How to Pack Light Without Sacrificing Outfits

Kylie Petty
Jul 25
3 min read

Updated: Aug 8

An easy guide to decide what gets packed, and how to make every piece earn its place.

As a lover of clothes and shopping, I desperately needed to figure out how to pack light without sacrificing outfits as I moved abroad. Packing my entire wardrobe into the space of a medium-sized suitcase, a backpack, and a tote bag was indeed difficult, but not as hard as I anticipated. A few tricks, like the Sudoku Packing Method, made it infinitely easier.

Visualize your wardrobe essentials

Start by identifying the kinds of clothes that make sense for your trip. You probably don’t need three workout outfits for a formal destination wedding, and you might not want to pack stilettos for a primarily sightseeing trip.

Pare down the items on the essentials list by separating your clothes into “yes,” “no,” and “maybe” piles. “Yes” means that, at the time of this decision process, you definitely want to bring that piece of clothing, “no” means definitely not, and “maybe” means you’re not quite sure yet. Keep in mind, these piles might shift as you go through the rest of the packing steps.

Use the Sudoku Packing Method

The Sudoku Packing Method can confirm the items in the “yes” pile are worth bringing, and identify which items in the other piles might warrant a second thought. There are plenty of excellent articles out there that describe the method (which I’ll link throughout this paragraph), but it ultimately involves creating a 3-by-3 grid of tops, bottoms, and layers, with one of each in each row and column. I’m only bringing a few layers since my goal is to stay in slightly warmer areas, so the layers I bring need to work well with multiple outfits.

Not only was this actually a quick and easy packing fix, but it also helped visualize new outfits. One or two grids might be all you need for a one-to-two-week trip, but I created four grids to decide on the necessary pieces. Quite a few items landed in multiple grids, confirming how essential they are, and leaving me with more outfits than days in a month.

Layer statement pieces

Versatility doesn’t only belong to the safe and neutral pieces; statement pieces can add pops of interest to any outfit. Try using the Sudoku Packing Method to visualize them. Bright and bold pieces can be easily dressed up or down with different jackets, shoes, or accessories; you just need an open mind and some patience. For example, I have a silky red slip dress that was in my “maybe” pile because I only saw myself wearing it for fancy occasions. However, it can be dressed down with a light sweater and sneakers — making the dress a skirt — or layered with a jacket over top for a nice, yet casual, brunch or a wine tasting.

Packing light, step-by-step

Identify your trip’s intentions.

What is the general style of the trip? Formal? Super casual? Somewhere in between? What kinds of unique items do you need (e.g., hiking clothes, a formal dress, themed items)?

Sort clothes into “yes,” “no,” and “maybe” piles.

What do you definitely want to bring? What needs to be a definite no? Do you have space for some “maybes”? What do you need to move from “yes” to “no” to save space?

Confirm the items in the “yes” pile with the Sudoku Packing Method.

If you can bring three bottoms, three tops, and three items to layer, what would they be? Do they match in color and style? Do you have the space to create more than one grid? Which items are confirmed to be versatile and useful based on the grids?

Look for layerable pieces to dress statement pieces up or down.

Which items do you think are too bold for your trip? Which items do they match with? How can you layer it in a new way? Where would it fit in a Sudoku grid?

Reject pieces based on space.

Which items are too different from the rest of your clothes? Which items are the bulkiest? Which items match with the fewest outfits?