Remember when a generous baggage allowance was included in the cost of your ticket? Depending on the airline (and the class) it might still be, but if you’re travelling with a low-cost carrier such as easyJet or Ryanair you’ll know that checked baggage fees make up a sizeable part of the fare and carry-on luggage sizes (and weights) are very strict.
A Golden Rule when you pack for your holiday is to lay your clothes on the bed and then take half of them away! Another rule is to take three or four tops (white or neutral colours) for every bottom. Dress up or dress down with accessories. And take three pairs of shoes – heels, ballet flats (in a colour that will work with each outfit) and flip flops. Our favourite tips are to wear your heaviest clothes and shoes (or boots) on the flight to reduce the weight of your luggage and to nab a pair of foldable shoes.
Stock up on travel-size toiletries or buy little plastic bottles and decant your shampoo and skin creams into those. A beach towel could be the bulkiest item in your bag so consider buying one at your destination. The same goes for sun block. Have a little to hand for when you arrive or the first morning and then stock up in sunny Spain / Portugal / France / Italy / Thailand / Dubai / anywhere that’s not the British Isles (usually)!
Roll
For a casual holiday. You’re bringing a soft-sided bag full of stretchy, slouchy clothes such as teeshirts, jersey dresses and sweatshirts.
How to do it? Fold trousers in half (lengthwise) and then roll tightly from the cuffs to the waist. For a dress or long skirt, fold it in half (again, lengthwise) and roll tightly from the bottom hem up.
If you need to bring a winter jacket, squeeze as much air out of it as you can and roll as tightly as you can, securing with rubber bands. If you pack it in a pillow case, you could use it as a cushion on the flight!
Fold
For a business trip, overseas wedding or “occasion” holiday. You’re bringing your hard-sided suitcases and filling them with your tailored or delicate, prone-to-wrinkling outfits.
How to do it? To fold a dress shirt, lay it face down. Place a magazine below the collar and then fold the right side of the shirt, using the magazine as a guide. Position the arm parallel to the body of the shirt. Do the same for the left arm. Then fold the bottom of the shirt so that the hem touches the shoulders. You can slide the magazine out then. If you are packing lots of shirts, stack them and fold all as one to minimise wrinkles.
For trousers, fold along the centre creases or side seams and fold in half making the waist touch the hem. Then fold again.
To pack a full skirt or dress, fold it in half lengthwise and then fold it over. A great tip is to put it in a plastic bag to keep wrinkles at bay.
If you’re bringing a blazer, fold it back so that the lining is out and flip one shoulder – not the entire sleeve – inside out. Then fold the jacket in half backwards and fold it in half at the waist.
Bundle
For a city break. You’re taking a structured suitcase and a mix of clothing – some tailored, some not.
How to do it? Layer all your clothes around a core object, such as a packing cube. First, take your tailored, easily wrinkled clothes – jackets, short tops and dresses, longer tops and dresses, bottoms, sweaters and shorts – lay them out and wrap them around the cube. Start with jackets, tunics or short dresses, long-sleeved tops, then teeshirts, trousers / jeans / leggings, long dresses, skirts, sweaters and shorts.
(Featured image by katerha)
