For a shirt, blouse or sweater, button or zip it, then lay it face-down and smooth out any wrinkles. Fold both shoulders back, then fold the sleeves so they lie flat down the length of the garment, creating a rectangle. Fold the bottom of the garment up about one-third its length, then fold the top down over it to make a smaller, flat rectangle.
Lay a T-shirt face-down, then fold the sleeves back so the shirt forms a rectangle. Fold it in half length-wise. Roll it up starting from the bottom, smoothing the wrinkles as you go, all the way to the neck.
Fold slacks and jeans in half lengthwise so their legs are on top of each other, then roll them from the cuff to the waistband.
Leave dresses and suits on their hanger with the sleeves folded neatly down the front of the garment, then cover them with a plastic dry cleaner bag. Lay the bottom half of all these garments as a group in the suitcase, then fold over the top half. (You may need to fold a long dress into thirds, but do it so the hanger remains on top.) Once the clothes are in the suitcase, push the hangers slightly down into the garments so the hooks aren't sticking out.
Group smaller items like underwear and socks in clear, sealable bags. They're easier to pack, stay together and speed a TSA bag search.
Fold or roll everything before you begin packing--it's easier to pack tight when you can see everything you've got. First, place heavy items, like shoes and toiletries, on the side that will be the bottom when the bag is upright. It keeps those items from shifting and crushing your clothes. Next, stack folded items along the bottom, then tuck rolled clothing and incidentals in plastic bags around the edges and in any spaces. Last, fold outfits on hangers across the top.
As space permits, to minimize wrinkles with several like items, such as shorts or T-shirts, lay them all on top of each other, then fold all the sleeves back together and fold the items into a rectangle as a group.
