Etro called this collection Halo, and it meant that quite literally: an aura of Etro surrounding the woman, with paisleys, fabrics and clothes seeming to float around her from morning to night. It is a dreamy idea, and I am happy to spend a day inside it.

The in-house team loosened the familiar codes rather than reinventing them. Paisleys got big, blurred, fragmented or reduced to a suggestion, and even the bohemian cliche felt lighter to me. Short hems dissolved into long flying trains and fringes trembled, which showed up in about one in five looks.

Dresses carry most of that feeling, and nearly half of the looks were maxi length. That is where I would begin.

All that floating needs an anchor, and the jackets and coats did the job. They appeared in about a third of the looks, and I think they are the smartest part of the show.

Sharp tailoring grounded the more diaphanous pieces, along with lean trousers, suede blousons and denim. Together they brought a useful dose of reality to everything drifting around them. I like that it never felt like a costume party.

A studded leather jacket or a velvet blazer over a vaporous dress is the kind of contrast I would wear in a heartbeat. Soft against sharp is exactly how this collection keeps its balance, and it is the reason a halo reads as an aura and not a disappearing act.

A bag turned up in about half the looks, and that tells me the house wants you carrying something real while the clothes drift. I find that reassuring, because a dreamy outfit needs one object with some weight to it.

The grid below is a lovely mix. A suede shoulder bag keeps things easy and quiet, while a leopard-print velvet tote and a small shearling top-handle bag bring texture to a simple dress.

Sunglasses appeared on just a handful of looks, but they feel right with this mood, like a soft filter between you and the day. I would pair a plain suede bag with the busiest paisley and let that one do the talking.

This is Etro with the volume turned down, and I think that is the best news the brand has given me in a while. The signatures are all still here, only softer around the edges.

I came away wanting the paisley in a whisper rather than a shout, a long dress that moves, and a lean jacket on top to keep me on the ground.

A halo should be an aura, and I love that this show understood the difference. Take the dress, add the tailoring, carry a suede bag, and you have the whole idea.