Last season it was Saratoga Springs. For Fall, Brian Wolk and Claude Morais visited a different kind of horse country: the English countryside. For a second, we could ve sworn we were in Downton Abbey, what with one model s long, narrow skirt in black wool flannel, matching smoking jacket, and frilly white blouse. But the impression didn t last long. Chalk that up to her thoroughly modern purple velvet manicure; those nails are going to drive the beauty bloggers wild.
There was a lot to like about the clothes here, too. Two parallel rows of black buttons down the back of a blue-gray wool melton chesterfield made it a coat to remember. On the sportier side, an olive green wool twill field coat with leather shoulders had an appealing A-line swing. And a hunting jacket in glen plaid with patch pockets in a contrasting check was a reminder that the Ruffian boys are snappy tailors. The feminine side of their formula wasn t as fully realized. A stretch velvet dress, for instance, felt out of step with the rest of the collection, but there was on-message charm in a cameo pink blouse with white lace collar and cuffs.
