This is my dream suitcase. I don't have one. But I have some other suggestions for packing.
The first rule is pack and dress for your destination. That way, if your luggage goes astray, you have something suitable to wear at the other end. Dress in layers. If you are going from the UK in summer to ski in New Zealand, have gloves and a hat and scarf ready for the drive to your hotel. If going from London, England, to India, don't do what I did. I set off in a warm coat and boots. My luggage went astray. I was the only person walking around Delhi in the heat with a long tweed winter coat and knee length leather boots. Everybody else was wearing summer sarees and light flip flops. I wondered why everybody kept staring at me. Until I saw my reflection in the mirror or a shop window.
Pack gloves and hats. Which colours?
I went to a colours session in Singapore. After paying the booking fee, probably through the American women's association attached to the American Club, or the British Club, or the Australian Club, I recall a group of ladies sitting around a table with the trainer. I now understand that a company from the Americas trained trainers who had a franchise. She got us to hold up scarves of our own and hers, against our faces, and asked everybody to say which colours suited which person.
We also held the colours against our hands, the backs of our hands, our forearms and our inside wrists.
It was no great surprise to me that the colour which suited me best was a vibrant royal blue. I had always been dressed in this colour as a child by my mother. I was so fed up with it that as a teenager and adult for years I never wore it. (The same antipathy applied to my school uniform's dark green.)
At the University College of London I shared a bedroom with a redhead. She wore pink lipstick. I was really surprised that she did not opt for orange or orangey-red to match her hair. She told me that redheads don't always wear the same colours. She wore pink to go with her blue eyes. She said that redheads with green eyes wore orange.
At that time I had mousy brown hair. Then came the fashion for white or blonde streaks. I made a mistake. I did not get the sausages around the streaks tight enough and instead of brown with blonde streaks I ended up a messy mottled colour so i used the rest of the bottle to go completely blonde to try that before possibly going back to brown with a brown hair dye. That required another shopping trip. Besides you were not supposed to redye hair within a month. So meanwhile I went all blonde.
As a brunette I had worn purple a lot, and brown. However, as a blonde, red was wonderfully vibrant. Purple just made my hair look a brassy yellow.
When I was a teenager I had no idea about packing. I packed clothes I fancied randomly. I arrived at the other end to find I had a black bra showing under a white blouse, a white bra under a black dress, a red top and pink nail varnish and an orange lipstick. I also had left shoes without their partners, and twin sets which had lost the twin. I had boots with no long socks. Half a bikini. Clothes with missing buttons bags with broken zips and suitcases without keys. As for finding my passport and ticket.
Packing List
Now I am much more careful. I start packing a month before and make a list. I check the weather at the destination. If you have two homes you need to be extra careful.
I might even photograph the suitcase and contents. If my suitcase goes missing at the airport I can show somebody what it looks like, remember the colour and brand.
When I was a busy travel writer, I reduced my colour scheme to red, white and black. I would wear a black skirt with a white blouse and pack three red scarves for a weekend, five for a week. I had a black daytime skirt and a smarter evening skirt. The same with shoes. Flat sandals for daytime in black. Heeled shoes for the evening in black.
You can buy zip up big to put inside a suitcase. You can keep all your underwear in one. All your blouses in another. ties or belts in another. Pairs of shoes together.
Al alternative wasy of packing is to keep complete outfits on a thin wire dry cleaner's style hanger. Like a bride's outfit. The dress, hat, belt, underwear, all in white or cream on one hanger. Another going away outfit such as a pale blue suit with blue silk tank top and scarf or hat on another hanger with blue or white underwear. A third evening outfit of black skirt or trousers (Americans say pants), white tip and black jacket and black and white scarf or tie, black or white underwear. At the destination you either hang up all three outfits straight way for the weekend. Or you take out the top outfit and wear it.
Unpacking
Afterwards place the first outfit it at the bottom of the suitcase back on the hanger. No confusion about what to wear the next day. On a five day conference you would not be in danger of wearing the same outfit twice. The outfits you have worn are back in the case. No trouble packing on the last day wasting time. No hunting around the room for lost items.
On the last day you are packed ready to go. The outfit is ready to hang up at home. Quick unpacking. The empty suitcase can then go out of the way back in the attic or top cupboard, on top of the wardrobe, in the spare room, or wherever you keep it, so your bedroom is clear.
