Samantha Steen founded Cami NYC in New York in 2013 for a simple reason: she could not find the right silk camisole, so she designed one. She trained in fine arts, in painting, and had worked for a CFDA award winning designer before starting her own line. Her first move was modest. She had a single cami style made in a range of colors by a local New York manufacturer, then launched five styles online. The camisole was meant to go from day to night, with feminine details, and that thinking carries over to the dresses here. The Becky printed lace trimmed silk midi dress, the Dinah floral silk midi and the Alexandria strapless lace trimmed satin midi are the clearest cousins of the camisole. The Kairina gingham drop waist midi and the Belinda strapless linen minidress are the daytime choices, and the Tricia corset dress and Giulia beaded halter maxi are for later. The Archer dress is the plain one. For a wedding in a garden, a semi formal wedding guest guide can help with the dress code.

This is where the brand began, and the group is large for a reason. The Ada, Helen and Odessa camisoles are the simple ones, while the Racer silk charmeuse cami with lace, the Ola and Collins lace trim satin camisoles and the Azra shoulder tie hammered silk camisole add detail. Juli is a printed strapless silk cami, and Gael is a strapless linen version. Blouses such as the Crosby silk button front and the Busy cowlneck silk blend look sharper under a jacket. The cardigans are the sweet extra, from the Dorian cashmere crewneck to the pointelle Dresden and Lilibeth styles. What I would skip is wearing a lace camisole with a lace skirt of the same weight; one lace piece at a time reads better. How to wear a lace camisole this fall goes through the layering, and lingerie worth layering under a blazer shows the same logic.

The line has grown from camisoles into bodysuits, dresses, tops and bottoms, and the lace is still the thread. The Aylin sequined lace midi skirt, the Flo lace trim midi and the Osmond lace skirt are the long options, with the Mildred lace trim mini for a shorter day. Shorts come in many forms, including the Jolie lace short, the Anora lace trim silk shorts and the Cassandra gingham cotton silk lace trim shorts. The Bristol lace pants and the Bristol jacquard pant are the dressier trousers, and the Omi linen pants are the easy summer ones. The Travis leather short and Aviva paisley print silk miniskirt are the surprises. Try a lace trim skirt with a plain tee, as in the satin skirt as a daytime argument.

If I were building around Cami NYC, I would start with one silk cami in a color I love, then add the Bristol pants or a lace trim midi skirt. Steen's first idea, a single style in many colors, is a good rule for a wardrobe: pick one shape, and let the rest vary. The slip dress works the same way, one simple piece that changes with what you put around it.

If you want to keep going, LaQuan Smith Dresses and Skirts and Malbon Golf Skirts & Tops pair well with this edit.