Anya Lakovlieva, who posts on TikTok as @nolimitua, had 25 million views for the airport selfie video she posted last September. It wasn’t because of a Balenciaga tracksuit or a Timothée Chalamet photobomb, but because a peek inside her travel pillow revealed she’d removed the foam padding. and filled it with clothes – to maximize a few extra cubic centimeters of storage space.

If you’re rolling your eyes at what looks like an over-the-top ploy, you might want to read the fine print of your holiday flight booking a little more carefully. EasyJet, Ryanair and Wizz Air now charge hefty fees, not just for baggage stowed in the hold, but also for bags and rolling suitcases that need to be stowed in overhead bins. Only a bag small enough to fit under the seat in front of you is included with most seats. And – just in case you were thinking of changing it – yes, those rules are enforced. Returning from Bilbao airport recently I witnessed firsthand Ryanair ground crew imposing penalties on passengers with wheeled suitcases they had not paid for, some of which were surprised because they didn’t realize the rules had changed.

Meanwhile, this summer’s airport chaos adds an adrenaline rush of the risk of seeing it again one day to the financial cost of checking your baggage. A shortage of baggage handlers has left passengers at Gatwick facing anxious waits for luggage stuck on planes as there are no staff to unload it. On one particularly bad day at Heathrow recently, three-hour queues at check-in counters left some travelers with a tough choice between missing their flight and leaving their suitcase behind.

Full disclosure. I am not a natural light packer. For many years, my rule of thumb was: if I can lift my own suitcase, I don’t have enough shoes. So trust me when I say if I can travel light, anyone can. I’ve changed my ways and now I much prefer a streamlined bag, not least because it cuts down on that tedious pile of laundry after the holidays. It will also reduce your carbon footprint as a lighter aircraft consumes less fuel. I present to you: a 10-point plan for your smallest holiday wardrobe.

1. Know your rights

Rules vary by airline. For example, your bag size under the free seat is 40cm x 25cm x 20cm on Ryanair, but 45cm x 36cm x 20cm on easyJet. Some airlines charge different fees for extra cabins and checked baggage depending on weight. some only care about measurements. These are not facts you want to grapple with for the first time in the departures hall, eyes cloudy and tired at 6 a.m. If you’re traveling with kids, or you’re going away for a long time, or you really can’t live without your yoga mat or your omelette pan or whatever, consider sharing a suitcase with your friends or your family so you are only paying for one.

2. Travel light by dressing heavily

You know that episode of Friends, The One Where No One’s Ready, where Joey is wearing all of Chandler’s clothes at the same time? Well, Joey Tribbiani is your style icon for your airport attire, my friend. If you’re traveling super light, with only what fits in a bag under the seat – we’re talking about the size of a standard backpack, the kind you see on high school students at the bus stop – then you will have to wear almost as many clothes as you wear. (When you get on the plane, stay cool by turning on the ceiling fan.) Just because you won’t need a coat on vacation doesn’t mean you shouldn’t wear one in the office. Airplane: Pull out a light coat or jacket with big pockets and stuff it with your phone charger, vacation reads, socks, whatever. If you have, or can borrow, one of those little flat zippered shoulder bags, put your passport, wallet and sunglasses in it and wear it under your jacket, where it will keep them safe and won’t be able to not be seen, then will not count towards your allowance – it will also be useful on vacation.

3. A few fun clothes are better than a lot of boring clothes…

You know how you’re told that a “capsule vacation wardrobe” should be coordinated in navy and white or whatever? Absolute waste. It’s a vacation wardrobe, not a school uniform. The way to be happier with fewer clothes is to pick pieces that you love and that instantly make you feel well-dressed. Grab your favorite vintage band tee instead of three neutral crewnecks. Grab a dress that’s comfortable but special enough to wear to dinner, and wear it during the day as well, instead of boring shorts and a cardigan.

4. …but be realistic about your vacation

There’s another maddeningly unnecessary trope to the holiday wardrobe tale, which goes, “In golden hour, slip a taffeta skirt over your bathing suit and you’re ready for cocktails.” That’s great, but who’s gonna cook the kids’ pasta and shake the sand off the beach towels while you’re strolling through your imaginary taffeta? Come on, who’s making the cocktails? Resist cosplay from Instagram influencers and think about the specifics of your vacation. For example: this year we are going to Hydra in Greece, renting a house which as far as I can tell is at the top of about a million steps, so even though I like long dresses (loose, more mozzie- protection), I’ll take shorter ones so I don’t trip over them.

5. Take what you can wash

It’s easier to pack light clothes if you take clothes that you can wash and wear again after sweating or dripping ice on them. You don’t need a washing machine: a sink and travel soap (or just normal soap) are perfectly fine. Choose lightweight fabrics like silk, which dry faster than cotton and take up less room in your bag.

6. Don’t take high heels

Is your destination Casa Amor? Nope? So leave the high heels at home. There are many chic flat sandals that will work day or night. (If you’re buying, check out Kin’s Lillian Black Leather Platform Pumps at John Lewis, £59.)

7. Learn to live without your tracksuit

Observation from my post-pandemic air travel: The plush, brushed material from which most tracksuits are made has become a comfortable blanket for the modern man. I’ve seen plenty of men on their way to hot destinations wearing sweatpants on the plane. The fabric is super bulky and too warm for weather over 30C. Mate, I know trackies are comfortable but it’s a two hour plane ride; it’s not going to kill you to wear, say, light tailored pants, which will be much more useful on vacation.

8. Roll it all up

Rolled clothes take up less space. Lay out two or three pieces on top of each other on your bed – really flat if you don’t want them to crease – then roll tightly from one end, squeezing air out and crumpling them up. gradually.

9. Be a god of little things

Go for packing lots of small but fabulous things. Swimsuits and bikinis take up virtually no space, so if you spend most of the day in them, you can double your vacation wardrobe while adding minimal bulk. I’ve got my eye on Kióhne’s expensive (€170) but very chic Bay swimsuit, which has stone beading on the straps and a thick, textured fabric that would make an instant beach outfit paired with a pair of jeans cuts. Stylish earrings, a colorful silk scarf to tie in your hair: it’s the little things that go a long way.

10. Get out of the suitcase

When my kids were little, they were obsessed with pool inflatables. These were awesome on vacation – hours of book reading for me! – but, since they never returned to their original size, bulky and expensive to transport. One year I made arrangements with the owner of the villa we were renting in Spain to post them in advance. OK, she thought I was a total lunatic, but it worked and cost a fraction of the price of taking them as luggage. A friend of mine orders the books she wants to read on vacation online a few days before her departure and indicates her vacation destination as the delivery address. Crazy, yes, but also a kind of genius. Oh, and don’t forget your travel pillow.