St. John Fall 2018 Collection

St. John’s Greg Myler has a clever solution for women who feel restricted and fussy in traditional evening gowns. His new column dresses for Fall looked just as elegant as any of the clingy, body-conscious numbers you’d see at a gala or wedding—but his came in soft, lightweight knits. A long-sleeved, body-skimming cherry jacquard dress was quietly chic, and another column in the brand’s “couture” section was cut like an extra-long T-shirt in a shimmery, Klimt-esque black and gold knit. There was also a burgundy dress in an inventive knit velvet, which came studded with tiny stones hand-placed by seamstresses in St. John’s Irvine, California, factory.

Of course, some women are resistant to dresses altogether. St. John can meet their needs: The brand started out making skirt suits in the ’60s, and its vintage tweed jackets are a hot item on eBay. For the gown-averse, there was an ultra-light gunmetal tweed jacket (sans the shoulder pads and rigid boning of the ’60s) styled with wide-leg jet velvet trousers. It was a deceptively easy after-dark option; the jacket even had a velvet bow, a feminine twist on a man’s “black tie.” Bohemian types might pair the same trousers with the sparkly tweed and velvet kimono; it felt a bit more relevant to fashion in 2018.