Fair Ladies

For the past couple of seasons, there’s been a lot of talk in the fashion press about the return of ladylike glamour. So far, this has seemed more like a theory than an actual trend. But now we should start to take our inner Joan Crawford seriously. The opening shows of fashion week exhibited a kind of genteel yet rustic elegance reminiscent of a 1930s girls’ boarding school. West Coast transplant Jenni Kayne delighted her socialite-studded audience (Hearsts and Dexter-Joneses) with a nostalgic and softly feminine collection. Ms. Kayne favors simple silhouettes with ambitious design details. Slim slip dresses sported loose gatherings on the hips, and straight cocktail frocks had silvery lace insets in the back and on the sides. Jackets were emphasized in almost every look, from tailored blazers worn with cropped, pleated trousers to a shrunken tuxedo jacket over a narrow lace gown. In spite of their almost formal elegance, the clothes had a girlish sensibility about them that should appeal to the models and celebutantes in the front row.