Lifestyle Mirror

I hate packing. In fact, I detest packing to the point where I've thought about canceling trips just so I don't have to pack, which is ridiculous and behaviorally on par with a traveling hoarder. The enemy of packing is time. What we all forget is that hurling a few things into a bag, willy-nilly, is not going to be much fun when you discover upon arrival that you’ve packed 12 tops but no bottoms. Karl Lagerfeld once remarked, referring without any embarrassment to his trunks upon trunks of Goyard luggage, “I like to have a choice.”

My antipathy towards packing is indeed odd given my profession. I work with many actresses who go on lengthy international press tours to promote their films where they must look immaculate. The operation is quasi-military in its precision. Every look is tried well in advance and photographed, then tailored, accessorized, carefully detailed with notes and pictures and then packed in a garment bag labeled with the day and the event to which it will be worn. Sometimes I even pack a little present at the bottom—a lipstick or something else silly—a spoonful of sugar makes it all seem like a glamorous treat rather than a chore.

It’s easier to do this for somebody else than it is to do when it’s my own suitcase that must be packed. Going to Europe for Fashion week, which is a misnomer because it is actually a month of grueling days wearing very uncomfortable shoes, feeling horribly “last season” and late nights consoling oneself with rather too much wine. I would spend a whole day putting together outfits making sure that I was ready to go the second I touched down in Milan or Paris.

Here is my tried-and-tested packing method (it won’t take all day):

1. Write down the number of days and nights that you are away and any special dress codes.

2. Write down one look for each day and night. I usually jot this down on my iPhone when I'm bored or waiting. Do this a couple of days in advance in case anything is at the dry cleaners. (E.g. Tuesday night in Paris: Gold brocade L’Wren dress, nude satin Louboutin shoe, vintage sequin bag.)

3. Take note of what underwear you need for each look (strapless bra, thong, slips, shapewear, hosiery, socks, etc.)

4. Add to the list gym clothes, pajamas, travelling outfits, make-up, and toiletries.

5. It’s helpful to have a travel toiletries kit packed and ready to go. When I come back from a trip I either refill it immediately or else put a note in there with what needs replacing or refilling. Hoard sample sizes and sachets, but not the things you wouldn’t use at home. Away is not the place to be experimenting with peels or self-tanner.

Then there are conflicting theories about how to get the least amount of wrinkles in your clothes —roll them in plastic vs. lay them flat with the arms and legs overflowing out of the side of the case and then fold in at the end. For a long trip, I pack one large suitcase filled with clothes and one smaller soft bag containing shoes and toiletries. If I'm packing for a shorter trip, the shoes (in shoe bags) and toiletries go in the bottom of the case and small items—socks, gym clothes—get wedged in between.

If all else fails, call an expert:

Garderobe: In addition to storing all your archive or out of season clothes, Garderobe will also pack whichever items you pick from the online wardrobe and ship them to your destination. Their packing skills are a work of art. This is the Rolls Royce of travel.

The Luggage Club: They will pick up your suitcases and deliver them to your destination. The ultimate luxury is breezing onto a plane with just a book and a sweater.

Slate: No more lugging home bags of dirty clothes! Every hamper from Slate comes with a FedEx tag, so you can fill it with your laundry and send it directly to them, which will then be cleaned or laundered and delivered to you at home. I send even my delicate vintage pieces and they always do an excellent job (the owner used to work at Madame Paulette).

My final words of packing wisdom come from my Mother, who is a copious packer, but also knows how long to roast a chicken, when daylight savings time begins and what to do when things go wrong. Pack your passport and credit card, anything else you can either buy at your destination, or do without. —Annabel Tollman (@AnnabelTollman)