The most frustrating part of travelling isn’t long lines in the airport or race car drivers who moonlight wheeling taxis around the city. By far, the most frustrating part of travelling is trying to fit your entire wardrobe into a tiny suitcase! If you find yourself looking forward to the trip but dreading packing, never fear. You only need a few key items to complete your travelling wardrobe, so let’s get packing!

The first thing you should know about packing isn’t what to pack but how to pack. These simple packing techniques can save you a ton of room for that extra pair of shoes or souvenirs along the way, in addition to saving your clothes from ending up hopelessly wrinkled. First, take any long items, including pants, skirts, or dresses, and lay them flat in your suitcases with the excess hanging out of both ends. Second, roll the rest of your wardrobe, making compact tubes of clothing. Rolling will not only save your room, but your clothes are less likely to end up wrinkled. Line up your rolled items in your suitcase, filling in all available space. Consider investing in shoe bags to protect your shoes along the route, being careful to stuff the insides of your kicks with socks, undies, slips, or any other garment to prevent them from becoming flattened along the way. If you are bringing cosmetics or toiletries, be sure to pack all items in plastic bags—a simple Ziploc baggie will do—to protect your clothing in case of leakage.

Now that you know how to pack, let’s discuss what to pack. Unless you are planning on attending state dinners or extravagant functions each night, lose the formal wear. Instead, invest in one simple dress—the perfect Little Black Dress will work—and bring along accessories to dress it up or down. Consider bringing a colorful silk scarf, and exquisite embroidered shawl, chunky jewelry, or a lovely corsage pin to create several different outfits out of the same garment. Similarly, choose a simple pair of black heels that are comfortable enough to walk in if you find yourself trudging down blocks of urban jungle. These shoes, like the dress, should have capacity to be worn with a dress, suit, or your favorite pair of blue jeans. For the rest of your wardrobe, consider purchasing clothing made with nylon, tencel, or any other travel friendly material to avoid wrinkles.