Whether you’re going for a bouji week in Ibiza, some tranquil downtime in Hydra, or a long-haul jolly to Bali this summer, one box that needs to be ticked and ticked well is your vacation wardrobe.

So we’ve curated our essential hot-weather ingredients for a stylish and seamless stay, from the perfect garments to the must-have accessories that’ll take you from the airport to the pool.

Patterned Short-Sleeve Shirt

Is it even a vacation without a patterned short-sleeved shirt? But honestly, don’t leave home without one, or three.

These little beauts are so versatile because you can wear them in so many different ways – they’re perfect worn with swim shorts by the pool or at the beach, but in the evenings they double up as fun, smart garments you can pair with chinos or tailored shorts.

Camp collar styles are perfect if you like a touch of Cuban heritage in your dressed-down looks, while the patterned element is always a nice way to bring a pop of colour to your vacation ensembles.

Long-Sleeve Linen Shirt

The long-sleeve linen shirt is a staple on the Cote D’Azur and the Italian Riviera, boasting a certain moneyed sophistication and preppy old-school charm.

It’s also super practical for fair-skinned people because it provides good UV protection while not entirely thwarting tanning potential.

Like the short-sleeved shirt above, the linen shirt is a wardrobe chameleon, able to dance with literally everything you can think of. Give the sleeves a nonchalant roll-back and you’ll fit right in with Europe’s most discerning summer dressers.

Luxe Espadrilles

From humble beginnings, today’s espadrilles have evolved to become something altogether more refined. While the jute soles typically remain, the build quality, fabric provenance and all-round design have improved, creating an elegant yet supremely casual vacation shoe that you can wear with every single look you take with you.

If laidback refinement is your vibe, pair them with a short-sleeve shirt and chinos in the evenings. In the day, they’ll bookend even the most relaxed shorts and T-shirt combo.

Tailored Swim Shorts

Tailored swim shorts were repopularised by Orlebar Brown over a decade ago and have become the de facto swim shorts style for stylish dudes who appreciate build quality and fine details.

Where they have the edge over longer Bermuda or board short styles is in their ability to weave themselves into the smarter elements of your wardrobe, so you can head to a bouji lunch in them without feeling underdressed.

Tailored Shorts

By the same token, tailored shorts are an absolute requisite too, especially if your trip away is more of a city break than a beach one.

Khaki tone styles are versatile and will provide a rugged sartorial edge to your casual short-sleeved shirts, whereas white designs offer a crisp and polished look that you can dress up with a linen blazer.

Towelling Polo

If there’s one fabric that enjoyed a renaissance over the last few years, it’s terry towelling, the dense cotton cloth constructed from tightly woven loops. Originally made for towels, today’s terry uses softer, denser piles to create a really soft fabric perfect for vacation wardrobes.

The polo option is super easy to wear but you can also find plenty of short-sleeve shirt styles, as well as matching short sets. We love the textural element it brings to summer fits, and because of its absorbing and quick-drying qualities, it’s perfect for poolside lounging.

Knitted Polo

A stylish alternative to the towelling polo above is the knitted polo shirt, which has been having a moment in recent years.

Typically constructed from cotton or merino wool, it brings a different type of textural quality to your vacation fits. It also offers just the right amount of sartorialism and sporty aesthetics for laid-back yet elegant summer dressing.

Statement Sunglasses

Whatever face shape you have or frame silhouette you prefer, a statement pair of sunglasses is non-negotiable.

Of course, they serve the functional purpose of protecting your eyes from harmful UV rays, but let’s be honest — no one buys them for that. They are the last word on your vacation style, the detail that makes a good outfit great.

They’re also like personal signifiers, so don’t take your sunglasses’ style lightly—metal-framed aviators say something very different to oversized acetate bug eyes.

Vacation Watch

Time flies when you’re having fun, so it’s even more important to keep track of it on your holidays, especially when you’ve got dinner reservations to make and flights to catch.

The vacation watch must be understated and robust, so divers are always a good bet, especially since you’ll be in and out of the water.

