Alberta Ferretti grew up in her mother's tailoring shop in Cattolica, on the Adriatic coast. At 18 she opened a clothing store called Jolly Shop, which sold other brands alongside her own pieces, and in 1974 she began producing a collection under her own name. She founded Aeffe with her brother Massimo in 1980 and debuted on the Milan runways in 1981. The look she is known for is chiffon, embroidery and lace, the slip dress and soft, romantic eveningwear, and she was once nicknamed Italy's quiet achiever for pretty party dresses. The dresses here show it. The Enver satin gown comes draped and in a one shoulder version, the Paillette A-Line Slip Gown is the shimmer one, and the Floral Satin Maxi Dress is the soft option. The Polka Dot-Embroidered Tulle Midi Dress and the Sleeveless Ruffle V-Neck Floral Silk Tulle Midi are the most romantic. For daytime, the Floral-Print Sleeveless Linen Midi and the Short-Sleeve Printed Linen A-Line are lighter. In our fashion dreams she walks into a garden dinner in the Floral Mikado Silk Capelet Midi Dress. For how a slip works in a day look, the slip dress that never left gives ideas.

The blouses are where the Ferretti romance gets small and easy to wear. Dots appear on the Polka Dot Sheer Tulle Blouse, the Dot-Embroidered Tulle Blouse and the Lace-Trim Dotted Tulle Long-Sleeve Blouse, while the Eyelet Embroidered Ruffle Sleeveless Top and the Feather-Trim Sheer Yoke Sleeveless Top add texture. The Plisse Ruffle Button-Down Blouse and the Pleated Ruffle Neck-Tie Cotton Blouse are neat, and the Flocked Floral Radzmir Blouse matches a dress from the first group. The knits are warmer: the Turtleneck Cashmere Cable Knit Shawl Sweater, the Wool Knit Cape Sweater and the Sequined Sweater. What I would skip is a sheer tulle blouse worn alone at an office. Wear it over a camisole, as in how to wear a lace cami, or under a jacket. For the knits, cozy knits for cooler days is a good companion.

Ferretti's company Aeffe produced and distributed other labels, including Moschino and Jean Paul Gaultier, and helped establish the Made in Italy movement. Her own skirts have the same ease. The Tulle Texture Midi Skirt and the Floral-Print Silk Organza Skirt are light, and the Enver Satin Maxi Slip Skirt and Floral Satin Maxi Skirt are long and fluid. The Eyelet-Embroidered Pleated Midi Skirt is the daytime one, and the Wool Midi Skirt and Wool-Blend A-Line Midi Skirt are for colder days. The Velvet Fitted Midi Skirt and the Sequin Embroidered Merino Wool Knit Midi Skirt are the evening ones. Trousers include the Stretch Cady, the Sequined Jersey and the High-Rise Wide-Leg Denim. Look at the midi skirt, back on its own terms for how a skirt can sit in a week.

Four pieces round out the group, and they are all about finishing an outfit. Choose the jacket first, then the dress or skirt underneath it. The Iris-Print Silk Organza 3/4-Sleeve Midi Shirtdress is the dressiest daytime piece. The Velvet Wrap Jacket, the Embellished Wool-Silk Jacket and the Collarless Peplum Jacket give a slip dress or a skirt somewhere to go when the evening cools. The Collarless Peplum Jacket is the neatest over a straight skirt, while the wrap jacket suits a long gown with a plain neckline. Test any of them by sitting down in it: if the sleeves ride up or the front pulls, choose the next size. Cropped cardigans are a lighter alternative.

In September 2024, after about 40 years, Alberta Ferretti stepped down as creative director, and Lorenzo Serafini, who succeeded her, made his runway debut in February 2025. I would build around a satin slip skirt, a tulle blouse and a jacket, and let the dress come out for an occasion. The label was also early to sustainability, with a 2011 capsule with Emma Watson and People Tree and a 2019 collection with Eco-Age.

If you want to keep going, Yuhan Wang Skirts and Feners Tops and Skirts pair well with this edit.