Ruffles upon ruffles, cut out shoulders, deconstructed shirts, stripes and more stripes, and best of all, real women . . . these are just a few of our favorite things from our favorite collections during New York Fashion Week:

Rachel Comey: In celebration of her brand’s 15th anniversary, Rachel Comey took her collection to the streets of New York, just like she did for her very first show. Models of all ages and genders donned engineered denim, ruffled blouses with interesting shoulder details, quilted jackets, embroidered rompers and textured trousers, showcasing the effortless vibe that draws us to her clothes season after season.

Hellessy: There was a refreshing sense of softness to Sylvie Millstein’s spring collection. Silhouettes of statement blouses, with swelled poet and elongated sleeves, and tops baring a single, or even just the slightest of shoulders, were carried over from previous collections. This season carried a more tender vibe, however, especially when tops were paired with fluid silk skirts and lightweight cotton trousers. Feminine, wearable and simply beautiful.

ADEAM: Hanako Maeda has produced another stunning collection that is once again, rooted in her Japanese heritage. This season, fine brushstroke prints were influenced by shodo, the Japanese art of calligraphy. But it was the construction of the clothing that was the most poetic – the use of draping, looping and knotting were all interpreted from the calligrapher’s stream of consciousness, while creating dramatic, inky strokes.

Tome: Designers Ryan Lobo and Ramon Martin know the modern day woman well. I know this because when I wear Tome, I feel feminine, powerful and most importantly, happy. I especially love how the duo interpreted the ever ubiquitous “ruffle” this season – layering, cinching and cascading them with the perfect amount of flounce.

Rosie Assoulin: We can always rely on Rosie Assoulin to challenge our perception of womenswear. She turns elegance on its head with an exaggerated playfulness that is totally unique to her. Blouses and pants are once again, refreshingly toyed with when it comes to proportion and length. But what I really loved were the accessories. Round framed sunglasses were created in collaboration with Morgenthal Frederics, sun hats had extra large ruffled brims and her Greek-inspired straw basket bags were back – this time with color! Beachin’, dude.

Tibi: You might be surprised to know that the Edwardian Era of dressing, with it’s full skirts and voluminous sleeves, part of the inspiration behind Tibi’s spring collection. That’s because Amy Smilovic has such a wonderful knack for modernizing and simplifying silhouettes, making her clothing so wearable and unfussy. Our favorites were the acid washed denim, the über relaxed suits and the long Juliet dresses with a single cut out shoulder and soft, ruffled hem.

Elizabeth & James: Head to toe white is all I wanna wear now. That’s all.

Monse: Deconstructing menswear isn’t a particularly novel idea but Laura Kim and Fernando Garcia have reconstructed mens shirts in such a way that it actually feels fresh and wonderfully feminine – and not just in that tomboy kinda way. It’s no wonder shirting has become the label’s signature. This season, the design duo injected a bit of glamour into their collection by way of sequins. Blouses and the bottoms of skirts were dotted in colored sequins, including a super chic skirt with a cheeky trompe l’oeil fold over effect. Boyish, girly glam. We dig it.

Rodarte: Who knew bees could be so romantic?! We’re always blown away by the way Kate and Laura Mulleavy can reinterpret something as mundane as an insect into something so heavenly and ethereal. And yet juxtaposed against a slew of 70s inspired rock ‘n’ roll looks, it all somehow makes so much sense. We’re absolutely mad over the the beautifully honeycomb like layering of lace and dotted tulle. And the fabric flowers tied into the hair and the earrings that connected from one ear to the other?! We’re saving those details for you for another day . . .