Hats, Rompers & Parasols
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.

It was as if the beautiful and complicated women of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s fiction walked off the pages of a novel, and onto the runway at the Tracy Reese show. The presentation included demure dresses and suits, in black, white, or black-and-white — paired with molded, wide-brim hats.
Colorful ensembles that looked bound for Cap Ferrat offered bright contrast: a belted romper with a sweetheart neck was shown in a deep coral; a square-shouldered wrap dress had some pop with its amber-and-white print; and a georgette dress created a delicate air in a Robin’s egg blue. Bathing suits came with oldschool cover-ups and matching parasols.
Though the same consumer might be ripe for Rebecca Taylor, here the mood was more whimsical and girlish. The New Zealand-born Ms. Taylor favored two-toned shift dresses and calflength, tailored skirts, paired with pale, sheer tops. While some of the looks appeared bland, others — such as a prim silk dress in aubergine and black, exuded an original and grown-up glamour.