What are you top magical tips to pack less clothing but still have versatility? Bonus points for tips applicable to carry ons. Thank you 
There are so many Youtube channels addressing this, but it seems to boil down to your own personal style, function vs. fashion, and the climate and country you are going to. You can play with an AI program telling them where you are going and when, fits in a carry on, etc. and ask it to create a packing list that offers versatility.
Iām a very light traveller and always get compliments on my clothes. I can go on a 21 day cruise with a carryon. I really coordinate my outfits and will bring dresses that I can wear leggings under if it gets cooler. I tend to like black, white and gray for the evening so coordinate those colors. If Iām on a warm weather holiday, Iāll bring about three bright colored beach cover ups that are stylish enough to wear as dresses. I wear runners going on a flight and bring one pair of sandals that goes with everything and a pair of flip flops. Instead of bringing sweaters, I bring a shawl that goes with all my outfits. Iāve never felt the need for any extra clothes other than whatās in my carryon.
Less is better. I am continually assessing my packing, throwing out anything that is not carrying itās weight. Too much stuff does my head in. You always need less than you think. For women skirts are a great choice, you can wear a skirt a lot more times before washing than pants 
and if long enough can double as a dress. I make a visual packing list on Pinterest. I love it, helps me review what was a good choice and what was a dud when Iām ready to pack the next time. I am actually obsessed with packing, itās one of my favourite things to think/dream about 
I used to do a lot of hiking and backpacking trips. If you really want to pack light, layers are the way to go - and itās probably more function than fashion. If you want to bring one ānicerā shirt - well, polyester has its place as itās as lightweight, inexpensive, easy to clean. Shoes are always a space taker - so pick them carefully - and really limit them to a max of 2. One pair of sneakers, one pair of sandals (depending on climate).
Really most places you go if you really find you need something, you can purchase it. In the US there are āthriftā stores everywhere that sell used clothing at steep discounts - you can buy for as little as 2-3 USD, use, then donate to a charity if itās still in good shape on departure.
My top tip is to pack a suitcase whilst at home in the weather youāll meet at the location youāre planning to visit, I do this 6 mths ahead. Itās hard to imagine extreme heat whilst in the depth of winter at home.
Example: itās very hot in England in May right now (34Ā°C) so Iām currently filling a small suitcase of clothing suitable for Xmas in Perth Australia in 7 mths time.
Only ever carry on luggage for us so one pair of trousers, one long skirt, 4 sleeveless tops, one long sleeve tee, one shirt, one dress, one jumper, one jacket, one scarf/sarong, one hat, flip flops, swimmy, trainers, sandals, headband, a few bits of jewellery & make up, sunnies, medical kit, spare phone & my laptop. All interchangeable, every piece goes with the rest of it. My own rules are always pack sunnies (sunshine, hangover or a bad day), flip flops (heat, beach, dirty shower), a hat (sun, rain or bad hair day) and a scarf (sarong, blanket, skirt/shoulder covering in a temple or as a good old scarf). #youregoodtogo
What a fantastic topic @Gratitude - Iām a chronic over-packer - so Iāll be keeping an eye on this thread for tips! I know in my heart that I donāt need six pairs of socks for a two-night trip, but I canāt stop myself
Has anyone found their packing habits changing over time since they started sitting?
Use the 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 packing hack. 5 underwear, 4 tops, 3 bottoms, 2 shoes, 1 coat. I went 5 months in the UK over winter/spring uing this for carry on only. It was brilliant and so liberating for me who was a chronic over packer. Not any more.
In my case (see what I did there?): Give up. Accept that, despite 20 years working in aviation and being forever on the move, you will never, ever, EVER learn to pack sensibly. Once you stop demanding that particular skill of yourself, you have so much more energy to devote to the important stuff, like ā¦ Can slugs actually fly? Is Edinburgh really west of Bristol? How long would you last on the surface of Mercury? And why, when we can transplant or repair just about every organ in the human body, we can do diddly squat about the horrible thick, kinky hair Nature gave us?
Reminds me: Must find a way to jemmy the straighteners into the bag for my next sit..
@Gratitude, we are full-time international housesitters (7 month trip in 2025) that take no checked luggage. Six ideas from our experience-
- Luggage - Assess permitted size of carry-on luggage & personal item per your likely-to-use airlines. Buy optimal luggage for those specifications. Internal wheels better than external wheels. We use the Rick Steves Rolling Carry-on luggage - perfect for Westjet & Easyjet, our primary airlines.
- Compression bags - We had never heard of compression bags until we started housesitting. For us, they are a game changer. Implicit in name, they compress items (e.g. clothes) within a bag. Helpful but we also great purpose in acting as psychological ādrawersā to keep stuff relatively organized. Bonus points for buying compression bag set that fits neatly within earlier optimal luggage.
- Shoes - Pack fewer shoes. Just do it. They take lots room
- Continuous refinement - Over time, weāve gradually culled more and more stuff. This includes travel power chargers, standardizing cables/ports, toiletries (last year we tried shampoo soap), all sorts. After each trip, we reflect on learnings.
- Let go - Pack things that youāre going to use. Mindset of carrying stuff just-in-case doesnāt work on limited-packing context. Function over fashion
- Buy as-need - We give ourselves permission, an odd concept!, to buy clothing for temporary use while traveling. For example - if weāre somewhere and itās unexpectedly cold then we may buy inexpensive warm clothing, use it, then donate it to a charity store.
Not since sitting but I lost my suitcase many years on a trip around Colombia. I took it in my stride and discovered it was more about my travel experiences than the clothes I was wearing. That changed my packing habits
Yeah, but when youāve worn the same bra for 6 days and you are missing your toothbrush more than youāve ever missed any loverā¦?
If you are travelling around Australia weight really matters. Weāve been subjected to many luggage sizers through Europe but not that often weighed. Australia carry on is generally 7kg, also on flights to Asia, Bali. And yes they usually weigh all bags. I can cleverly pack an enormous amount into a given space but it is very likely that will be well over weight. Lugging around heavy luggage gets old quick. Iāve seen plenty of people standing at the top of stairs in the train station with a carry on case they canāt lift.
Last year I bought a ācoatedā dress. Itās faux leather. Sleeveless. I call it my wipe off dress because if you spill anything on it you just wipe it off. Iām thinking that one dress with 3 or 4 tops might be all I need plus maybe something to wear on the odd washing day
Now my brain is exploding to " if I wore the dress on the plane I could get by with all my tops in the stuffable pillow and hardly need luggage at all 
thinking I might have to test this theory 
@Gratitude, think one of my most stressful days last year was returning āhomeā from extended travels (limited, simple outfits) and being presented with a normal selection of clothes. All those choices seemed overwhelming and exhausting 
. Less is more 
.. Ha! I can go one better! From now on, I will be travelling wrapped only in a large bin liner.
As the saying goes the more you travel the less you bring.
My best self learned tip is only pack as if youāre going for a week and plan to wash the clothing on a regular cycle using a small amount of detergent that you can bring with you if necessary. 7 of everything, no more! And socks can be good for more than one use as can T shirts.
@DieFledermaus Could get a bit smelly in heatwaves . Have only used my wipe off dress in cooler temps, with a layer between it and my armpits and so far that has been good. More stylish and durable than a bin liner, granted not as easy and cheap to replace .
Good point. But waitā¦ I could make holes in it. Or better still, if itās really hot, I could wear nothing at all. There! Packing problems solved!