Roy Halston Frowick began as a milliner, and the pillbox hat Jacqueline Kennedy wore at the 1961 inauguration made his name before he made a single dress. By 1968 he had his own boutique on Madison Avenue, with ready-to-wear following in 1969, and the clothes he became known for were minimalist, fluid and draped: caftans, shirtwaist dresses, jumpsuits and bias-cut evening gowns. He said functionality came first and disliked frills like bows or unnecessary stitching, which is the best way to read this first group. The Elyssia jersey gown, the Patrice strapless draped matte jersey gown and the Giovanna twisted jersey gown are the closest to that language, where the cut does the work. The Ninette halter satin mermaid maxi and the velvet satin halter high-low midi lean glamorous without adding anything extra. For something with more sparkle, the Lucia sequinned midi and the Eila bead and sequin tulle midi are the party versions, and the Ivon charmeuse gown with its D-loop belt is the quietest of the set. If the invitation says formal, a black tie wedding guest dress guide shows how these gowns meet the dress code.

The shirt dress is Halston history. The Ultrasuede shirtdress was a smash in the 1970s, and Vogue called it the uniform of the moment, so the scarf-belt V-neck A-line midi shirt dress and the colorblock satin and suede midi shirt dress read as a modern echo of it. The cap-sleeve square-neck crepe midi and the turtleneck sleeveless ruched waist sheath are the clean, work-to-dinner shapes. At the other end, Katri, Vali, Marisol, Sanna and Ila are all gowns, from the draped open-back sequin column to the pleated shimmer halter. A simple test for any midi: sit down in it and check that the skirt falls straight instead of riding up. What I would skip is a strapless gown such as Sanna, Ila or the Strapless Nitara dress for a cold outdoor ceremony, where you would spend the evening under a coat. For a daytime wedding, semi-formal wedding guest dresses, explained and garden formal will help you pick between the midis and the long dresses.

Halston believed in the total look, interchangeable pieces that all worked together, and the outerwear group takes that literally. The collared faux fur coat, the short notch collar version and the cropped faux fur capelet jacket are the glamorous end. The long faux fur cuff and collared puffer, the bibbed hooded puffer and the zip front hooded puffer bring the same drama to the coldest days. For a quieter coat, the wool blend wrap coat with faux fur trim and the double breasted faux mink funnel neck swing coat keep a tailored line, and there is a petite size walker coat in a wool blend with a point collar. In our fashion dreams she is stepping out of a car in the short fur coat and a long jersey gown, and the coat is doing half the work. For the full story on the category, I would read a guide to the faux fur coat.

The last group is the weekday side of the label. The wide leg faux leather pants, the mid rise pleated trousers and the mid rise wide leg trousers are cut for tucking in a top and moving, which is very Halston. Up top, the crewneck puff sleeve sweater and the chunky boucle long sleeve sweater are the warm layers, with a V-neck long sleeve tunic top and a printed sleeveless cowl neck top for lighter days. The Jagger large bucket bag finishes the idea, one roomy bag that goes with every piece above. I would try the pleated trousers with the tunic top and the faux leather pants with the boucle sweater, so the textures contrast instead of matching. If you want help choosing between cuts, wool trousers covers the options.

The label moved its headquarters from New York to Los Angeles in 2012, and the contemporary line still carries the same instinct, clothes that drape and move. I would build around one gown for an event, one shirt dress for everything else, and a faux fur coat that goes over both. Halston himself would have wanted the pieces to work together, and these do.

For more in the same spirit, take a look at Giorgio Armani Gowns and Blazers and Phoebe Philo Bags and Coats.