Okay, I have to come clean about something.

This is one of the questions I get most often — "Aimara, your tips are great, but I'm not a size XS. Does any of this actually work for me?"

And for a long time I kind of danced around it. Not because I didn't care, but because it's genuinely not my personal experience. I'm a size small, and I didn't want to pretend I had all the answers when I don't.

But here's what changed my mind...

I watch my husband pack for every single trip we take. He's Dutch, size L, and carry-on only — always has been, always will be.

I see his clothes right next to mine before every trip and the difference is SO real. His sweaters, his pants, his shoes — everything is physically bigger and heavier than mine. And yet? Carry-on. Every time.

My mother-in-law is tall and also a size L. Same story. These people don't even think twice about it — it's just how they travel.

So when you ask me if it's possible, I want to look you in the eye (through the screen 😄) and say: yes. A thousand times yes. It just takes a little more intention.

And today I'm sharing the 3 things that make the biggest difference — plus a link to the full guide I wrote this week for anyone who wants to go deeper.

1️⃣ Fabric is everything — and I mean everything.

This tip matters for every traveler, but it matters more when your pieces are larger to begin with.

A size 14 pair of heavy jeans takes up a genuinely different amount of space than a size 4 pair. That's just physics, not a personal failing — and I think it's important to say that out loud instead of pretending the challenge isn't real.

The fix is actually pretty simple: swap heavy, rigid pieces for fabrics that are lightweight, wrinkle-resistant, and packable. Think jersey knits, linen blends, modal, Ponte, anything with a bit of stretch. These fabrics compress well, they don't wrinkle into a disaster in your suitcase, and most of them are way more comfortable to wear all day anyway. Win-win-win.

My current obsession for this is the Albion Fit Destination Joggers — they are shockingly lightweight, look polished enough for a nice dinner out, and pack down to almost nothing. They also come in a wide leg version that is incredibly flattering on taller and curvier bodies.

If you're going to swap out ONE thing in your current packing list, I'd honestly start here. For other bottoms, Quince's stretch Ponte pants and their tapered linen pants are both carry-on heroes.

2️⃣ You do not need a fresh outfit every single day.

I know, I know. Stick with me here!

When you're actually on a trip (especially somewhere with cooler weather or a packed sightseeing schedule), you genuinely aren't going through clothes the way you do at home.

My personal formula is 1 top every 2 days and 1 bottom every 3 days. And here's my favorite trick to make that feel totally natural instead of gross 😂: wear tomorrow's "day top" to dinner tonight.

Here's what that means in practice: you put on a fresh top for the evening, wear it for just a few hours at dinner, and it stays clean enough to wear again for a full day. You feel put-together at dinner AND you stretch that top across two wears without it ever feeling like a repeat. It's such a small thing but it honestly changes the whole equation.

The other piece of this is building your packing list around a tight color palette — meaning every single top matches every single bottom. Once you do that, 6 tops and 3 bottoms stop feeling like "not enough". You have 18 outfits right there.

That's the math that makes carry-on travel work, no matter your size.

3️⃣ How you pack matters just as much as what you pack.

This one is so underrated and it's honestly kind of fun once you get the hang of it 😄

Three techniques that actually save serious space:

• The bundle method is my favorite for avoiding wrinkles and maximizing space at the same time. You lay your largest, flattest items on the bottom of your suitcase, then layer clothes on top of each other in a star pattern with sleeves and pant legs extending over the edges. Then you bundle everything around a soft center item like a rolled knit. It sounds complicated so I linked a video here if you want to see it in action!
• Rolling is best for softer pieces like tees, tanks, jersey dresses, knits, etc. Fold the sides in and roll tightly from the bottom up. It genuinely fits more than folding does.
• And the one people always forget: stuff your shoes. Every single pair goes into a shoe bag or a plastic bag, and then gets stuffed with socks, underwear, and small random things.

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Will it require more intention than packing for someone in a size XS? Yes, probably. Will you pack fewer pieces? Also yes.

But the principles are the same:

✅ build around a tight color palette

✅ make every top match every bottom

✅ choose lightweight fabrics

✅ re-wear intentionally

✅ and pack less than you think you need.

There's so much more in the full blog post I published this week...

Including a complete packing list sample for a 10-12 day trip, how to build your color palette before you even open your suitcase, and why planning one mid-trip laundry run is actually a packing strategy, not a failure.

I'm really proud of this one and I think you're going to find it useful.

👉 Read the full guide: How To Pack Light No Matter Your Size​

And if YOU have figured out carry-on travel in a larger size — please share your tips in the comments on the blog post. Seriously.

The best advice on this topic is going to come from your lived experience, and I'd love for that post to grow into something we build together.

You deserve to travel light. No matter your size.

XO,

Aimara

>>> PS: I'm actually working on building a private community. I want all of us to be together in one place. All shapes and sizes so we can learn from each another. It's going to take a little while because I'm making it more like a "classroom". I already have some awesome ladies in there giving me great feedback - Hopefully I'll be able to share some updates with you later this year!

Keep reading about packing light:

• ​Minimalist Packing: 5 Mindset Shifts That Will Change Everything For You​
• ​The Wrinkle Free Travel Clothes That Always Look Great Out of a Suitcase​
• ​7 Most Common Packing Mistakes I See Women Make ALL The Time​