Surfing the Cruise Collections; and this time, in a department store

Well, no, not really. But the increased limelight on mid-season collections has pushed a slew of ready-to-wear, department store labels into the fold. What once was the domain of haute couture has now been democratized, if you will (democracy and capitalism go hand in hand, after all).

I won't inundate you with a rigorous analysis of collection after collection. And you can find the full lineup here: Style.com. This post is dedicated to the pricier among department store lines - but not all of them, just the ones I liked the best. I will do another post for high-end pret-a-porter and yet another one for the indie lables. Enjoy!

Dishonorable Mention Award:

Rag&Bone -- unseasonal, confused,  and without a single item I coveted. 

Most Coveted Award:
Proenza Schouler - strong, directional collection with a very clear point of view.

 Overall impressions from collections surfing:
- a predictably summery palette of white and blue with a lot of unseasonable gray and black in the mix.
- stripes are here to stay (yay!)
- lots of cut-outs, mostly midriff area.
- bulkier silhouette, not as slim cut.
- 70s was the era most referenced, but obliquely

Here are some standouts:
Stripes and solids from Proenza Schouler:

Tennis whites & Stripes - from See By Chloe:

Structural stripes from Yigal Azrouel (a label that pivoted from slinky and overly sexy):

Seventies chic from Costume National:

Likewise boxy take on the 70s from Derek Lam:

A kind of 70s vibe at Adam Lippes:

Fantastic dresses with terrible styling from 3.1 Phillip Lim:

Tibi had a whole lot of pleating (something the label repeats every season) in a little too literally nautical collection:

Navy with a boho twist from Thakoon Addition: