Perhaps under the influence of his new Dior job, confecting histrionic couture gowns, Raf Simons seemed to be a nostalgic mood for his fall men’s collection—nostalgic for the sweetly gawky 1960s and ’70s, to be precise.

Alongside the kind of bold shapes and blocks of color—panels of fabric placed across jacket lapels were particularly stunning—that have made him a fashion soothsayer were retro flourishes that didn’t jibe well with Simons’ normally unobstructed vision of the here and now. We saw snug little-boy sweaters in a repeating pattern (often his thinking-man motif), oversized shirts with elongated pointy collars, and insouciant ties of a sash (or belt) at the neck.

It made for a jumble of references—most of them uncomfortably tame and time-specific—and a reminder why Simons is best when his message is clear, confident, even a little confrontational.