It’s amazing how many items of clothing I can fit in my trusty hard-shell Samsonite suitcase. But there are times when I am 0.1 pounds shy of the 50-pound limit on the scale at the airport check-in counter, and I think to myself, “There must be another way.” I’ve never been a type A person when it comes to packing; I often rummage through my wardrobe, choosing not to count the pairs of socks and pants by vacation days but instead opting to always bring the maximum amount of items I can carry. I reason that it’s never a bad idea to have backups, and there have been plenty of times when I wished for one more sweater. But when I heard about the sudoku packing method, I was intrigued. I decided to try it for a weeklong vacation this summer in St. Louis to see if it changed my packing mindset. Here’s how it went.

The Smart Way To Stay Organized

Popularized online by travel content creator Natalie Shaquer, the sudoku packing method (also known as the 3x3x3 method) is a packing strategy that uses a three-by-three grid of three tops, three bottoms, and three layers to create at least 27 unique outfit combinations from just nine pieces. 

Incorporating interchangeable items that work well together means there is no fuss when it comes to selecting your attire for the day — just choose one bottom, top, and layering piece, and you’re all set to explore. When creating your grid, you can arrange it to see the overall vision using a structure like this:

• Top row: top, bottom, layer
• Middle row: layer, top, bottom
• Bottom row: bottom, layer, top

That’s easy enough, but deciding on which items are going to be worn again and again can be a bit trickier. More on that below.

Mix and Match by Color and Season

Depending on the season and your travel destination, the items of clothing will vary, but a good rule of thumb is to select mostly neutrals and a few items in various patterns and with pops of color. There is no particular item that needs to be off-limits, but keep in mind that if you choose a bolder option, such as a cheetah-print cardigan, you may wish to incorporate more neutral shades to quiet the roar. At the same time, if you have a ton of black bottoms, you may want to avoid navy or brown and instead enhance the look with more colorful tops and layers.

Selecting a color palette was an easy way to get started when I realized I already had a lot of pink and blue in my wardrobe. Those two colors paired nicely with lighter neutrals like white and gray, which were better than black for the hot temperatures in St. Louis this time of year. As someone who is a big fan of color, I made sure to select two long skirts — one white cotton and one denim blend — along with my navy shorts to go with my bright magenta, blue polka dot, and heather gray tops. 

Choosing lighter materials for the weather was also important when selecting my grid, and I tried to choose flowy items that wouldn’t feel stuffy in the summer humidity. I wasn’t confident I would use a lot of layers on this trip, so I made sure that cardigans and light jackets were also lightweight. 

Curating Each Item

Overall, using the sudoku packing method encouraged me to be more mindful about the items I was selecting. As I was planning to wear each piece more than once, I made sure to select garments that were already the base of my style at home, such as my favorite pair of navy blue summer shorts. I knew I’d be happy wearing them over and over.

Meticulously curating each item also meant that I evaluated quality over quantity: Would this skirt hold up if I used it for numerous nights during my vacation, or should I choose another that was made of better material? Throughout this process, I was aware of how many items I didn’t think I would realistically wear more than once based on comfort. In the past, I would have packed a few itchy dresses that never even made it out of my luggage. 

When It’s Impractical

After my trip to St. Louis using the sudoku packing method, I recognized that the trend had a lot of merit, but there were some cons, too. I appreciated having much lighter luggage, but I quickly found that using these items over and over meant that I needed to do more laundry throughout my vacation, especially after hot days exploring downtown. 

And while I found it convenient that I didn’t have to give much thought to my outfits each day, I did miss having dressier options meant specifically for dinner occasions or other festivities. My wardrobe became predictable in a sense, and while that was stress-free, it felt like I was somewhat limited while I was on vacation, and I was excited to get home to my other clothes. In the end, sticking to the strict sudoku method probably wasn’t for me, but I could see how it might come in handy for some travelers (particularly for quick trips), and it will definitely encourage me to be more mindful about what I’m packing in the future.