Tracy Reese

Sleeves are the thing this year, and Reese’s collection proved all the ways you can do them right — delicate (if safe) shirred little wings on sheer tops, cinched and exaggerated cap sleeves.

A reworking of the peplum silhouette showed up in several skirts, and a fitted strapless dress repeated in a handful of pastels — “cute,” but not so much runway as bridesmaid material. That was the problem with a number of the collection’s evening numbers: Well-cut with attention to detail, but they wouldn’t warrant a double take on the street.

Reese’s flirtation with a manic watercolor/tie-dye print did not translate well to a balloon-sleeved wrap blouse, though it fared slightly better as a dress. Another one-shouldered day dress suffered from what looked to be a cumulous cloud print.

But patterns saved one or two variations of the strapless peplum number, such as a top in a summery yellow floral paired with pleated cropped pants. The pants were fun, appearing in a look in a deep forest green and elsewhere in dark brown hues; nipped at the waist and flaring at the hips, they were a touch of Charlie Chaplin-as-The-Tramp, but entirely feminine.

Subtle standouts included a superbly cut high-neck blouse, pinched in at the shoulders with appliqué detail around the neck, and an apple green shift with the aforementioned shirred sleeves. In a collection heavy on youthful pastels and neutrals, splashes of bright purple were a welcome sight.