How to Pack Smart: Easy Way to Minimize Wrinkling and Maximize Space
Ever had to sit on your suitcase to close it when you didn’t even pack that much? We’ve all been there. Then some of us became corporate, forever on-call flight attendants and had to learn how to pack efficiently for literally anything. My method saved me a lot of time and energy, and it will help you make the most of your luggage’s real estate while reducing the chance of using a sh¡tty hotel iron upon arrival.
So. This blog post is about packing well. You’ll see how to pack a travel capsule wardrobe made of 4 bottoms, 3 shirts, 3 crewnecks, 4 tees, a linen dress, 3 pairs of shoes, a long raincoat, an oversized denim jacket, a leather tote, a crossbody, and still have space for other things.
You’ll learn to maximize space in your suitcase and prevent severe wrinkling (even linen clothes!). And to prove my point, I’ll show you how the clothes looked after unpacking, too.
Ready for take-off?
TIP #1
If you are traveling with wrinkles-prone linen, ensure that when you wash it before packing for your trip, you give it as much water as you can, meaning a low spin cycle and lots of steam when ironing. Giving this thirsty fabric water doesn’t just help prevent creasing but also lets your clothes live longer.
How to pack jeans and dresses to save space
Voluminous dresses and thick denim can take up a lot of room in a suitcase, but this folding method ensures you make the most of that precious space.
Below I take you through my process in detail, and in case my English makes you feel confused, there are descriptive graphics for every single step (Pinterest-optimized for you to save them!)
1. Prepare your dresses, jumpsuits, and trousers. Everything is clean and ironed.
2. Fold all dresses and jumpsuits at the waistline. Dresses remain like that, but jumpsuits need to be folded again lengthwise as if they were pants — one leg over the other.
3. Lay flat the largest and the most creasing-prone item first. Dresses folded at the waistline, pants one leg over the other.
4. Start layering, placing the thickest item last.
5. Don’t stack one piece right on top of another, but leave a small distance (5 cm) between their waistlines. It will be easier to roll this way.
6. Fold the sides of the dresses over the pants as if the dresses were hugging them.
7. Smooth out any creasing making sure your clothes are layered neatly.
8. Start rolling gently. Remember that we don’t need the roll to be airtight, just tight!
9. Good job. In your suitcase, it goes!
Tip #2
To prevent severe creasing, start with the items most prone to wrinkling (made of linen or cotton), and finish with things like denim or wool. The first item you layer will crease the least. The last item you layer is the one rolled the tightest.
How to pack crewnecks & shirts to reduce wrinkling
Linen is my favorite fabric for summer because it’s breathable and very low-maintenance. I steamed my shirts for this post, but in reality, non-curated, off-Instagram life, I embrace the wrinkles. It’s part of linen’s charm, and I hate ironing.
For this trip, I need six tops, and I tried rolling all items together, but it got too bulky. I find that three and three work better, but it depends on how thick and large your clothes are.
1. Lay the largest and most creasing-prone item first.
2. Button the buttons and zip the zippers.
3. The second item lay inverted (upside down, top-to-bottom.)
4. Place the third layer just like you did the first.
5. Cushion the stack to reduce wrinkling: think of something else you need to pack that you don’t mind having creased and use it as a ‘filler.’ That’s what I did with the canvas tote in the pictures. You can also use a pair of jeans, PJs, or your underwear for cushioning.
6. Fold the sleeves along the length of the garment.
7. Repeat with each layer, keeping it snug and smoothing out the wrinkles.
8. Start rolling at the bottom. If you start from the top, you might find managing the sleeves more challenging.
9. Another cute roll. Congrats! Put it away for now.
TIP #3
When you layer long-sleeved tops, make sure every other layer is inverted (top-to-bottom, upside down) so that when you fold the sleeves and start rolling, the volume is evenly distributed for easier rolling.
How to pack T-shirts and underwear to save space
The tees are easy.
They are not as large and sturdy as other clothes you’ve just learned to pack. And the method is the same as for the long sleeves. Also, you can stack more than three tees since the material is typically thin.
1. Lay the first tee flat. Go with the lightest color and progress to black, as creasing is the least visible on darker shades.
2. Put your underwear in a mesh bag to keep it organized and use the mesh bag to cushion the stack to reduce wrinkling.
3. Start folding sides along the length of the garment, smoothing out any wrinkles.
4. Distribute to volume and begin rolling. If you like your tees tucked in, start rolling where the bottom of the visible t-shirt is. This way, if the bottom creases, you can french-tuck it.
TIP #4
Make your denim shorts, PJs, a bunch of underwear, or a canvas tote the last item in a stack to cushion your clothes and help it look good after unpacking.
Packing jackets, shoes, & more tips
Last bits of wisdom from me today. These tips are a bit all over the place because they were hard to categorize. Easy to follow, though!
Find a clean space to pack if you can. The less clutter is around you, the higher your chances of remembering what you need to pack.
Gather everything you need close to the suitcase. Packing is easy if you don’t have to run around the house looking for things.
To pack outwear, like a long raincoat and an oversized denim jacket, lay them flat in the suitcase. Create a ‘shell’ where you’ll place the rolls of clothing you made earlier. Then close the outwear over those rolls. Make a giant dumpling, basically!
Fill the empty space between the clothing rolls with other things you need for your trip. It can be chargers, meds, or even shoes.
Consider wearing the heaviest and most voluminous pair of shoes on your travel day — better looking good on you than taking up precious space in your luggage.
Stuff socks in a pair of sneakers or boots. If something else fits in them, shove it there too :)
Keep playing Russian doll with your stuff: put your makeup kit in a small crossbody bag, the crossbody in a tote, and the tote in your suitcase. Fill up all the empty nooks you can find!
TIP #5
Place your skincare or any other liquids you carry into the bottom of the suitcase, so if there’s a leak, you minimize its chances of getting all over your clothes. If you fly, use a transparent ziplock bag for liquids.
How do the clothes look after unpacking, really?
Great. They look great. I left the clothes in a suitcase for a day, unpacked them, and did some content-making for my summer’22 capsule wardrobe. Here’s a wrinkle-free result that proves my method works.
Aaand you are packed!
I hope the graphics were helpful, but if you are still unsure how I made all of that fit into a suitcase, you can watch the Smart Packing Reels I created for you:
For your reference, my suitcase is Samsonite’s Cosmolite Spinner 68 cm. I bought it in 2014 after I got tired of having cheap suitcases break during my frequent trips. I love this one and recommend it to everyone because, in almost 10 years, it has given me no trouble, and I’ve never needed a bigger unit.
And below, you can find some traveling essentials and nice-to-haves for your next trip.
Thank you for reading, and check out this travel-friendly steamer if my post didn’t convince you!
— Alisa
Shop My Travel Essentials
Disclaimer: This blog post includes affiliate links, which means that if a purchase is made, I might receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.