John Varvatos Spring 2010 Men´s.

As you may have heard, John Varvatos wears his rock 'n' roll heart on his sleeve.

Included in the press kit for his latest show was an invitation for bands to enter a global competition, which he's running with Island Records, to discover "the next great rock 'n' roll band."

The thought of a bored fashionisto chancing upon this opportunity for a career change—and acting on it—was too appealing for words, especially with the option for an image adjustment right there in front of him (or her).

Varvatos has always dressed his inner fantasy of a rocker, but that ideal dropped a decade or so—and at least 20 pounds—this season.

He opened with outfits that featured narrow shorts and little waistcoats, with the emphasis on a distinctly un-rock 'n' roll white.

Concise the show may have been, but it also felt subdued. Shots of color arrived in parkas in a pale yellow and a coppery red, but otherwise a gray mood dominated.

And yet the collection felt more sophisticated than usual.

Elongation equals sophistication? Perhaps not a great message for the love-yourself-the-way-you-are brigade.

Alternately, Varvatos is smart with details—like the hook-and-eye closing on a cotton jacket, or the ankle buttons on a pair of trousers—and the quietness of the pieces allowed for enhanced appreciation of his skill.