Lay out the clothing you plan to pack. Separate undergarments to pack into the zipper bags. Separate outfits you will pack on hangers in the garment bag. Separate clothing you can roll up into compact rolls in the suitcase. Separate bulkier items you will fold lightly into the suitcase.
Place all of your undergarments into the plastic bags. Separate socks into one bag, underwear into another bag, and bras and camisoles into another bag. Seal the bags almost all the way and press any excess air out of the bags. Close the bags the rest of the way. Set your undergarment bags aside to pack in the suitcase.
Roll jeans, T-shirts and other casual knit or cotton shirts to keep them wrinkle-free. Fold your jeans in half and then roll them tightly starting at the waistband, continuing until you reach the cuffs. Set your rolled jeans aside momentarily. Fold your T-shirts and other shirts in half from side to side and then roll them tightly starting at the neck, continuing until you reach the bottom hem. Set your rolled shirts aside momentarily.
Fold bulky items, such as sweaters, carefully. Lay the sweater onto a flat surface with the backside facing up. Smooth the fabric to remove any wrinkles before you fold it. Place the arms flat along the sides of the sweater and bring each sweater side in toward the center approximately one-third of the way. Fold the bottom edge of the sweater up one-third of the way, and then fold the top edge down one-third of the way. Set your folded sweaters aside momentarily.
Place each outfit you want to hang together on one hanger, including pants, shirt and jacket (if applicable). Place a dry-cleaning bag around each outfit to keep them separate in the garment bag. If you do not have dry-cleaning bags, separate the clothing on hangers with sheets of tissue paper.
Pack the suitcase with the clothing you prepared. Place the heaviest items into the suitcase first. If you have toiletries or shoes, place these in the bag first so they will not crush other items. Fit the prepared clothing over the heavy items, making everything fit neatly and snugly without packing items too tightly. Try to pack your bag snugly to avoid items shifting, yet not so tightly that your clothing crumples inside the suitcase. Add the undergarments in the plastic zipper bags last, fitting them snugly around the clothing.
Pack the garment bag with the prepared clothing on hangers. Place each separate outfit inside the garment bag, making certain you do not place so much inside the bag that your outfits crumple and wrinkle.
