When Winnie Beattie launched Warm, the ready-to-wear collection born out of her downtown New York boutique, she did it in collaboration with her longtime friend Tracy Feith, whose beachy bohemian prints and free-spirit silhouettes complemented the line’s sophisticated surf-to-the-city look. After three years, Beattie and Feith have gone their separate ways professionally. “We’ve been friends 20 years, we’ll be friends another 20 years,” she said. “I just wanted to do it on my own, so this is my first collection without him.”
The big picture remains the same, but to zero in, the clothes are slightly more pared-down than in previous seasons — a ruffle or flounce less, two yards of fabric on a generously proportioned dress instead of three or four — for the girl who wants to be comfortable but isn’t just lying around. Beattie is still big on loose luxury, making clothes that are implicitly easy in cut and fabric — smooth silk jacquard and the softest wool gauze — but chic enough to sit at the grown-up table, which was what she was thinking about when designing fall. The print and placement on a handkerchief scarf dress, done with a four-inch border and thorns worked into the flowers for a subtle bite, elevated it well beyond souvenir shop bohemia, as did the silhouette — a little extra volume in the back, sleeves that could be gently knotted or undone like a bandana, and the option to wear it back-to-front depending on which neckline you choose. A solid black silk jacquard jacket and matching pants could upscale a casual look on their own or come together as dressed-up pajamas. And polar fleece went more feminine than the average Patagonia on a cuddle-soft bomber and robe jacket.