Hannah says: With this simple top in your wardrobe, you can be effortlessly chic and classy.

‘Simplicity is the key note of all true elegance.’This was the ethos of one of my all-time favourite designers, Coco Chanel, and it’s one I wholeheartedly embrace.

Did you know that we have Chanel to thank for that classic top in the capsule wardrobe, the Breton? While on holiday in the French Riviera she spotted Navy sailors wearing ‘La Mariniere’, the cream, boat-necked top with navy stripes that had been worn since 1858, and it inspired her 1917 nautical collection.

Since then, so many iconic figures have worn the Breton top that it’s become synonymous with style and elegance: everyone from Brigitte Bardot to Jean Seberg to, last week, the Duchess of Cambridge on a family trip to the Houghton International Horse Trials (she looked beautiful; see the pictures here).

Here are my top picks for this season:

Petit Bateau, £72.50 – with shoulder pads and green satin inlay on the back.

Jigsaw, £59 – ribbed, stretch cotton for a flattering fit.

Boden, £37.13 – a versatile tunic top; I love the contrasting cuffs.

John Lewis, £25 – super-soft cotton jersey, with half-length sleeves and a side slit detail.

La Redoute, £13 – a short-sleeved T-shirt with boat neckline and delicate lace detail.