Any time I’m in an airport I marvel at the huge suitcases people still haul around the world. Are they sadists? Don’t they trust the hotel laundry? Possibly both or maybe they’ve never learned the art of travelling light.

These days luggage costs money, so it pays to pack the bare minimum. That means confining your choices to must-haves and jettisoning anything that comes under the heading “better take it just in case”. It is perfectly possible to travel with one small suitcase that goes with you into the cabin – ask any air stewardess. You also avoid that sickening feeling when the conveyor belt grinds to halt and you realise your luggage is lost.

Start by considering what you plan to do on your trip and then make a list of everything you’d like to take with you. If your destination’s a Muslim country, you’ll want long sleeves, a long skirt and a headscarf. Might it rain? My best buy ever was a truly lightweight man’s rainproof bomber jacket from Reiss that rolls up small enough to fit into a handbag. You’ll want a jacket that’s casual enough for day and smart enough for cool evenings (see the next paragraph). Stick to as few colours as possible; you can’t beat white cotton in hot countries. When your list is complete, be ruthless – cut it in half and then half it again.

My current travelling uniform is a Rohan travel linen jacket and matching pants (it also comes with a skirt) in an indigo linen/polyester mix so I don’t look like I’ve been crumpled into a ball by the end of the journey. Rohan are travel wear specialists so the suit comes with cunningly concealed pockets for a passport and credit cards. However, dressed up with a pretty blouse and serious earrings, it’s smart enough to wear to dinner. Footwear is Todd’s loafers, which are comfy for the plane and perfect for sightseeing over rough ground.

In the suitcase, I pack three pairs of pants (two casual and one smart black pair for evenings), a long skirt, three loose cotton tops for during the day and a couple to wear at night. My favourite garment is a long-sleeved, raw silk tunic that I wear with barman-style armbands for interest. Silk is the best fabric to keep you warm when it’s cool and cool when it’s warm and long sleeves give protection from after-dinner mosquitoes. All of the above are folded in tissue paper to prevent creases. Other essentials are undies light enough to wash and dry overnight, a pashmina, the rain jacket, a pair of flip-flops chic enough for evening wear and, if “dress up” is on the agenda, a pair of high heels. The last essential item is lightweight pyjamas from Toast, rolled around the iPod charger and travel adapter.

I keep make-up to an absolute minimum. When I shop for cosmetics I always ask (nicely) for samples. It doesn’t matter what’s in them, it’s the little containers I’m after; they are perfect for decanting just enough hair conditioner/moisturiser etc. Perfume is either Chanel or Prada because both sell handbag-size phials that are sold with two refills. I never pack soap. Local soap is made to suit local water conditions.

The glorious exception to the travelling light rule is the Irish lady I once stood behind in a long check-in queue. She had 15 pieces of luggage. We got chatting and I couldn’t resist quipping: “I see you like to travel light”. She laughed as she replied: “None of that is for me. It’s all clothes that have been donated from all over Ireland. I make regular visits to an orphanage in Montenegro.” Long may she keep travelling.