Is there ever a good way to pack?
No matter the trip, the length of time, or how much you've planned in advance, it's still hard to crack the code on efficient, proper packing. Do packing cubes come in handy? Sure, you've managed to pack about 10 different tops, but you have no trousers to wear them with, and all your underwear seems to have disappeared the night before you fly.
Is the key to packing a more chilled, relaxed approach that ensures your wardrobe is used to its fullest, or is a more organised, pre-planned approach the secret to maximising your holiday wardrobe?
We put the question to two members of the Glassette team...
Every time I pack, I truly wish I had a genie and a lamp nearby to remove the responsibility altogether (not a One Willow Wish, for those who've seen Curry Barker’s Obsession). I love clothes. I love holidays. And yet, somehow, packing never gets any easier. I either overpack or keep it minimal, and sulk over all the outfits I left behind. On my most recent holiday, I packed 10 pairs of shoes for five days. I thought this was completely justified, as I tend to change outfits twice a day (sometimes three times if a water park or a dolphin boat trip’s involved). But when I announced this to the office, I was met with stunned silence. Perhaps I did, in fact, go overboard on the footwear front. But I wore seven out of the 10 pairs, which is a win in my book. And I even had a pair of Vibrams handy for a Pilates class.
If you can't already tell, packing is entirely instinctual for me. I go with the flow, rummage through my summer wardrobe, chuck random bits in the wash, and try on pieces a night or two before my trip. It's the only way I can work out what still fits, what I actually hate in my wardrobe, and what might work as a back-up option.
Every time I mention to one particular friend that I'm packing a day or two before I go away, I'm met with, "This is why I pack a month in advance." Pure greed. Gluttony, even. All that does is give me more time to convince myself I can squeeze even more outfits into my suitcase. It's dangerous territory.
What do I recommend, though? Packing cubes. Absolute lifesavers. On the rare occasions I've attempted to pack complete outfits, they've been unbelievably handy (I’m down to my last one - they seem to disappear like socks in a tumble dryer). But then my brain inevitably starts spiralling. ‘What if this outfit doesn't suit the restaurant? What if I get chilly? What if it's not appropriate for a yacht?’ (I don't know anyone with a yacht, nor have I ever been on one, but you have to be prepared for every scenario).
Before I know it, I've packed backup outfits for my backup outfits and decided I may as well throw everything in anyway. So back to square one. While not every outfit makes it out of my suitcase, overpacking gives me the opportunity to experiment with combinations I’d never put together at home, rediscover pieces I’d forgotten I owned, and reflect on how both my personal and packing style has changed (or not, in my case).
On the flip side, I've also seen firsthand how being underprepared can be a nightmare. A trip to Amsterdam in 2018 still haunts me because I somehow forgot to pack any underwear but did remember a chainmail top, which later broke on the dance floor.
So, is outfit planning really the secret to stress-free packing? Admittedly, I give up before the going gets good. However, Anna Hale, our Head of Creative, is firmly in defence of planning every look before you zip up your suitcase.
I hate overpacking. Carrying more than I need stresses me out - but so does standing in front of a bag full of clothes I no longer want to wear, hundreds of miles from my wardrobe. So I plan my outfits before I go. Every single one.
This becomes non-negotiable when I'm packing for a festival, where every extra item has to earn its place alongside the tent, sleeping bag and the million other things already hanging off my shoulders.
I don't own packing cubes. Maybe I should. Instead, I mock up each outfit - accessories included - by laying everything out, taking a photo and saving it to a folder on my phone. By the time I'm packing, and again when I get to my destination, all the thinking has already been done. I stole the idea from Instagram, although the original version was much more curated: clothes carefully cut out against coloured backgrounds, every outfit its own little mood board. Mine is the low-effort version. No cutting out, no colour theory - just photos and a folder. I've done it several times now, and it genuinely makes life easier. There's no morning deliberation; I just open the folder and get dressed.
Do I delete the photos afterwards? No. I'd love to pretend it's strategic - a growing archive for future trips - but really it's because I'm lazy and my camera roll is complete chaos. As for the people I travel with? They think I'm unhinged. But there's always a moment - usually while I'm calmly getting dressed and someone else is emptying the entire contents of their suitcase onto the floor - when the mocking suddenly goes very quiet…
There are arguments for both go-with-the-flow packers and meticulous outfit planners, but ultimately, there's one thing we can both agree on: a good suitcase.
