Men have long been bemused by the amount of clothes women cram into suitcases when going on holiday.
Now a survey has confirmed what they always suspected - half the garments are never worn.
A leading psychologist, however, said that over-packing shouldn't be seen as a fault as it shows women's ability to plan for every eventuality.
In contrast, men tend to pack too little. A quarter of men admitted they often forgot vital items such as electric razors or cameras.
The survey found that, on average, women taking a 14-night summer break packed 21 pairs of knickers but five pairs would remain unworn.
They would also pack nine bras and use only five and, out of the six pairs of shoes they take, ignore three.
A third of women even admitted packing a waterproof jacket when heading for a beach resort - 'just in case'.
Sixty per cent of women conceded they wore half the clothes they took with them. In some cases, this meant packing an extra suitcase of unused outfits.
Half of men owned up to often arriving at their holiday destination to find they had forgotten something important. The survey was commissioned by P&O Cruises to establish a better understanding of the habits of UK holidaymakers.
The item most regularly left behind was a toothbrush, with a third forgetting theirs.
A quarter of men also admitted packing too few clothes, with socks being the most commonly forgotten item.
Those who fell into this category said they had resorted to washing their underwear in hotel sinks. The difference between the sexes could be down to the length of time they spend packing. Women, on average, said they began packing for holidays a week in advance, while 90 per cent of men don't even think about it until the day before.
Cary Cooper, professor of organisational psychology at Lancaster University, said women packed too many clothes because they had greater foresight than men.
'Women are planners and they look at every eventuality,' he said. 'They are also likely to think 'better to be safe than sorry.' And what's wrong with packing too much? It's better than packing too little.
'A typical woman will think 'What about if we go to a nice place for dinner - I'll have to pack for that. What if it rains - I'll have to pack for that.'
'Women repeatedly demonstrate more foresight and are more thoughtful. This is because traditionally women are used to being the 'chief executives' of the home.
'As a general rule, men just do stuff on the spur of the moment. Invariably, it will be the man who is left without a smart outfit for a posh night out.'
Guys, tell me this does not come as a suprise.
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