Omega’s Seamaster is a great investment piece that will have your back all day, but it also doubles up as a smart timepiece that you can wear with tailoring or refined fits in the evenings.

Wide-Leg Linen Trousers

Wide-legged, super lightweight and a breeze to style, linen trousers are a vacation essential. They are the summer trousers that glue all of your slightly dressier looks together while still projecting an inherently casual vibe.

Especially useful on hot evenings, when shorts won’t cut the sartorial mustard, linen trousers can be worn with fisherman sandals or leather slides and a short-sleeve shirt for a perfectly refined summer look.

Timeless Sun Hat

Not long ago, hats were an essential part of a man’s daily uniform as underpants, but not so these days. Which, in a way, makes them even more impactful because they really make you stand out from the crowd.

While baseball caps are ubiquitous, they don’t necessarily add anything special to your vacation looks, whereas a great sun hat really sets you apart.

Brands such as Brixton, Christie’s, and Nick Fouquet all produce beautiful woven styles, such as Panamas and other wider-brim variations, that will not only protect your face from the sun but also bring an entirely new energy to your vacation looks.

Cotton or Linen Chinos

Preppy, versatile and a cinch to style, cotton or linen chinos offer just the right level of East Coast collegiate cool. This makes them an excellent choice for relaxed evening fits during a cosmopolitan summer vacation.

Wear them slightly cropped for a nonchalant European style and pair them with espadrilles and a knitted polo for an understated quiet luxury look.

Luxe Leather Sandals

Although the ubiquitous plastic slide might trump on functionality, when it comes to style, the leather sandal is in a league of its own.

They come in many shapes and designs, from woven suede fisherman sandals to minimalist black crossover slide options, and almost all of these can be worn as part of dressed-up evening looks as well as more laidback day fits.

Combine them with wide-leg linen trousers and a linen shirt for a chic aesthetic you could wear to an al fresco restaurant.

Vacation Sneakers

When you need footwear that’s a little more robust than sandals or espadrilles, sneakers are a great call, especially if you’re schlepping around a new town in search of eateries, bars or shops.

Since packing light is always a preferred option, you need your summer sneakers to tick off as many looks as possible, so a sporty pump is often the most useful. You essentially want a lightweight sneaker that can eat up the miles while still looking the business when you dress them up.

Something like Adidas’s reissues of its iconic Gazelle and Spezial kicks are a good on-trend option, while a lo-fi leather pump is another good choice that you can wear with smarter vacation looks.

Beach Bag

It might seem like a rudimentary piece of kit and not something you should give much time to thinking about, but the vacation beach bag is a great way to frame your summer aesthetic.

Yes, it has tons of utility, but today’s bags also reveal much about your overall style and luxury allegiances. Go rustic with a locally crafted artisanal bag in raffia, or opt for a luxe laidback carry-all that will turn heads at the bouji beach bars.

Breton T-Shirt

A staple of discerning French summer wardrobes for over a century, the nautically-inspired Breton tee is one of those easy-to-wear garments that never gets old or boring.

The simple navy horizontal stripes give the humble tee a smart disposition you can wear with almost anything, including summer tailoring.

We’d pair it with linen trousers and espadrilles for a supremely sophisticated dressed-down look brimming with sprezzatura.

Washbag

Rather than spending 15 minutes rummaging through your case for insect repellent every time you hear the ominous squeal of a mosquito, why not organise your toiletries with a smart wash bag?

Inherently practical, a stylish wash bag also makes you feel, well, somehow grown up, especially the swanky leather styles. A good one will be your companion for years, so it’s a worthy investment.

Linen Blazer

When you’re holidaying somewhere uber-chic, you may be dining in establishments that require a smarter level of attire – cue the linen blazer.

Typically, they come unstructured, so although they conform to sartorial norms, they are, in fact, quite casual to wear layered over a polo or tee with chinos and loafers, for example.

The Italians have perfected this look, so naturally Italian brands tend to have the finest examples of jackets to choose from.