Never underestimate the need to pack lightly when you’re traveling. Even though many airlines won’t charge you a fee for your checked luggage if you’re taking an international flight, do you really want to be lugging all that baggage around with you—especially if you’re going to many cities and staying in many different hotels during your trip? We definitely don’t want to carry that much with us. Gone are the days when it’s fashionable to travel overseas with multiple steamer trunks. Today your goal is to travel as light as you can. That means that you need to stick to one carry-on bag, and one checked suitcase. At the same time, we don’t want to to sacrifice fashion. With fashion capitals of the world being in London, Paris, and Milan, it’s important to look good and travel lightly. Here’s how you can do it: • Pack clothes that work together in a similar color scheme. Although no one wants to spend their vacation dressed purely in drab grays and blacks and neutrals, it is very important to make sure that you can mix and match pieces in your wardrobe. This means that you don’t have to pack a fresh outfit for each day, but instead can alternate pieces of clothing. Consider taking half of your bottoms (skirts, pants, capris, and shorts, to name a few) in neutrals, and doing the same with your tops and shirts. • Never underestimate the power of accessories. In your neutral suitcase, some brightly colored and appropriate accessories can help dress up your outfit if you’re going out to dinner or the theatre. They also can help change around your outfit so you don’t feel like you’re wearing the same thing day in and day out. Think of how much more stylish you’d feel if you used a nice scarf or a pretty necklace to help change things up? An added plus is that accessories don’t take up much space in your suitcase, and can be packed inside other pieces. Always remember, though, to bring expensive jewelry and accessories in your carry-on bag and not in your checked suitcase. • Pack smaller things within larger things. When you pack your suitcase, how do you do it? Do you layer all of your socks in the zippered pocket, and put all of your shoes on top? Believe it or not, that’s not the best thing to do if you’re trying to pack tightly. Instead, pack your socks inside your shoes. This will help keep your shoes in good shape and stop them from being crushed in your suitcase. Plus, you’ll save space by taking advantage of all of the room that shoes have naturally. • Roll your clothes. This is one of the simplest, but the most helpful, tip that we can give. Did you know that rolling your clothes in your suitcase will help conserve room and reduce the number of wrinkles you’ll get? It’s true! Rolling your clothes helps you pack them more tightly, and because the weight of the clothes isn’t pressing on each other, you’ll be able to worry less about your delicate clothes getting wrinkled. You’ll be amazed what you can fit in your suitcase if you follow this simple tip. If you follow these tips, you’ll be amazed at how easy it is to pack lightly and still look fashionable and stylish at the same time. You’ll be able to dress like a native—yet still travel like a seasoned pro. Even better, you’ll be able to save plenty of room in your suitcase to take advantage of sales and unique finds that you simply can’t find in the United States. How much better can you get?