A little preparation will ensure your time by the sea goes swimmingly. Here's what to pack in your beach bag.

A beach can be a cruel and unforgiving place. Idyllic in appearance, yes. Especially if your chosen stretch of sand is by crystal-clear blue sea and palm trees in, say, the Bahamas (rather than, say, Blackpool). But, as the saying goes, appearances can be deceiving. You may think that new shorts, a linen shirt and a pair of espadrilles are all you need for a stint enjoying the sun and sand, but if you are not prepared properly, your blissful day on the beach could end in mild sunstroke and an argument with your other half because you became mind-numbingly bored. Below, our style editors have carefully chosen all the extra details you need in your beach bag to ensure your holiday passes off without a hitch.

Yes, you head to warmer climes in the hope that the sun might smile on you, and your skin will find out what it feels like to actually produce vitamin D. But don’t let the hot, yellow stuff go to your head – a quick way to ruin holiday photos (and indeed, holidays), is to toast yourself to a crisp in the sun. The skin on your face is particularly thin and prone to burning, and also particularly visible, so protect yourself with this smart straw hat from Loro Piana – thanks to its navy colour, it’s that little bit more suave and that little bit less touristy. You also might want to swap your regular moisturiser for this day cream from Dr Jackson’s, which has SPF 30 protection. And, you know, not fall asleep in the sun.

Swim shorts – an obvious choice for the beach. But have you thought about the great responsibility of wearing swim shorts? Not only is the onus on you to choose something that won’t blind your wife/kids/friends with its multicoloured ugliness (yes, they can be patterned; no, heading to the beach isn’t an excuse to throw taste completely out the window), but also to make sure that your legs, locked up for the rest of the year in acceptable office wear, are in an audience-appropriate condition. Answer both concerns with the duo below, comprising a subtly striped, but rather gentlemanly pair of high-cut swim shorts from Club Monaco (good for tanning, but still stylishly understated) and Aesop’s Geranium Leaf Body Scrub, which, used once or twice a week in the run-up to your beach debut, will help to clear dry skin and ingrown hairs on your legs. You might want to cut your toenails, too. But don’t get us started on feet.

Besides swimming in the sea and lying around, there’s not actually that much to do on the beach. On the one hand, this is why it’s a nice place to be. On the other… well, look, not all of us have that much patience, OK? Packing a bat and ball set from Brazilian-inspired brand Frescobol Carioca will make sure that when the moment comes, you’ll have something to occupy the livewires in your group when they start moaning. If you’re going to join in, though, be sure you’re wearing your shades – being constantly dazzled by the glaring sun does not make the art of applying bat to ball very easy.