Jane Birkin, then his lover, turned him on to the supple shoes in the early ’70s. “Serge was looking for gloves for his feet,” she told Les Inrockuptibles, the French music magazine. Originally designed by Rose Repetto for her daughter-in-law, the ballet dancer Zizi Jeanmaire, the lace-up shoes served Gainsbourg well. According to Repetto lore, he went through 30 pairs a year – always in white. (NYT)

White lace-up oxfords are always a good way to meet this month’s change in weather, a happy signal that summer is near. This year I went with a pair of Repetto’s Zizi. The feeling of soft ballet flats crossed with men’s brogues, sans chaussettes, he was on to something right.