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Even the most outré fashion slave will pause at one outfit: the white suit. Because you know you are going to be a laser beacon for every eye in the room.

It hugs every curve, and whatever the pundits say about how fabby-do white is this season, never forget that it packs on the pounds worse than a TV camera.

Challenging, yes, but if you can pull it off, you will, I guarantee, feel like Bianca Jagger clad in Yves Saint Laurent. Sleek, chic, perfect night or day, breakfast, tea or horse race.

Except, of course, you can't go near any other human beings, sit or lean, or consume anything (for 24 hours before, and during the whole time you wear the ensemble). Nothing is worse than the perfect white suit with a splotch on it.

If you are pristine enough, the ultimate this season is this little skimmer from Nicolas Ghesquiere at Balenciaga (shown right).

But if, like me, you would take it out on the town for exactly five minutes -- before a cab shlopped on you, or you shlopped your bourbon sour on yourself, or your kid shlopped ketchup from a hot dog -- then head on down to Zara, Spanish home of disposable white suits. This one, below, ($69 for the jacket, $49 for the pant, http://www.zara.com) is cut a little high in the waist, but it would definitely knock the socks off anyone you wanted to be barefoot.