Breton stripes have been so adopted they’ve become basic. The design fits everything. I always like to have it clash with another print, or, very simple yet always perfect, match it with jeans and ballerinas. The first person to put the Breton stripe on the fashion map was Coco Chanel. The story goes that Coco  took a trip to the French Rivièra and fell in love with the look of les Marins. It became a huge success, and it still is. Besides icons like Audrey Hepburn, Jackie O, Brigitte Bardot, Kate Moss, and Marilyn Monroe, the Breton stripes have also conquered the art world. Look at paintings from Picasso and Andy Warhol. And don’t forget Jean Paul Gaultier who, these days, practically functions as the ambassador of the striped jumper, also using them frequently in his collections and advertisements.

I now own the thing in dozens of variations. When I like something, I tend to buy more of the same yet always in different interpretations. I must own about 5 grey v-neck jumpers with which I mean anthracite grey because I must own the same number of jumpers in light grey. I’ve got loafers in light and dark brown, black, and burgundy red from brands like Todd’s, J.Crew, Gucci to Prada and back. Right, well, some people collect old teapots, others collect old-timers.

Did you know that:

• The stripes were originally favourite amongst French fishers which afterwards adopted the Breton stripe as part of the French Navy outfit.
• The very first design shows that it’s supposed to have 21 stripes. Every stripe stood symbol for a conquest of Napoleon.
• The Breton top often plays the lead in films: think of James Dean in Rebel without a Cause, and Funny Face with Audrey Hepburn.

Even though the stripes pop up in a lot of collections every year, there are a couple of must-have brands amongst fashionable aficionados:

• Petit Bateau
• Saint James
• Armor Lux (which is what the French wear)