Paris Fashion Week: Cooler than a polar bear's toenails

The last time we were gathered in the school courtyard at Lycee Carnot, it was unbearably cold. Warm air had to be blown in through enormous tubes in order to keep the guests from dying of hypothermia. That was Lanvin in January 2009, but today we were there for the Kenzo show. This time, the temperature was painfully hot. Who can regulate these things?

Luckily, the clothing was cooler than a polar bear's toenails. Navy, cream, French, sailor, striped. And that was just the first section. The best bits were the breton suits and peacoats, done the traditional way, with blocks of blue above a wall of cream stripes. Those stripes slid their way down the body onto pants too, though in chalkier, vertical versions.

The seamen were replaced by archaeologists out for a desert trek in sandy suits with suede shoes and specs; then psychiatrists in Rorschach ink-blotted suits. These were all men of discovery (the oceans, the past and the human mind), a recurring trend in Kenzo shows.

My greatest discovery was the full cotton suit, a style that looks even better patterned than plain. Wear it slim and sockless or baggy and blotched, don't shy away from the double breasted, and just throw it in the washing machine if it gets dirty. The more worn-in it gets, the better it'll look.