The Vera Wang Spring 2022 RTW collection is a mix of “saloon girl” dresses with puff sleeves, hip-high slits, spills of ruffles, and the occasional bare back and lace capes, bustiers, and peignoirs. Off-the-shoulder “sheriff” trenches provide a swaggering counterpoint. Her new lineup is in shades of chartreuse, lime green, lilac, and turquoise. Wang’s preference for the color black is well established, so there was a novelty factor to her palette this season too.

A tank top was printed with the words “Not my first rodeo.” Wang has rounded the three-decade mark in business, but she’s keeping her eye on the way young people are dressing on the street. “I’ve noticed a trend toward people being more naked,” she said. “I don’t think that’s quite where we’ll ever go—it’s not us. But I tried to bring a certain amount of sensuality.”

Cue the collection’s many shorts, some flat fronted and others with blouson-like volumes, which she paired with sweeping capes, off-the-shoulder bandeaus, or bikini tops and blazers. Wang proved just how versatile shorts could be when she wore hers with that white cape and over-the-knee boots at the Met.