Thanks to Paul Smith, the festive dash needn’t be an inelegant affair .

We’ve all been there. Ten days until Christmas, zero presents under the tree, serious brownie points to be earned. This year, however, at least you needn’t look flustered on your last-minute, post-work festive shopping trip – if you wear the right clothes. Whereas a traditional suit will quickly leave you hot and bothered as you elbow aside fellow shoppers and cannonball into carol singers, Paul Smith’s versatile A Suit To Travel In will help you look calm, collected and, most importantly, crease-free. It looks sharp, too, which means once you’ve bought the requisite scented candles, sweaters and selection packs, you can treat yourself to a stiff drink somewhere quiet.

Paul Smith’s A Suit To Travel In is redefining the contemporary suit. No longer simply a work uniform, the suit is an integral part of the modern man’s wardrobe, forming the sartorial glue that binds everything together, from formal shirts and burnished-suede Chelsea boots to silk-blend polo shirts and lo-fi sneakers. The secret to this suit’s versatility lies in the yarn: made in Italy, it uses long merino fibres that have been twisted to the extent that they form a spring-like cloth, giving it the ability to repel liquid and proving virtually impossible to crease. Both of which mean your suit – and you – will look smooth and polished as you duck around town.

A Suit To Travel In is available in three cuts – Slim, Soho and Mayfair – and is half-canvassed so it drapes over the body’s contours while retaining its shape. Give it a contemporary edge by wearing it with a simple crew-neck T-shirt and suede Chelsea boots. If it’s particularly cold, you can even add a gilet over the top. You’re sure to get the shop assistants’ undivided attention.