To pack a cocktail dress, use tissue paper to cushion folds, place it inside a dry cleaner bag or garment bag, then either fold it gently (placing it on top of other clothes) or roll it around a central core of items like a t-shirt to minimize wrinkles, using a travel steamer or shower steam upon arrival for touch-ups.
The Key to Packing Dresses Without Wrinkles
The secret comes down to three simple rules: Cover the fabric with things like tissue paper. Make fewer sharp folds by using natural seam lines. Put dresses in the right spots in your suitcase.
The 54321 packing rule is a minimalist travel strategy for creating a versatile capsule wardrobe, suggesting you pack 5 tops, 4 bottoms, 3 pairs of shoes, 2 layers/dresses/bags, and 1 set of accessories (like jewelry, sunglasses, hat). This method helps prevent overpacking by focusing on interchangeable items, allowing for many outfit combinations (often 20+) from fewer pieces, ideal for carry-on travel by ensuring items mix and match well for different occasions and climates.
Rolling clothes saves space in your luggage, keeps your clothes more organized, reduces wrinkles, and makes it easier to find items in your luggage. Folding clothes makes packing and unpacking faster and easier. Chances are, most of your clothes are already folded at home.
The 333 packing method is a minimalist travel hack where you pack 3 tops, 3 bottoms, and 3 pairs of shoes to create numerous outfits for a trip, often fitting everything into a carry-on bag by focusing on versatile, mix-and-match pieces. Popularized on TikTok by creators like Rachel Spencer, this strategy helps avoid overpacking by challenging you to build many looks from a small capsule wardrobe, maximizing outfits (sometimes over 20) from just nine core items.
This may seem an ambitiously small suitcase, but the golden rule of packing is to always take half the clothes you were planning to bring (and twice the money). When you've spent more than a decade on the road, you get asked some pretty interesting questions.
Hanging and folding clothes properly keeps them looking better and saves space in your closet. Always hang delicate fabrics like silk and linen to prevent wrinkles and preserve their shape. Thick sweaters, activewear, and shorts should be folded to save closet space and avoid stretching.
Pack bulky items like shoes and personal care items on one side and clothing on the other. First, pack clothing that tends to wrinkle on the zippered side.
7 Essential things people always forget to pack for a trip
The "Rule of 7" outfit is a styling method where you assign points to each clothing item and accessory (basics get 1 point, statements get 2) aiming for a total of 7 to 10 points to create a complete, intentional look, making outfits feel more polished by adding interest without being overdone. It's a flexible guideline to elevate simple looks by adding layers, jewelry, bags, or hats until you reach the target, and taking things away if you go over 10.
My favorite travel packing hacks
Folding with Tissue Paper
It's a simple trick that makes a huge difference for blouses, dress shirts, and lightweight cotton items. This technique also works for formalwear that you can't risk wrinkling—just be sure to pack it on top of other items or lay it flat in a garment bag.
A soft, breathable garment bag keeps moisture down. Inside the dress, slide a dry-cleaning bag (or large plastic bag) over the bodice and key areas—fabric glides against plastic instead of creasing against itself. Length matters. Use a full-length bag for floor-grazing gowns so hems don't pool and crease.
Pack your suit and dress shirts in a garment bag.
This is by far the best way to transport your suit and dress shirts. Garment bags let your clothes hang as they do in your closet. They also loosely fold in half and snap together which makes them easier to carry without putting a crease in your clothes.
The 70/30 rule in fashion is a wardrobe strategy where 70% of your closet consists of timeless, versatile basics (like quality jeans, neutral tops) that form the foundation of many outfits, while the remaining 30% is reserved for trendy, statement, or fun pieces that add personality and flair, ensuring your style is both practical and current without being overly fast-fashion driven. It helps create outfits by mixing staple items with expressive accessories or bold pieces, making your wardrobe more functional and less stressful.
Rolling is great for small items. Especially for items made from synthetic fibres like nylon as they will be less likely to wrinkle. It works well for shorts, socks, synthetic t-shirts, tank tops, some pajamas and sweat pants.
The Laundry Rule
To answer the initial question: Yes, you aren't supposed to wash your clothes on New Year's Day. You aren't supposed to do any type of cleaning. The idea is you'll wash or sweep away your good luck before the year really begins. There are dozens of other superstitions from across the globe.
The 5-4-3-2-1 packing method is a versatile capsule wardrobe strategy for light travel, typically involving 5 tops, 4 bottoms, 3 pairs of shoes, 2 layering pieces (dresses/jackets/etc.), and 1 accessory set (bag, jewelry, hat), allowing for numerous mix-and-match outfits from minimal items, focusing on versatile, neutral pieces that suit your trip's weather and activities.
The 3-3-3 clothing rule is a simple styling method for creating many outfits from few items: choose 3 tops, 3 bottoms, and 3 shoes, which allows for 27 potential combinations (3x3x3) and reduces decision fatigue, often used for travel or building a minimalist capsule wardrobe. It's a versatile concept, sometimes expanded to include 3 layers (like jackets or cardigans) for even more looks, making dressing easier by focusing on mix-and-match versatility with core pieces.
Rolled clothes can be packed tightly together, leaving little empty space inside a suitcase. This is especially helpful for those who travel with small carry-ons or backpacks. Rolling allows for better compression, so you can fit more garments in a single bag.
This fuss-free, minimalist approach is simple; you pack just three tops, three bottoms, and three shoes (yes, really, that's it!) into one carry-on bag and mix and match to create up to 27 looks. It's no surprise that the packing hack has recently taken over TikTok.
No matter how long your trip is, try to limit yourself to no more than seven days' worth of clothing. Get used to wearing clothing more than once (no one really notices or cares). Also, plan on doing laundry on the road.
Use the 3–3–3 rule when planning your next international trip 🌍✈️ 1️⃣ Book flights 3 months in advance for the best prices. 2️⃣ Plan your itinerary 3 weeks before your travel date. 3️⃣ Do your packing 3 days before departure.