I’m a bit of a packing expert. I’m quick, organised, and everything is in as small of a bag possible - I’m crediting a four hour round trip commute with a boyfriend living in London for the small bag skill.

Ultimately, the skill to holiday packing is a list. I want to make sure I pack everything I need, without overpacking, nor ending up with a heavy suitcase. I segment my packing list into morning, afternoon and evening. Ideally, we’ve planned what we’re doing for the trip, so I know what I need to dress for. If not, it means I’m going to sit on a sun lounger for a week - so I know I need something to wear for breakfast in the morning/ travel to the beach in the day (yes, even in the Maldives I mean walking from my villa 5 steps to the beach as there’s other people around!) And something to wear out to dinner. To help me identify what I want to wear, I look at my Summer section of my wardrobe, as I have no doors it helps me clearly see everything I have, and pick whatever tickles my fancy.

Once I’ve planned this I used to fold everything neatly into day and night, and order it so I will put the last days holiday outfit at the bottom of the pile, and first days holiday outfit at the top of the pile. I have a bag for underwear, bag for bikinis and a bag for toiletries. Then to come home, I’d roll everything into a laundry bag.

This is until I came across packing cubes. Essentially, I do the exact same thing, I personally fold my clothes into the packing cubes as I feel the look of the garments stays better and sometimes they can get too creased from rolling, with a bag for day clothes & gym wear, bag for evening clothes, a bag for my shoes, a bag for my toiletries. Everything just fits so neatly, and because it has clips to compress your clothes, there’s no need for me to sit on my suitcase and force it shut, as everything has been compressed and done already! I got this set of 11 from GEEDIER at Amazon for £16.79 (with Amazon Prime, £19.99 without), and I must say, I felt very Kim K with the beige, it just made me happy to look at and set for my holidays! It save space, it keeps my clothes organised and it makes packing and unpacking easier.

You can also get compression cubes - the most space saving, mesh cubes - allowing your clothes to breathe and clear cubes - enabling you to see what’s inside. Great if you’re packing for multiple people/have different types of clothes. Admittedly my Amazon ones are beige baked with a mesh front that lets me see through, and with compression clips so essentially getting 3 in one. If you’re going travelling though, I’d recommend seriously compressing cubes with layers of zips.

To know which cubes are right for you, consider the size of your suitcase (smaller cubes are needed for smaller cases - if it’s an overnight bag I’d probably skip packing cubes altogether), the types of clothes you’re packing (mesh cubes are better for delicate clothing for your luxury holidays, bulky clothes for travelling require compression cubes) and of course, your personal preference.