Top Five Packing Tips:

1.       Pack your shoes around the edge of your luggage.  You save room by placing the stiff soles of the shoes against the rigid structure of the suitcase.  You can also save your shoes from getting compressed by packing your socks in your shoes.

2.       Organize your suitcase by compartmentalizing your luggage as much as you can.  By putting like pieces in separate compartments it is easier to find items when traveling and it is much easier to repack everything for the trip home.

3.       Fold Garments that are woven fabrics like button down shirts.  make sure all zippers, buttons and snaps are done up.  Use packing envelopes to keep these articles of clothing neat and tidily packed.

4.       Roll garments made of knits and materials with stretch.  These fabrics are more wrinkle resistant hence they stand up to packing and make better travel pieces.   These materials tend to be more comfortable as well.

5.       To prevent heavy folding creases in your clothes, try putting layers of other clothes between each fold of the garments you want to look crisper or wrinkle easier.

A Travel Wardrobe

Develop a separate wardrobe just for traveling.

The key is to find packable separates that can interchangeably create several different outfits.

Each piece must follow these basic Travel Wardrobe Rules; 1) look fabulous and feel terrific, 2) be made of low maintenance fabrics, like micro fibers, knits and jerseys, 3) the styles must layer well together (because you never know what you are going to do next) 4) must be simple in design,. 5) stick to one or two common neutral colors.

These clothes will always be fresh because you don’t wear them enough to get bored of them, they are simple enough to stay fresh, and if you like a little pizzazz and flare to your look, they can easily be freshened up with fun and colorful accessories. Your Basic travel wardrobe should fit into a 22inch check in bag and work for a 5 day trip with no additions besides undergarments, toiletries, and accessories.

The items you should collect to complete your Travel Wardrobe are:
o That proverbial “little black dress”, whether it is black, blue, brown, or polk-a-dotted, it just needs to follow the travel wardrobe rules (remember that dark colors show less dirt and wear)
o .A Shawl, Scarf, or other light cover up like a cardigan that can be dressed up or dressed down.
o Pants (with stretch for comfort) Jeans are always a good travel piece
o A Skirt or a second pair of pants in a different style
o 3 tops of different styles. (sweater sets work well for traveling)
o 2 extra tops as under pinnings like tanks, sleavless camisols or simple T-shirts that also work for warmer weather
o An athletic bottom and matching top or Jacket
o Sleep wear outfit with a cover-up
o One great jacket that is wrinkle resistant, and preferably rain resistant but light in weight. (some good places to check are upscale travel shops, greatjacket.com, and MycraPacNow)
o A pair of travel slippers or flip flops, which ever you prefer
o A pair of shoes that you can comfortably wear all day, but wouldn’t mind wearing to a nice restaurant. (Aerosol and Eco, as well as higher end brands like Colehan, make comfortable, fun, fashion forward styles)

Some places to look for these great easy pieces are outdoor stores like REI, active wear stores like Lucy, Athelta and active wear brands like Nike or O’Neil or Volcom. For men, golfing stores usually have a nice selection of low maintainence clothes with a more polished look to them. Chico’s makes some great travel friendly separates for women, and American Apparel is a great resource for comfortable cotton jersey in an array of colors for both men and women. The Bliss catalog also has a nice selection of apparel with a few stylish pieces that are perfect for travel. Also try websites like babettesf.com which offers high end, low maintenance easy to wear pieces, “Travel Jersey” at yansifugel.com, and travel sites like magellans.com and travelsmith.com.