Painless Packing for Men on Move

How many suitcases did you pack for your last vacation?

Designer Ron Chereskin says everything a man needs can be packed in one suitcase and he’ll be stylish wherever he goes, whether it’s sightseeing in SoHo or attending a Broadway show.

“Everyone packs too much,” said Chereskin, sitting in the open-air upper tier of a double-decker bus making its way along the busy streets of midtown Manhattan.

Chereskin’s advice: Use a neutral color (khaki, gray or black) for the basics, then add color with a shirt, knit or sport coat. By mixing and matching a trouser, pants, shorts and several shirts with a sport coat, the “man on the go” can pack everything he needs in one suitcase--and have enough clothes to create 20 outfits.

Here’s Chereskin’s sample suitcase: one gray dress trouser, one khaki pant, one khaki short, one olive green V-neck jersey knit, one blue knit polo shirt, one print silk shirt (optional), one seersucker shirt, one tie, one white T-shirt and one navy sport coat. Minimize accessories: belts, ties, dress shoes.

Wear the navy sport coat with the seersucker shirt, tie and gray trouser. Or pair the sport coat with the blue knit polo shirt and the khaki pants. Another option: the sport coat with the T and khakis.

For travel, Chereskin suggests fabrics that offer maximum comfort for minimal care: cotton piques, rayon and rayon blends; polyester blends, microfibers and knits. “When you’re traveling, you don’t want to worry about dry-cleaning or ironing,” he said.

Other Chereskin tips:

* Roll knits, slacks, cotton shirts to prevent wrinkles and maximize space.

* Place clothes in plastic cleaning bags or layer tissue paper between each item to reduce the prospect of wrinkles.

* Always pack shoes and heavier items at the bottom of the bag so they don’t crush your wardrobe.

The Modern Tourist is the theme of Chereskin’s spring 1999 collection of khakis, cargo shorts, twill and drawstring pants; cotton shirts and cardigans; linen and seersucker shirts; and two- and three-button sport coats.