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Clever packing may be an art form, but it’s definitely one you can learn. Sick of bulging suitcases and constantly having to pay for excess baggage (yes, that was Team Handbag you saw cursing at the check-in at Heathrow airport last week), we’ve drafted in Sarah Walter, founder of travel and style website style-passport to give us her top tips for stylish packing.
• “Lay everything on your bed you want to take. Now halve it. You will only ever wear half anyway so why bother carrying the rest?”
• “Think about what you are going to do, whether it’s tennis, swimming, fancy dinners or camping and pack accordingly. Going for a simple colour palette means items will all go with one another.”
• “Pack big items in the bottom. It’s obvious but needs to be said. Put shoes in shoe bags if possible and surround with underwear and socks.”
• “Roll everything you can roll. Jersey, knitwear, jeans etc. My pack sometimes looks like sushi but I never have to contend with creases on arrival and manage to fit a lot more into a small bag.”
• “If you have a more structured jacket or blazer, turn it inside out and tuck the sleeves in. If you have old plastic dry cleaner bags put it inside this too.”
• “Check bottles and creams are less than 50mls if you are taking hand luggage and get a see-through zippy bag from Muji to put them in. This way you are prepared at the X ray machine if you are flying. Wear slip on shoes too for speed at the security desk.”
• “Use a wheelie bag that you know is allowed for hand luggage (I always take hand luggage since losing a suitcase and spending a whole holiday in one pair of jeans and a shirt). Front zip pockets are ideal for travel documents and a laptop or iPad.”
• “Find somewhere special to put your re-chargers/plugs etc. Anya Hindmarch does a bag dedicated to this paraphernalia, which means you will always have everything you need at the ready.
Don’t miss Sarah’s top tips on how to how to pack for a staycation and how to how to pack for a city break. While you’re there, don’t forget to check out our 100 summer holiday essentials for some packing inspiration.
