Yes, historically speaking, ‘resort collections’ were created for those who took holidays to the South of France or the seaside of wherever around Christmas and New Year. No, no one minds if you’re only going to wear the kaftan in Kirkland. I mean, now that we’re all wearing kaftans.

Resort collections are hitting hangers all over town as we speak. If the notion of ‘resort’ doesn’t stir you to shop, just think of these pieces as pre-spring, the way the gap between between spring/summer collections and fall/winter ones is filled by collections dubbed ‘pre-fall’.

In fact, you might opt to not get too heady about designations at all. Really, what’s happening is retailers are keeping fresh looks on the racks. You know this. And anyway, here in Seattle cashmere, wool, and silk are practically year-round fabrics anyway, so seasons are as seasons do. You know what I mean?

The other thing that’s happening here is that designers – some of them at least, like, for instance Phoebe Philo at Céline and Phillip Lim – are easing us into this very 70s thing that is going to pick up full-speed in spring and continue cutting sharp corners and turning on dimes through fall/winter.At least. Resort pieces from the two aforementioned designers are on offer now at Barneys downtown. You can get a feel for their minimal and extra-groovy (respectively) updates on the disco era in the slideshow here.