On the internet today, people who perpetually mourn the decline of civilisation still post images suggesting that travel was once a more elegant affair. These honey-tinted photos are often lifted from mid-century ads and brochures: white-jacketed stewards pouring cocktails at cruising altitude, passengers stepping off ocean liners with polished shoes and perfect hair, monogrammed trunks stacked like postmodern sculptures. By contrast, modern travel can make you feel like livestock being herded through a chute. On X (formerly Twitter), someone is always complaining that nobody wears a blazer to the gate.

Yes, budget airlines have made lines longer and service more impersonal. At the same time, they’ve also made the experience vastly more accessible.

We travel, in part, to claim our capacity for attention and wonder. Things that may seem banal at home can take on a poetic quality when abroad, such an arched doorway or a fig tree spilling over a crumbling wall. However, this mindset doesn’t come magically upon arrival; it begins with preparation. The right set of clothes won’t guarantee a meaningful trip, but they can help make space for one. If travel teaches us to see, then dressing for the journey is the first step toward knowing how to look.

Packing for a summer trip isn’t just about staying cool, but also choosing pieces that move seamlessly across settings: morning markets, museum afternoons and late-night shows. Your wardrobe should breathe, layer and adapt without bulk. While your exact needs will depend on the destination and itinerary, there are a few principles worth keeping in mind.

Start with the basics: a couple of T-shirts and your most comfortable pair of jeans or chinos. But elevate where you can. Camp-collar shirts and open-neck polos frame the face more elegantly than a standard crew-neck tee and can shift from casual to refined, depending on how they’re styled. Polos have the added benefit of being made from knitted fabrics, which tend to resist wrinkles better than woven styles. A pair of grey trousers is also worth including, particularly if you plan to dine somewhere more formal. Some trousers now come with elasticated waistbands, which provide sweatpants-level comfort while remaining polished when teamed with an untucked camp-collar shirt.

Bring a jacket with ample pocket space, such as an olive field jacket or a softly tailored navy sport coat. These provide lightweight layering for cool evenings or chilly museums, while also easing the load in your carry-on. And even if locals dress casually, you don’t always have to – a tailored jacket can make an ordinary dinner feel more memorable.

Footwear should cover at least two categories: sneakers, for long walks and sightseeing, and loafers or suede chukkas for more polished outings. If you have room, a pair of dedicated room slippers can make unfamiliar hotels feel a little more like home.

If you’re headed somewhere with water, pack a pair of Orlebar Brown swim trunks, which are cut more like tailored shorts than beachwear. That means you can swim, towel off and, once dry, throw on a shirt and head to the hotel bar without changing.

Stick to a restrained colour palette – white, blue, brown and grey – and you’ll unlock an endless number of combinations by simply swapping things around. A white long-sleeve polo can be worn with swim trunks during the day, then with a navy sport coat and grey trousers for upscale restaurants. The best travel wardrobes don’t just keep you comfortable, they give you options without overpacking.