Nine Rakish Rules For Effortless Travel

Whether it is your belt, your phone, or one of the three different wads of money-clip clad foreign currency you’ve undoubtedly got stashed about your person – do not be that chap that sets off the alarm going through security. Wear self-supporting trousers with waist-adjusters rather than a belt to minimise disruption, and pack the contents of your pockets away into one thoroughly rakish portfolio. Better that than scrabbling around a myriad of pockets trying to find that damned elusive cigar cutter. Luxury British leather goods manufacturer Ettinger has the perfect solution – the Metropolitan Travel Wallet – purposely designed with compartments for two passports, phone, credit and business cards, as well as zip-up sections for different currencies – it is also sized to fit snugly into a hotel safe. Available in their signature smooth black, dark brown and London tan calfskins, The Rake’s personal favourite is this sophisticated English navy design. £630.00, www.ettinger.co.uk.

It’s worth it, if only to invest in a safari shirt – which, in spite of the name, is suited to more than trekking through the Serengeti. Over the past season or so, the safari-come-utility shirt has come into its own as a chic alternative to the travel blazer, and is just as versatile with its airy ‘shacket’ construction and wealth of flapped bellows pockets. This suede take on the theme from Jermyn Street’s New & Lingwood is quite frankly exquisite – the joy of it is in the way it feels – it is butter soft, drapes beautifully and with its waisted shape and trim sleeves it represents a slightly more dynamic take on the traditional safari jacket than one might otherwise expect. £795.00, newandlingwood.com.

Is there anything more hateful than missing one’s connection? Naturally, such things are not always under one’s control, but minimising the chances of such a misfortune whenever possible is something well worth investing in. Released at Baselworld earlier this year, the new Patek Phillipe World Time Chronograph Ref. 5930 is ideal for keeping an eye on the time, all the time; not only is it a thing of beauty with its opaline dial and hand-guilloched, gold applied luminescent hour markers, it’s also the perfect timepiece to keep track of your movements on the run, care of its 24-hour and day/night indication for the 24 different time zones that one can keep track of at once, using Patek’s patented ‘World Time’ mechanism. Making use of a self-winding chronograph movement, it is everything that one could possibly want of an exquisite traveller’s timepiece. www.patek.com.

You’ve got the shades, the superfino Panama hat and the Cifonelli suit, so for why skimp on your cases? This Topaz Titanium Multiwheel suitcase from Rimowa is not only nigh on indestructible with its featherweight aluminium composition, it is also remarkably easy to wheel about Terminal Five. Suitably understated with a masculine, professional quality to it, it’ll go anywhere and do anything with ease. What’s more, it’s a personal favourite of The Rake’s – whenever we find ourselves running through stations or flying to departure gates during the maelstrom of European fashion weeks a Rimowa case or three inevitably follow, so you can be sure this has been tested extensively… £885.00, www.rimowa.com.

For travel during the summer months, a lightweight unstructured sports coat is absolutely essential. They work for a number of reasons; removing the structure from a tailored garment quite obviously reduces its weight, but in this age of fused canvasses and polyester linings, removing the structure from a jacket also strips out its synthetic elements - significantly increasing the breathability of a garment. The Rake’s exclusive unstructured summer linen blazer from Neapolitan tailoring powerhouse Rubinacci demonstrates this perfectly. A strictly limited edition, the jacket is cut in the finest Italian navy linen hopsack with patch pockets and three-roll-two closure, on a completely unstructured model with herculean lapels. Indeed, the jacket is so light and airy, it positively floats across the figure and the chosen Solbiati linen cloth only gets better with age. £850.00, www.shop.rake.webdezign.uk.

However, that does not mean that structured tailoring is a no-no for your travels. Contemporary Savile Row tailor Chester Barrie has been pioneering super-lightweight structured tailoring consistently for the past few seasons, and this summer has curated a collection of truly exquisite summer jackets created with an English roped shoulder and canvassed chest, which nonetheless are absolutely featherweight to wear. This ivory ‘Elverton’ jacket, cut with well balanced notched lapels and a smooth, lightly padded shoulder is made from genuinely exquisite super 150s wool and silk seersucker from Loro Piana, which weighs less than 7oz in weight. It’s a technical tailoring masterpiece, with the feel of an unstructured garment and the expression one expects of a classic British coat. For those in need of an ice-cool summer suit, note that a matching waistcoat and trousers are available, and the jacket is also available in navy. £750.00, www.chesterbarrie.co.uk.

Rather than spend a fortnight in a pair of stifling loafers or lace-ups, take our advice and invest in a summery pair of sneakers – not only will they do a significantly better job of cushioning your feet as you carry your cases, they’ll most likely breath better and look effortlessly modern with chic summer suiting. When it comes to luxury sneaker brands, Common Projects stand head and shoulders above the rest. A collaboration between designers Flavio Girolami and Prathan Poopat, every pair is made in Italy with modern, minimalistic styling that reflects ‘the lines and shapes of everyday objects.’ This pair is exclusive to Mr Porter, cut in fine dark brown full-grain calf’s leather with a classic off-white sole – perfect for pairing with the pastel tones of your holiday wardrobe. Whether they’re put with a biscuit brown wool, silk and linen suit, blue blazer with cream flannels or else a pale linen shirt and chinos – these are the sneakers to travel with. £260.00, www.mrporter.com.

Travelling with suitably stylish cases is one thing, but its all too easy to forget that one ought not to let the side down once he’s left the hotel. When it comes to stylish, practical travel bags this season, totes are all the rage. To this end, contemporary leather goods specialist Troubadour has quite frankly mastered the art of tote design – having just released a new two-piece tote, cut in a smooth textured canvass with vegetable tanned leather trim. The single raw-edged seam across the bag’s bottom keeps its design as clean and crisp as can be, side snaps allow it to be reduced in size and there's an internal zip-up pocket for your valuables. As such, it represents the perfect balance between style and practicality, should you be negotiating a bustling market or strolling along the coast. Available in charcoal, navy and this rather cool shade of Khaki, it’ll complement whatever you’re wearing and do almost any job with ease. £195.00, www.troubadour.com.

Why hire a car when you could charter a yacht? Of course the supercar most certainly has its place on a rakish getaway (picture yourself winding along the coast road between Positano and Amalfi), but for almost every road one can travel upon, there’s a perfectly good coastline lingering not too far away. For any coastal retreat, the Riva 88’ Domino Super-New is about as rakish as can be. Its slender profile belies the fact that this yacht is something of a nautical super-power, complete with generous sundeck, ample space for alfresco dining, supremely comfortable living quarters and all the latest technological wizardry one could wish for. Alternatively, if no coastline is forthcoming, have your Bentley dropped in by chopper. www.riva.com.