As Marcia Patmos sees it, the M. Patmos girl doesn't exist inside a fashion bubble but instead brings an understated sense of cool to her everyday life. While creating her new Resort collection, Patmos was smart to focus on addressing the real needs of her real customers—specifically those New York-based clients who currently shop at stores from Barneys on Madison Avenue to Warm in Nolita. "She might be an art director living in Williamsburg who goes to work in midtown, then hits up Bushwick Open Studios on the weekend," the designer suggested at a preview. Sticking to a predominantly neutral color palette that felt fresh for this season, Patmos updated staples like easy shift dresses, pencil skirts, and slouchy leggings cut from lightweight napa leather, which mixed in seamlessly with M. Patmos' signature knits. Among the highlights in that category were a Lurex-flecked fisherman's pullover sweater that was hand-knit by Bolivian artisans; fine-gauge cardigans featuring off-kilter buttons to be styled as desired; and versatile knit varsity jackets. A total look here was as effortlessly chic as tucking a perfect white T-shirt into cropped, pajama-like tuxedo trousers, then wrapping an easy sweater around the waist. Or jazzing up luxe cashmere sweatpants by topping them with a reversible metallic shearling coat boasting a zip-off panel so it could be worn four different ways. It's those kinds of practical details that make Patmos' basics anything but.
