The suitcase morphed into a general-purpose bag for everything from jeans to souvenirs. The real revolution came with the invention of trolley wheels in the 1970s, turning the heavy, cumbersome case into the rolling superstar we recognise today. The name stuck, much like how we still call a smartphone a phone even though it is so much more.
So next time you zip up your suitcase, sorry trolley bag, probably filled with casual wear rather than suits, remember you are carrying a piece of history. A name that reminds us how far travel has come and how some words simply refuse to change.
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Why is a suitcase called a suitcase?: FAQs
- Why do we call it a suitcase if it rarely holds a suit?
The name dates back to the 19th century, when travel was formal and the case was specifically made to carry suits without wrinkles.
- When did suitcases get wheels?
Wheels were added in the 1970s, transforming heavy cases into the easy-to-roll luggage we use today.
- Were suitcases always flat and rectangular?
Early suitcases were flatter and more rigid to keep suits neat, unlike bulky trunks used before them.
- Has the meaning of suitcase changed over time?
Yes, it started as a dedicated case for suits but now refers to all kinds of luggage, even if no suits are inside.
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