ThE WaNtEd FaShIoNs....

It's the start of the summer holiday season and – as with all debuts – as far as matters sartorial are concerned, the pressure is on.

There are, thankfully, basic rules that most would do well to adhere to and which apply to any destination, whatever the ambience or indeed weather.

Rule Number One. Never theme your holiday wardrobe with your holiday. It is not clever or fashionable to wear kaftans in India, for example, Breton T-shirts in Brittany or, quite obviously, Bermuda shorts in Bermuda and capri pants in Capri.

Rule Number Two. Avoid adopting a whole new persona just because you read you should in a magazine. A cashmere wrap on a plane? You may as well have the word 'Vogue' tattooed on your forehead. Apart from on a long-haul flight, a blanket won't be necessary, thank-you, and, even then, you'll be supplied with a suitably fleecy one. In a similar vein, upon arrival, resist the urge to slip into diaphanous white palazzo pants, a sequinned 'cover-up' (that'll be a jacket), wide-brimmed hat (as seen on Catherine Zeta Jones, below) and turquoise/coral jewellery. They sell most of the above in overpriced hotel boutiques and there's a reason why anyone with integrity avoids these like the plague.

More generally, unless travelling to an entirely metropolitan environment, only the extremely dedicated wear full-on fashion off-duty – risk looking try-hard or even plain insane if you follow this particular path. Balmain cargo pants, Balenciaga quilted leather gilets, laced Azzedine Alaïa ankle boots and so forth are all, in this instance, best left at home. The exception that proves the rule? The muse/creative director, a woman who is never out of fashion and whose commitment must only be applauded. Amanda Harlech, for example, is unlikely to be spotted on sea in Juicy Couture terry towelling trackpants, and this despite proclamations that terry towelling trackpants are currently à la mode.