The soundtrack from The Shining played as guests walked into Tory Burch's show in the Sunken Garden by Isamu Noguchi, and it was a red herring. "I like a little humor," she said with a laugh. What she actually had on her mind was joy and optimism.

She told us people need to escape and heal something, so she began with "opulent femininity" and set it against the utilitarian and the sportswear. I think that is a smart tension, and I find it far more convincing than simple prettiness.

It also helps that the clothes had a sense of fun. Look closely and the beaded necklaces carry oversize shark's teeth, and the shoes are the loudest part of the show. That is why I want to start the edit at the floor.

The dresses were the best joke in the room, and I mean that as praise. Backstage Burch showed off a coat dress whose hem sits at an angle, plus draped dresses built to seem half unraveled, like finds from a closet or a vintage shop.

Then came the surfaces. A tie-dyed dress was studded with clusters of crystals, and an evening jacket wore hand-painted silk feathers, with boas joining many of the looks. A striped chenille caftan had a deep, plush pile. Stripes only showed up in a few looks, but when they did, they had real texture.

To my eye this is what makes the collection feel opulent without being stiff. I would put on a printed midi dress and let it look a little rumpled.

Burch followed last season's mid-century glamour, dressed up and embellished, but this time with a quirky streak. Beaded granny cardigans were not new for her, yet these ran small and the plackets were crumpled, as if someone had missed a button. I adore that.

Pantsuits played it straighter, with broad shoulders from the 1940s and high-waisted trousers. Trousers appeared in about a quarter of the looks, so tailoring was the calm voice amid the party.

Belts showed up in more than a third of the looks, which suits the nipped, utilitarian side of her equation. A polo sweater or a scalloped cardigan with a belt feels like what I would reach for first.

Bags appeared in most looks, and they took the utilitarian side of the argument. The new Lee Radziwill shopper looks something like a paper bag and would hold a substantial desk lunch. I love how practical and slightly silly that sounds.

Sunglasses turned up in a handful of looks, adding to the sense of a woman who is heading somewhere with a plan.

What I keep coming back to is the war-era image Burch started from, of women painting seams on the backs of their legs. We are nowhere near that kind of hardship, but the wish for a little treat is real. I would take a beaded cardigan and call it a day.