YSL Atonement

Valerio Mezzanotti for The New York Times

In one of his early collections for Saint Laurent, the designer Stefano Pilati worked Christian symbols into his clothes, including the outline of a cross in the back of a coat. So it wasn’t surprising that people again saw religious references in his fall 2010 show: the many somber capes, yoked white blouses with full sleeves, the preponderance of black, hats that brought to mind a nun’s cap, and the gold chains from which dangled a single figure (in fact, a silhouette of a woman). The press notes  referred only to the protection elements in the show, most obviously the clear plastic rain covers over some of the tailored pieces. But, of course, religion is protection, too.

As for the mundane question of what to wear, Mr. Pilati offered some jaunty skirts that were just above the knee, a plain black suit with a cropped jacket that buttoned off center and had a high, floppy collar, and good-looking high-waist pants with a full leg. There was a pretty caped dress in purple chiffon and, typical of Mr. Pilati, some plain-Jane dresses and skirts that fell below the knee, with full sleeves on the dresses or a high-neck blouse, and the hint of a bourgeois snub to trendiness.

Although cloaked in an attitude of protection, the show seemed to expose the vulnerability of the designer. It’s tough to wear your heart on your sleeve in this business — people usually prefer the neutrality of a clever or pleasing new look — but Mr. Pilati did anyway.