I use a Tumi softside 22" roller. I have colleagues who have the smaller hardside roller from them and I think "oh gosh, how can they POSSIBLY fit all their stuff in there.

My "secret" to getting extra stuff in my roller is the extra large Ziploc bags for all my clothing and stuff, but like you, I don't like traveling with just one pair of pants, two tops, etc. I need some variety for my working wardrobe if I'm going to be somewhere several days and, no, Chicos Travelers don't cut it on the job.

I think the other variable element here is what you carry as your personal item. I have a few female colleagues who carry small purses or small laptop bags... they therefore NEED the extra roller space. I have three or four "personal items" that I rotate among... so how much I need to get into my roller varies with that too. If I didn't have such a large purse to fit down into my roller, for example, I wouldn't need such a large bag... conversely, if I travel without my laptop, I can deal with either just carrying the purse and a large roller OR doing a giant tote bag with a smaller roller.

I will tell you what I tell my younger colleagues when they ask me what luggage they need. Try lots of different things (like you are doing by taking the pieces home) and if you are making a BIG luggage investment, don't be afraid to go to K-Mart or Target and buy a few CHEAP pieces (the $19 stuff) to try different things (like whether you would enjoy packing with a duffel or a hanging bag or whatever). Most of the folks I know who have been traveling for years have been through different phases with their luggage preferences and the industry is huge leading me to believe "to each his own". What works for me might not work for you.