Say Goodbye to Chaos:
Packing Clothes the Smart and Simple Way

• Tips on sorting, decluttering and segregating clothes before you pack them.
• Identifying the right storage boxes for clothes and packaging material is important.
• How to pack a suitcase with a lot of clothes and labelling them the right way.
• The right way to move summer clothes and winter clothes.
• How to fold to save space and other useful hacks.
• How to use vacuum storage bags for clothes.
• Layering tips with heaviest at the bottom and lighter on the top.

• Segregation all the way - You have different clothes for different occasions, times of the year and moods, don’t you? Treating them all the same while packing only ends up making you get lost in a mountain of clothes and feel inefficient about it in the end when you don’t know which box contains what and making you open everything to find that one favourite sock when you unpack later. The first step to packing would be to segregate things into categories like night suits, dresses, coats, summer shirts, jeans and so on. Make sure you are prepared for the season right now and keep aside what you would need a few months from now- so you don’t have to repack things later. This stage also helps you identify if you need everything you own or if you’d like to donate/discard some of them.
• Know your packaging material: Finding sturdy boxes and evaluating all the sizes of suitcases you have is key before you start putting things into them. Get your tap, boxes and vacuum bags ready before you pack because you’d like to start getting bundles out of the way as you pack them for the size of the box/suitcase. This will also help you notice visible cues of progress made and make the process seem less tedious and never-ending.
• Don’t trust your brain: You might want to go for a lot of small storage boxes because they are easier to lift and handle- especially if you are going to be segregating them into niche categories. It is important to colour code them or label them to know which box contains what. While it may seem easy to remember when you pack, when you reach your destination- everything is bound to feel and look the same given how many things you have to manage when shifting houses. You want to make your life as easy as possible by not relying on memory alone.
• What season is it? If you’re in London you are bound to be ready for some surprises haha but you have to make a sound judgement of items you may not need immediately and pack them separately. Not having to unpack everything at once and finding a place for it in the new house is very important to reduce the stress of moving- you end up realizing things take space in your cupboard but never add to your real look.
• How do I pack this mess? Storage bags help make small compartments for your items. Packaging them efficiently includes laying them on a flat surface, folding them along the length with aligned sleeves, and making sure you pack similar items together to avoid air gaps between clothes. You can use the extra space between layers, especially in winter clothing by adding belts, socks, and other small items that don’t need a separate section. Summer items like t-shirts and dresses are best packed by rolling them and aligning them side-by-side. This also makes it easier to spot them when you unpack later.
• Get the air out: Vacuum bags are a golden way of minimizing the storage volume of things you pack especially when packing winter outfits, coats, bulky dresses, etc. Buy a set of vacuum bags (they come with an automatic pump or a manual one) and help you contain clothes in a bag. An important thing to remember is while you reduce the volume of your clothes, the weight keeps increasing so make sure you have sturdy boxes to be able to carry the weight. Make use of the ends of the vacuum bags and stuff them with smaller items to reduce air space and create similar-sized bags so you can layer them conveniently in your cartons/suitcases.
• Layer it like a tiramisu - There is a logic to layering items basis how heavy they are- you want to protect the delicates and let the heavy ones suffer a little because they can take it. Make sure you put your expensive and delicate belongings aside and begin with the heavy and bulky clothes and layer them at the bottom. This not only helps you get the bigger items out of the way first, but it also allows you to get an even base at the bottom of the box/suitcase so you can layer the other items strategically and fill empty spaces where needed.

To sum it up in a few words, packing clothes for moving can seem like a daunting task because of the volume of things but can also be streamlined by including a few simple steps that ease out the entire process. From deciding what to pack and if you want to let go of any items, to ensuring you have all the storage material you need (suitcases, boxes, tape, vacuum bags), segregating items based on category and layering them the right way- there is a method for doing this right and efficiently. By following these simple steps you can not only make the packing part easy but also your life a lot simpler when you unpack them later. We hope these tips are useful for your next move and wish you a smooth packing experience!

Very often, people will skip the segregation step and pack everything together- making their life difficult when unpacking later. Segregation helps you know which clothes would be needed in a later season and what boxes/suitcases you need to open to get what. Additionally, it is common to forget to pack your essentials and things you may need immediately, in a separate bag. Make sure you keep things aside for the first few days of moving into the new place.

It is absolutely normal to feel like packing clothes is a big task but breaking down it into small manageable steps can reduce the size of it. Start by figuring out what you need right now and what you don’t, segregate items based on needs, occasion and sizes and label your boxes as you go.

It is important to keep the bigger picture in mind while packing clothes- you want to make this process smooth and the next step - unpacking, easier too. Put the clothes in the right category, fold them properly and maximise the use of available space.