Pack Less, Wear More: Why We Swear By the 3-3-3 Carry On Method

If there is one question we get more than any other before a trip, it is some version of "how do I fit everything into one bag?" We get it. You want options. You want to feel like yourself. And you really do not want to be the woman wrestling an oversized suitcase into an overhead bin while everyone behind you sighs.

So today we are sharing the packing method that has genuinely changed the way we travel, and the way a lot of our Lois & Claire women pack too: the 3-3-3 method.

What is the 3-3-3 method?

It is exactly as simple as it sounds. You pack three tops, three bottoms and three pairs of shoes, and you choose every single piece so it works with every other piece. Every top goes with every bottom, every shoe works with more than one look, and suddenly nine pieces are giving you dozens of outfits.

We love the math on this one. Nine core pieces can realistically give you well over twenty different combinations once you start mixing and layering. That is a week (or two) of looking put together without checking a single bag.

Why we love it for our trips

First, less decision fatigue. When every piece in your bag already works with every other piece, you are not standing in a hotel room at 7am negotiating with your suitcase. Grab a top, grab a bottom, done. More time for coffee, more time for the group, more time for whatever beautiful thing we are about to go see.

Second, it forces you to pack pieces you actually love. There is no room for the "just in case" cardigan you have never once worn on a trip.

Third, and maybe our favorite part, it leaves you room. Room for the scarf you cannot resist buying, the bottle of something local, the gift for the person back home. A lighter bag going out means a fuller one coming home, and that is exactly how it should be.

How to make it work

Start with your shoes, since they are the bulkiest and least flexible part of your outfit math. One comfortable walking shoe, one slightly dressier flat or sandal, and one pair that can go from day to evening will carry you further than you think.

Stick to a color story. Pick two or three colors that all play nicely together and build your tops and bottoms from there.

Let fabric do some of the work. A great scarf, a layering piece or a statement necklace can make the same top feel brand new for dinner after you wore it sightseeing all day.

And give yourself one wildcard. We are not purists. If there is one dress or one piece that makes you feel like the best version of yourself on a trip, find room for it. The method is meant to serve you, not the other way around.

One more thing we always suggest to our travelers: tuck an easy to pack duffle bag into your suitcase before you leave. We love this foldable duffel from Samsonite for exactly this reason, it folds down into its own little pouch and weighs almost nothing on the way there, but it means you have somewhere for all the treasures you pick up along the way when it is time to come home. And there is a bonus to checking a bag on the return instead of the outbound flight. If it ever gets delayed or lost, at least you are already home, not stranded somewhere without your things.

Our take

We built Lois & Claire around the idea that travel should feel joyful, not stressful, starting from the moment you zip your suitcase closed. So next time you are packing for one of our adventures, give it a try. Three tops, three bottoms, three pairs of shoes, all of it working together. Your future self, breezing past the baggage carousel, will thank you.