A personal wardrobe stylist has spilled her top tips on how to pack when you’re only bringing a carry-on bag on vacation — and you may never look at a suitcase in the same way ever again.
Alexa Pontello, who is based in Los Angeles, is a wardrobe stylist and image consultant who once worked in luxury retail at Chanel and Moda Operandi, and now shares her own tips, tricks and expertise on her social media pages.
Pontello dished on her best carry-on packing methods in a video posted to her TikTok account last week, beginning with the basics: making sure you have a good quality carry-on bag in your collection.
‘First tip is to get a really good carry-on,’ Pontello said. ‘I love the stuff from Away.’
Alexa Pontello is a personal wardrobe stylist based in Los Angeles
Pontello shared her top tips for packing in only a carry-on in a recent TikTok video posted to her account
In the video, Pontello demonstrated these tips by using the larger carry-on sized bag from the brand, which she really likes for its ‘compression compartments’ and spaciousness.
The next tip that Pontello offered was to roll your clothing as you pack it in the bag to save some space, and demonstrated how to do so.
‘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 said.
‘What this does is it makes it pretty small,’ the expert continued.
‘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 utilize all of the surface area in here.’
Sometimes, however, rolling your clothes can make them a bit wrinkled, which brings in Pontello’s next point.
‘I always travel with a travel steamer,’ she said, as she pulled a small one out to show viewers.
‘I really don’t go anywhere without this thing, and I highly recommend buying a really good one.’
The first tip that Pontello offered was to make sure that you actually have a good carry-on, and also recommended rolling your clothing while packing
In the video, she also suggested that travelers carry a portable steamer in their carry-on, as sometimes rolled clothes can wrinkle
Pontello has worked for both Chanel and online luxury retailer Moda Operandi
Pack light! Alexa’s carry-on tips Make sure you have a good carry-onRoll your clothing to save spaceTravel with a portable steamerOnly bring three pairs of neutral shoesBring a plastic bag for wet clothes if going to a warmer climateTry on all of your outfits beforehandUse shoe bags to protect shoesPack reusable containers for toiletries
Next the professional wardrobe stylist shared a rule that might force you to make some extremely tough decisions when it comes to your shoe choices.
‘When you travel in only a carry-on, only bring three pairs of shoes maximum,’ she said.
Pontello insisted that this was actually a ‘really great way to travel’ as she explained how to decide what three pairs of shoes you should bring along.
‘Bring three pairs of different shoes all in neutral colors,’ 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.’
Last but not least, Pontello revealed a tip that applied to people who were traveling somewhere with a warmer climate.
‘If you are traveling somewhere where it’s hot and you’re going to be in the ocean and 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 held up a clear, reusable plastic bag.
Pontello advised that you only needed to travel with three pairs of neutral shoes
If you’re traveling somewhere warm, the stylist advised bringing a plastic bag to keep your wet clothes in
‘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,’ Pontello said in the video about shoes
‘Then I know it can be separate and it’s not going to be touching anything else,’ she concluded.
Speaking to DailyMail.com, Pontello also offered three additional tips to keep in mind during the packing process.
‘Before packing, make sure to try on all the outfits you plan to bring on the trip,’ she advised.
‘This ensures you’re satisfied with each outfit and helps prevent overpacking.’
To keep the rest of the carry-on clean, she recommended using shoe bags to protect your shoes, and opt for travel-size products or reusable containers for toiletries.
However, it looks like the stylist isn’t the only one with some extreme space-saving packing tips to share.
Over the summer, Jenna Carr, who goes by the name ‘The Travel Mum’ on TikTok, revealed exactly how she packed a week’s worth of clothing into one backpack to avoid ‘extortionate’ airline baggage fees.
Carr, who is based in the United Kingdom, explained that she put all of her belongings into a plastic bag and then sealed it up with a vacuum, which molded to the shape of her backpack.
In addition, she wears her ‘bulkiest’ pair of shoes while on the plane, and wraps the rest of her shoes in cling film to make sure they won’t get anything in her backpack dirty.
She also recommended making use of small plastic food bags to keep various items organized, like jewelry and her non-liquid makeup.
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