the main reason for my half-heartedlyness was that i had no idea what a Resort collection was. i figured it had something to do with expensive winter retreats aboard ships to tropical places but the collections didn't necessarily reflect that. well some did but they were a little over the top for a boat & then there were others that looked like Spring to me. or Summer. or early Fall.
& this is the point where i lost interest in knowing what Resort is.
i felt my best course of action was to avoid Resort, because i'm only just now getting a handle on the big ticket items like Fall/Spring runways, retail cycles & specific designers (i'm starting to be able to spot their clothes in boutique windows). besides, i was reasonably certain that somewhere among the trillion fashion things i read every day, a definition for 'Resort' would present itself to me & this would help me decide whether or not i should care.
but it never did & then i caught a glimpse of richard chai & chris benz Resort 2009. both of them stood out for my usual reasons - simple beauty, unique detail & a high doability factor.
so i bit the bullet.
i found this discussion which made me feel a lot better about not knowing what Resort is & there's also this article which says:
...the term "resort" is confusing. These shows, also dubbed "cruise", "pre-collection" or "pre-spring", grew out of the American tradition of winter holiday clothes and date back to the 1930s.
Back then, they stretched only to beachwear; now the collections range from dresses and knitwear all the way up to coats and, wait for it, they are all infinitely wearable.
New York has been jammed with 75 leading American and European designers...all competing to show the subtle, realistic clothes that they've suddenly realised women want more than anything else.
These lines will be on sale between November and next May.
& there you have it.
Richard Chai
Resort 09
source: WWD
Chris Benz
Resort 09
source: nymag
Ports 1961
Resort 09
source: WWD