Other systems
Buy only clothes you can hand wash. Note which clothes dry overnight and keep them in your going way bag ready for the next trip. Wash each item each night. Arrive home without any dirty clothes except what you are wearing.
Or don't bother sorting clothes into clean and dirty when you get home. Just put everything in the waah regardless of whether it was worn or not. It saves time and probably doesn't use up much more water. No risk of an item you thoughr was clean turning out to have a small stain. Everybody clean and pristine.
Some can have the air sucked out to take up less space.
Expanding Suitcases
Later I discovered expanding Suitcases.
The multi level cart below can cost from 78 dollars.
Some cost about 200 dollars.
4 in one hairdressing cart.
Useful Websites
Shelfpack
Some people say the shelves take up space you would rather use for clothes.
It is not light. Better for travelling by car than by plane. Ideal for a caravan.
You can see a demo of it on Youtube.
https://www.core77.com/posts/38695/A-Suitcase-with-Built-In-Expandable-Shelves#
Another is only 78 dollars.
https://www.lazada.sg/products/suitcase-luggage-bag-trolley-case-cosmetic-case-trolley-large-capacity-professional-makeup-artist-beauty-semi-permanent-tattoo-multilayer-nail-toolbox-i650400073-s1963776138.html?exlaz=d_1:mm_150050845_51350205_2010350205::1
https://www.shelfpack.com/
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32845103809.html
https://www.core77.com/posts/38695/A-Suitcase-with-Built-In-Expandable-Shelves
About the Author
Angela Lansbury, is a semi-retired travel writer still researching bucket list countries and seeking out the special, unusual, people, places, landmarks, hotels, museums and trails, fabulous foods, recipes, clothes and online souvenir shopping.
Angela Lansbury is a member of Toastmasters International.
Angela Lansbury B A Hons is the author of ten books by regular publishers, plus another ten self-published books.
About Angela The Speaker & Trainer
Angela Lansbury is a teacher of English and other languages to Toastmasters clubs and businesses.
Angela has several blogs speeches, comedy and song writing and organizing, writing intermittently, but writes almost daily on these three:
Please share links to your favourite posts.
TCA (A for Advanced club) is another advanced speakers' club which meets both online for visitors from worldwide and physically for walks, meals and socials in the Tampines area. Meetings are in the TC Community Club when Covid-19 regulations in Singapore allow it, but meanwhile come along to meetings online.
TCA meetings are on the fourth Tuesday evening of each month at 7 p.m Zoom room open to check your sound and online appearance and chit-chat, ready for a 7.15 pm start. I usually manage to attend meetings whether I am in Singapore or the UK.
Another club, totally online, is Singapore Online Dynamic, meeting 9 pm Singapore time on Fridays. I am a member of this club.
I am also a member of Senja-Cashew. When it meets physically it is in a convenient large complex containing a swimming pool beside a landmark lake next to a shopping complex. Right now it is online.
Once you join a club, your club's president will give you the opportunity to be informed of Toastmasters club meetings worldwide, especially those which have interesting workshops.cAbout the Author
Angela Lansbury, is a semi-retired travel writer still researching bucket list countries and seeking out the special, unusual, people, places, landmarks, hotels, museums and trails, fabulous foods, recipes, clothes and online souvenir shopping.
Angela Lansbury is a member of Toastmasters International.
Angela Lansbury B A Hons is the author of ten books by regular publishers, plus another ten self-published books.
About Angela The Speaker & Trainer
Angela Lansbury is a teacher of English and other languages to Toastmasters clubs and businesses.
Angela has several blogs speeches, comedy and song writing and organizing, writing intermittently, but writes almost daily on these three:
Please share links to your favourite posts.
You also get access to the online magazine. And the club will appoint a mentor to guide you through your first three speeches and plan your year so you can complete a Pathway suited to your personal interests. I chose the basic Presentation mastery path to start. Next I did the Engaging Humor path. Now I am onto the leadership paths such as Visionary Communication.
I am also a coach for Nee Soon South.
All the clubs worldwide have just handed over to the new team from July 1st, all full of enthusiasm, seeking new members, sometimes with a space for a committee member if you are job-hunting, or climbing the corporate ladder, just the thing to add to your c.v.
Toastmasters has made links with the Rotary club organization. So if you are interested in Rotary clubs, you might investigate both.
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