Edit the closet before a single box gets taped
Every garment you pack costs you twice: once to box it and once to hang it again. Spend an hour pulling anything that does not fit, has not been worn in a year, or needs a repair you will never make, and bag it for donation before packing day.
If you are leaving a colder city for the Las Vegas Valley, be honest about the heavy coats. Winters here are short and mild, so most people keep one or two warm layers and let the rest go. Our guide on how to declutter your closet walks through the decisions category by category.
Keep hanging clothes on hangers, grouped in small bundles
Leaving clothes on their hangers is the single biggest time saver in closet packing. Wardrobe boxes with a metal bar work well for suits, dresses and long coats; for everything else, gather eight to twelve hangers, twist-tie the hooks together and pull a large trash bag up from the bottom as a sleeve.
Bundles small enough to lift with one hand stay neat and are easy to rehang. Keep delicate fabrics in breathable garment bags rather than plastic for the trip.
Step by step
- Set aside what you will wear
Pack one suitcase with a week of outfits, pajamas and the shoes you need, and keep it with you.
- Edit and remove donations
Bag and remove anything you are not taking so it does not end up boxed by mistake.
- Pack off-season and folded items
Box sweaters, swimwear and storage pieces first, since you will not miss them.
- Bundle hanging clothes
Group hangers by category, sleeve them, and lay bundles flat or hang them in wardrobe boxes.
- Wrap shoes and bags last
Stuff, wrap and pack them upright in small, sturdy boxes.
- Label and log
Mark each box with room, person and zone, and add it to your box list.
Shoes, handbags and accessories need structure, not just a box
Shoes and bags get crushed when they are tossed loose into a carton. Stuff each shoe with socks or packing paper, wrap pairs together, and stand them heel-down in a sturdy box with the heaviest pairs at the bottom.
Handbags keep their shape when stuffed with tissue and stored in their dust bags, packed upright like books. Belts can be rolled, and jewelry belongs in a small box you carry yourself rather than on the truck.
- Boots: stuff the shafts so they do not crease
- Structured bags: tissue inside, dust bag outside, stood upright
- Ties and scarves: rolled into a shoebox
- Fine jewelry and watches: in your personal bag, never the moving truck
Label by zone so the new closet comes together quickly
A label that only says 'closet' forces you to open every box to find your work clothes. Write the room, the person and the zone, for example 'Primary closet, hers, workwear,' on two sides and the top.
Number the boxes and keep a short list on your phone. Our article on how to label moving boxes explains a simple system that holds up on a busy moving day.
Summer moves in Las Vegas call for a little extra care
A moving truck parked in July sun gets extremely hot, and some closet items do not tolerate it well. Leather can dry and crack, adhesives on shoe soles can soften, and perfume or makeup tucked into a closet bin can spoil or leak.
Pull fragrances, cosmetics and anything with sequins glued on into a box that rides in your air-conditioned car. If the move stretches over several days, ask your movers whether the truck will sit loaded overnight.
