Preparing for a trip can be a daunting task. What should I bring? Do I need these shoes? Should I bring all my hair supplies? How am I going to pack my essential toiletries and oils? As a Black Woman traveler, I have learned how to properly pack my suitcase to carry all my fashionable fits, shoes, and matching purses. Here’s some tips:

1. Use Packing Bags 

   I recently started using packing bags to help me compress and store my clothes properly. This has been a lifesaver when I am over packing and do not want to compromise on how many outfits I want to bring. I bought vacuum storage bags with an electric pump from Amazon to put my clothes in baggies and compress the air out of the back for more luggage space. I was able to pack about 15 outfits in a large suitcase with the storage bags. My outfits included a range of dresses, jean shorts, jackets, and pants.

2. Use pillow/pillowcase

Last year, I saw the travel hack to use a pillowcase to store extra clothing and I tried it. I used a pillowcase on my trip to Puerto Rico to store my bathing suits because I only had carry-on luggage. This current trip I am using an actual pillow to store my swimwear, undergarments, and other miscellaneous items. I bought my pillow from Amazon; I chose a pillow that had a zipper. Take out the material inside the pillow, and then stuff the pillow with my items. This pillow will not be considered a personal bag so this trick can help you store more clothes without baggage fees.

3. Liquid Items in ziplock bag

The most frustrating moment is to have a spill of your liquids in your luggage. My last trip, I stored my expensive serum in my luggage and it spilled all over my shoes when I opened my luggage. Now I properly store liquid items in a plastic ziplock bag, placing each liquid in its own ziplock before storing them in a larger bag together. In this way, it will prevent spills from happening. I used my small packing storage bags from Amazon to put all my liquid items together.

Packing can be stressful but with proper steps you can bring all the clothes you choose without having to compromise iconic fashion statements. What’s some packing tips you decided to adopt?