While you are, of course, more than welcome to primp and preen to your heart’s content before the mirrors at the Sutter Street boutique he opened earlier this year, San Francisco-based designer Christopher Collins hopes wearers of his latest collection will need very little time gazing into their own looking glasses come spring.

“I intended for the line to be effortlessly elegant. You put it on, and it’s a look ready to walk out the door,” says Collins of his spring 2010 collection ($150-$400).

That means versatile pieces with accompanying belts and subtle details that quietly do much of the work often left to accessories. There’s the denim shirt dress with its own belted sash that could go from office to picnic with ease. A sailor top with a streamlined bow at the neckline pairs with a high-waist pencil skirt or wide-leg palazzo pants with contrasting pockets. A waffle-textured jacket in bright white creates drama with its chin-skimming collar and wide belt, while a feminine ballerina top features a structured fit that dresses up crisp white trousers. Added interest comes in the form of only-the-wearer-will-notice details such as pockets built into a poppy-hued collar dress.

Look for the collection at the boutique in February. In the meantime, Collins and the label’s Creative Director Erica Tanamachi are happily settling into their first retail space.

“Now there’s a place for people to walk in, I feel like we’re so much more connected to the people here. It’s really cool, we’re kind of getting to know San Francisco now that we have this boutique,” Collins says.

Christopher Collins, 1116 Sutter St., 415-440-2464, www.christophercollins.com.

More coverage of local designers spring 2010 collections: Seeing Spring: gr.dano Spring 2010 collection.