From the best folding technique to the number of shoes you should pack, Alexa knows it all. Photo / 123rf
From the best folding technique to the number of shoes you should pack, Alexa knows it all. Photo / 123rf
A personal wardrobe stylist has revealed her top packing tips for when you’re only taking a carry-on bag on holiday - and her advice is going to change the way you go on vacations.
Alexa Pontello is a wardrobe stylist and image consultant from LA who has, in the past, worked in luxury retail with brands such as Chanel and Moda Operandi.
Now, she is sharing her top tips, tricks and expertise via Instagram, reports Daily Mail.
Pontello revealed some of her best advice when it comes to packing carry-on luggage in a clip posted to her TikTok account last week, starting with the basics: ensuring you have a good-quality carry-on bag.
“[The] first tip is to get a really good carry-on,” Pontello shared. “I love the stuff from Away.”
In the clip, Pontello demonstrated her own advice by using the bigger carry-on-sized bag from the brand, which she loves due to its “compression compartments” and the amount of space it has.
The next piece of advice that Pontello offered was to roll your clothes as you pack them in the suitcase to save some space, which she showed her followers how to do.
“You’re going to take a pair of shorts, or anything like this, fold it in half, and then just roll it all the way down,” she shared.
“What this does is, it makes it pretty small,” the expert added.
“You can put it in line with all of the other stuff that’s rolled, like this, or you can shove this into the really small areas of your suitcase and utilise all of the surface area in here.”
However, when rolling your clothes, occasionally they can become wrinkled, which Pontello addresses in her next tip.
Pontello reveals some of her best advice when it comes to packing carry-on luggage. Photo / Getty Images
“I always travel with a travel steamer,” she said, as she pulled a small one out to show her followers.
“I really don’t go anywhere without this thing, and I highly recommend buying a really good one.”
The packing professional then revealed a rule that may see you make some extremely hard future decisions when it comes to your shoe of choice.
“When you travel with only a carry-on, only bring three pairs of shoes maximum,” she said.
Pontello says to bring three pairs of different shoes, all in neutral colours. Photo / 123rf
Pontello revealed this was a “really great way to travel” as she shared her tips for picking which shoes to pack.
“Bring three pairs of different shoes, all in neutral colours,” she said.
“I’m going to Hawaii, so I’m bringing one pair of, like, white sandals for the beach, one pair of like, easy, walkable kitten heels to wear to dinner, one pair of shoes for hikes and whatnot.”
“When you pack more than three pairs, it takes up a lot of unnecessary space, and it can also make you suitcase really heavy, so I think three pairs is the best way to go.”
And finally, her last tip of advice was for travellers heading to locations with a warmer climate.
“If you are traveling somewhere where it’s hot and you’re going to be in the ocean and are gonna have, like, wet clothing, I hate repacking and having to put anything wet back into my suitcase, so I like to bring one emergency bag like this that I can put my wet clothing in,” she said, as she showed her followers a clear, reusable plastic bag.
“Then I know it can be separate and it’s not going to be touching anything else,” Pontello concluded.
