Tuxedo touches, grandpa styling temper Rebecca Taylor’s girlish frocks

Rebecca Taylor tempers girly frocks with menswear

NEW YORK — Rebecca Taylor’s vision for fall 2010 means a healthy dose of masculinity.

The New Zealand native, whose feminine frocks and silky blouses have become a staple during New York Fashion Week, delivered a collection Sunday that tempered her girly look with touches of menswear.

The clothes, in navy, gray, olive and black, combined tweed with silk, mohair with chiffon, and feathery fringe with wool. Cozy brown cable sweaters, reminiscent of those worn by grandfathers of another era, were reimagined in shorter lengths with braided collar trims and backward V-necks.

The masculine feel was emphasized by oversized tuxedo blouses and skinny wool trousers that were paired with faux-fur jackets in animal prints. An oatmeal sweater, covered with layers of knit ruffles, was shown with a silk blouse that the designer called “granddad.” And more than a few models, their bombshell cat eyes emphasized by heavy liner, contrasted the look with black wool bowler hats and structured handbags in faded colors of nubuck.

Despite the homage to masculinity, Taylor didn’t lose sight of her feminine side. Tiered dresses in purple graphic prints were edged with sparkly sequinned hems, peering from under tweed blazers as if Taylor were offering a hint of after-hours fun. And it seemed to deeply satisfy front-row admirers Carmen Electra, Kristen Bell, Michelle Trachtenberg, Mena Suvari and Sophia Bush, who applauded enthusiastically as Taylor took her finale bow.