Packing up all your clothing might seem like a straightforward task, but going about things in a specific way can really help you both in the short and long term. Follow our step-by-step guide and you clothing packing will become so much more than just slinging everything into a suitcase or two: 1.    Have a clear out.In the same way as the rest of your house, we all have a considerable amount of clothing sat in our wardrobes that we just do not want or need. If you have a couple of jumpers that you have been keeping for a decade in the hope that you may one day shed the nineteen pounds you need to get into them; be honest with yourself and admit they can go. Charity shops or jumble sales are excellent ways to get rid of any unwanted items, and having a good purge will make you feel a lot less cluttered, and mean you have considerably less to move. 2.    Set aside a week’s worth of clothing you needWork shirts and/or dresses, the kid’s school clothes and a few things for the weekend; you will need access to all of these items immediately and most probably before you have had time to unpack all of your clothing boxes. While most people pack and emergency box for the kitchen, a box for each bedroom is equally as necessary. The last thing you want to be doing at 7am on Monday morning is rooting through your boxes for an appropriate tie! 3.    Sort your clothes into an orderIt makes most sense to do this by season, but you may have your own way of organising your clothes. What we basically want to achieve here is an order in which to pack, starting with the clothes you are most likely to need first (i.e. your swimming gear in the middle of winter). This will allow you to start your packing early by getting all those things you aren’t going to need for a few months into boxes well before your moving date. 4.    Invest in some wardrobe boxesThese are tall cardboard boxes with a rail across the top, and will save you serious time. They allow you to take items straight from your wardrobes, pack them, move them and unpack them without having to worry about hangars, folding and unfolding, creasing or any other annoying and potentially time-consuming considerations that usually come with packing clothes.   5.    Consider using luggage or other methods of storageSuitcases are obviously designed for transporting clothes, but could be better suited to moving heavier items such as books. Think about the way your clothing is currently stored – could you take the drawers out of your chest and simply cover the top? This would mean you don’t have to pack them. A lot of people also have linen wardrobe boxing that can also be useful in moving situations, and again means you do not have to think about packing the contents, only protecting them for transit. 6.    Pack shoes separatelyThis makes sense, right? Shoes can be dirty and can leave marks on other items of clothing if they come into close contact. Best to avoid. 7.    Pack different rooms and/or peoples clothing separatelyThis allows everyone their own boxes and negates a potential point of conflict when the unpacking commences. If everyone has their own clothes in their own boxes then they can be responsible for the pack and unpack (if you are willing to let that happen!), meaning no one can be blamed for things going missing!