Blouses, Shirts, Tees

Layer tissue paper or plastic dry-cleaning bags between garments to keep them smooth. (Clothes wrinkle when items rub against one another.) Put nice items on top to keep weight off them. Shirts and blouses will lose their shape if they’re rolled up, but rolling works well for T-shirts, which should go near the bottom of the bag.

Books

Because of their weight, books tend to shift to the bottom of a suitcase, near the wheels. To prevent them from dragging other items down, start by placing them there. If you’re bringing guidebooks, save space by ripping out the important pages.

Bras

To help preserve their shape, stuff rolled underwear and socks in the cups. Keep these constructions together by putting each in a plastic bag. Tuck them into the corners of the suitcase.

Dresses

If a dress is long enough, you can place it directly on top of your pants and “interfold” it (see Pants). Otherwise, keep it near the top — above heavier shirts and sweaters — and fold it as few times as possible. Either way, if it’s a prized or a more formal possession, slip it into a dry-cleaning or garment bag to prevent it from wrinkling.

Jeans

Because these are heavy, position them near the wheels, well below any delicate clothing. Fold them at the waist, then in half, lengthwise. Or roll them, folding at the waist, then rolling upward from the bottom, stopping just below the belt line (because of the zipper and the pockets at the top, rolling jeans all the way adds unnecessary volume).