There are many potential pitfalls a man faces when packing for a holiday. Too much, and he finds himself shelling out on excess baggage, but too little and he’s forced to add a launderette to his list of sights worth seeing.

Worse yet, there’s the chance you pack the wrong things, leaving you sartorially stranded somewhere between a pair of Air Jordans and a wool drop crotch trouser. So to expedite your packing, and streamline your suitcase, we’ve pulled together a holiday hit-list of the pieces that cover all bases. No dead weight allowed.

T-Shirt

OK, so kicking off with a tee is almost embarrassingly obvious, but its prominence on this list isn’t to patronizingly tell you what you already know – i.e. that a T-shirt is indispensable in summer – but to emphasize the importance of buying one that’s good.

By which we mean it should be white (or another neutral shade), weighted nicely (not so thick as to leave you slick with sweat, not too light as to #freethenipple) and made from 100 percent cotton, preferably mercerized, pima or supima.

(Related: How to find the perfect t-shirt)

Example Styles

• Scotch & Soda T-shirt With Crew Neck In White
• Allsaints Figure Crew Tshirt
• Reiss Ghost Nep T-shirt White
• James Perse Crew Neck Cotton-jersey T-shirt
• A.p.c. Cotton-jersey T-shirt
• Uniqlo Men Packaged Dry Crew Neck Short Sleeve T-shirt

Fine-Gauge Jumper

Unless this trip marks the first leg of your big retirement tour, you’ll likely find yourself outdoors well into the wee hours. Which means you’ll need a layer in tow to take the chill off.

Rather than a hoodie, which can lean too casual, or a jacket, which in many cases ends up too warming, a fine-gauge jumper strikes the right balance, keeping out the cold without cramping your style.

Example Styles

• Allsaints Brakken Crew Jumper
• Allsaints Kamburn Crew Jumper
• Alex Mill Melange Linen And Cotton-blend Sweater
• He By Mango Striped Cotton Linen-blend Sweater
• He By Mango Round Neck Sweater
• Reiss Emporer Merino V-neck Jumper Grey

Breton Top

This being a ‘capsule’ wardrobe, there’s little room for pieces that won’t mesh well with others – meaning most loud prints, experimental cuts and generally ‘difficult’ wears are out of the question.