The critical buckling loads of unsymmetrically laminated rectangular plates with a given material system and subjected to combined lateral and inplane loads are maximized with respect to fiber orientations by using a sequential linear programming method together with a simple move-limit strategy. Significant influence of plate aspect ratios, central circular cutouts, lateral loads and end conditions on the optimal fiber orientations and the associated optimal buckling loads of unsymmetrically laminated plates has been shown through this investigation.