Thrillingly, and not a moment too soon, comes manna from heaven, or at any rate, a whole slew of new retail opportunities for the fashion industry. The British resort, once feared on the brink of extinction, mainly because most journalists hadn't been near one since they were 12 years old, even if millions of people never stopped visiting them, has come heroically to the rescue in our hour of belt tightening and carbon reckoning. And - win-win situation or what? - it has done it by suddenly becoming chic and cool.

Technically, this renaissance took hold 12 whole months ago, although back then, only Gordon Brown noticed. That he was recalled to his desk after four hours in Dorset by floods speaks volumes about the great British summer holiday. But that was then.

This summer it's not just Gordon but the Camerons, lots of other MPs no one really cares about, the Royals - obviously - and literally tens of celebrities. There is photographic evidence to suggest that Kate Winslet, Nicole Kidman, Jools Oliver and various Freuds have all been spotted in places such as Rock, Hole and Aldeburgh. Granted, these sightings occurred over a period of about 12 years, but let's not be pedantic. It's sunny. Or it was on Monday. Cue pictures of famous rich people on sunny British beaches. Rebranding accomplished.

As we know, with a British summer holiday come hundreds of buying imperatives - from one-ply cashmere, two-ply cashmere and 48-ply cashmere (it can get nippy in Salcombe after dusk) to zillions of layering options, a rainbow nation of wellies and the entire Boden catalogue. Think of the endless packing dilemmas. And that's before you tack on a fortnight in the Hamptons/on a Turkish gulet/at your rich friends' sprawling villa in Ibiza to the end of your week in Skegness, which most new converts consider to be an integral part of the indigenous holiday if one is to feel truly rested.

So, how to get it right? Kaftans are, self-evidently, a waste of time. British success is in robust layering. And stripes, which is fortuitous, because they are the absolute height of fashion again. And yes, cashmere helps to soothe the spirits on those days when the barometer stubbornly sticks at 13C. Sticking to the patriotic theme, a lovely piece of cashmere properly treated with Scottish water and spun in Hawick bears about as much resemblance to those £20 bits of fluff on the high street as The Mill on The Floss does to the script of You've Been Framed. High-quality cashmere doesn't even feel particularly soft or inviting to begin with - a bit like a British holiday. But that's its appeal - it will only improve with age and constant use.

So go on, treat yourself with the money you've saved by not going to Tuscany. Alternatively, Banana Republic has medium-weight cotton and silk mix cardigans with chic brown contrasting buttons (£45 each) in classy looking shades of sand and pebble. Speaking of colours, the blingy metallics and really bright hues such as fuchsia that look wonderful in the Mediterranean don't work as well in Britain as softer, earthier shades do.

Trends need to be approached gently too. The 7/8th trouser may be the only acceptable length for next autumn but, until then, that enduring holiday length known as the “let's have it all ways and crop it below the knee” prevails.

That doesn't mean other favourites shouldn't be updated. The floral skirt has had a makeover this summer and become modern and computer generated. Sometimes, shockingly, it isn't even floral at all but frayed denim, or block coloured. Chuck on some thin layered T-shirts, throw in a couple of puff-sleeved blouses (they work well for casual evenings) and some colourful plimsolls (they're more versatile than sandals when it comes to crabbing) and you're almost done. That just leaves a bikini - you'll need it once you've crossed the Alps.

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