Lay out everything that you want to pack in your suitcase for your trip, and then reduce the amount of clothing by roughly fifty percent. A 22-inch suitcase can hold approximately two pairs of pants, three sweaters, two dresses or skirts and five shirts. Choose wrinkle-free fabrics whenever possible Pack items that can be worn in different ways, such as a day dress that can be worn to dinner with a scarf or different accessories.
Roll all soft clothing and fold stiffer items such as jackets and dress pants. Place all of the rolled items in the bottom of the suitcase. Layer the longer items on top, such as sports coats and dresses.
Place a dry cleaning bag over the layers of clothing to prevent wrinkles.
Top off the pile of clothes with the items that you will need right away once at your destination, such as pajamas.
Fill one or two pairs of shoes with items like glasses and cell phone chargers, and put them in plastic Ziploc bags. Place the shoes along side the pile of clothes. Fill the remaining area surrounding the clothes with items like belts, toiletry bags and other accessories.
Pack a plastic compressor bag to store dirty clothes and create more space in your suitcase for souvenirs. Place a fabric softener sheet in the bag to help control odor.
