THE women’s resort season, once an excuse for far-flung destination spectacles, happened largely online this year. The clothes created for lookbooks, videos, and some social-media-based spectacles reflected that reality, giving up the challenging, progressive spirit often seen on runways in favor of something safer, more secure, and perhaps most importantly, salable.

The tenor of resort has always been less about experimentation or provocation and more about delivering what customers want. But now that’s true more than ever. Here, there are simple knit house clothes, pastoral dresses that tap into a #cottagecore look, an array of intricate necklines that look nice on Zoom, and even some eveningwear, for those holding out a hope that reasons for dressing up and going out might happen again sometime soon. For those resolute to dress up at home, the most eye-catching idea is a full body of can’t-look-away prints — all the better to catch someone’s eye on social media.

Still, even if much of this season felt like a rehashing of items and ideas proven to work, there were moments of excitement. “In the darkest moments creativity is so key,” said Bottega Veneta’s Daniel Lee, whose resort collection introduced new circular shapes, cotton and knit materials, and knotting and weaving techniques. “It’s about making clothes you can’t find in other stores,” Lee continued. “Otherwise what’s the point?”

Total print domination

How to catch the attention of friends, followers, and fans on social media? With a full body of dizzying optical prints. JW Anderson is offering a spiral midi-dress, while Gucci, Balenciaga, and Valentino will have you covered from wrist to ankle in neon florals, tie-dyes, and stripes.

Plenty of knit bits

The total knit look isn’t new, but it is right for homebound times. A step up from sweats — which dominated the menswear collections for spring 2021 — knit pairings from Prada, Jil Sander, and The Elder Statesman offer plenty of cozy options for staying in.

Portrait necklines

The collarbone-baring portrait neckline was made for oil paintings. For online meetings, try something more graphic like Carolina Herrera’s high swoop blazer or Versace’s gold-trim keyhole cutout. For the very daring: Victoria Beckham’s elegantly backless top.

Ladylike house dresses

What happens when 9-to-5 life becomes couch-to-kitchen life? The house dress got an elegant rethink this season from Petar Petrov, Erdem, and Eudon Choi. Considered enough for public viewing, but comfortable enough for an HBOMax binge session, these tent-like dresses in silks and shirting cottons could be the heroes of your winter wardrobe.

Evening dresses

For those holding out hope that parties will commence by November, good news: Dior, Chanel, and Balmain have cut party frocks in every shape, sparkle and style. Even with the Met Gala postponed, then canceled altogether, there’s still opportunity for these dresses to get their due somewhere online.

Cottage-core

Baking bread, knitting sweaters, growing scallions? Yep, sounds like cottage core, the movement that brings the self-sufficiency of homesteaders to Millennials and Gen Z. Amid this back-to-nature movement, wafty white dresses that evoke prairie garb are on the rise. The best ones, like Gabriela Hearst’s sustainably sourced cotton style, actually respect nature.

(SD-Agencies)