Devi Kroell Schools the Well-Heeled Traveler on How to Pack

Handbag designer Devi Kroell throws out any excuses left to check a bag with her myriad brilliant tips on how to make the most of one suitcase, unveiled during a sit-down with the Wall Street Journal on how to pack. 

The concept of packing is of great interest, after a friend (who will remain nameless) had her lovely suitcase, filled with excessive amounts of clothing and giant toiletry bottles, run over by a luggage truck when she checked it (airline will also remain nameless).  From that trip forward, this friend has made it her mission in life to never again check a bag, no matter the length or distance of the vacay, and believes in it so fiercely that she often finds herself engaged in heated debates on the subject. 

As such, tips on how to stuff a knockout wardrobe into a carry-on suitcase so that you've got what you need and look great at the same time are invaluable.  Kroell's include:

- Tissue paper: Brilliant when layered between garments or rolled up.  The plastic bags from the drycleaner also stave off wrinkling, apparently, though they also tend to be more slippery.

- Multitaskers: We've spent enough of our lives reading magazines and catalogs to know some of these tricks, but when packing, the best way to get an outfit from day to night are accessories.  Kroell says grab a jacket and a dress and dress 'em up and down.

- Knits: They're your best bet to survive airport delays, bellboy manhandling and a zippering-in that required your entire body weight.

- Rolling: New Yorkers probably don't have to limit this technique to suitcases, as limited storage calls for such measures as well.  It's the best way to get clothes into their tiny allotted spots with minimal collateral damage. 

- WATERPROOF cosmetic bags: We'll admit that our own not-so-green (but we reuse!) habit goes with individual Ziploc packaging, but Kroell one-ups that with the pretty, protected bag that restricts any leakage or spills to the area and away from your clothes.

So, there you have it.  We know exactly what you're thinking: "But I like to have options..." The options habit is, we'll admit, the hardest to break.  Well, with the proper planning and versatile outfit-building, you, too, can start a new life of light packing.  

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