NEW YORK – If the world needs another sign that Britney Spears’ look is yesterday’s news, check out New York Fashion Week.

Gone are the skin-centric, tummy-revealing and possibly private part-exposing trends that Spears and friends like Paris Hilton made ubiquitous. Instead, designers are embracing modesty, using sheer fabrics and lingerie looks to subtly hint at sexiness.

It’s an extension of the ladylike trends for fall; designers seem to have made the collective decision that a lot of skin isn’t in.

On Tuesday, Monique Lhuillier presented sophisticated, fluid looks that celebrate a woman’s shape without squeezing it. Carmen Marc Valvo showed tasteful swimwear with plenty of coverage, flattering pintucks and low leg openings. Even pantyhose made a comeback over the weekend at the Derek Lam show.

Of course, every rule has an exception. Marc Jacobs bucked the trend on Monday with plenty of glimpses of bras, slips and tap pants – but the show was more of an artistic statement than a presentation of wearable fashions.

New York Fashion Week wraps up Wednesday after an eight-day preview of the spring-summer looks of 100 or so designers.

Betsey Johnson

She might have put dozens of prom queens on the runway, but Betsey Johnson was the belle of the ball.

She took her bow in the company of her granddaughter Layla – they wore matching tutus and silver ballet shoes – kissed a male model half her age and then did her customary cartwheels, much to the delight of the crowd at the Bryant Park tents.

Johnson’s show is a traditional high point of New York Fashion Week, not so much for the styles on the runway but because it’s always a high-energy, happy event. The theme this season was prom-worthy party dresses inspired by each decade from the 1950s through now.

She brought back glittery candy-colored versions of ’50s strapless dresses with big poufs, along with sleeker, body-hugging ’60s dresses and a yellow off-the-shoulder gown from the ’70s.

The ’80s was an era of look-at-me fashion, and Johnson captured that look with a “punk party dress” that was a short strapless number with a tiers of hot pink satin over tiers of black lace. The ’90s were, apparently, more nondescript.

And for Johnson, the 2000s have been political. The last runway look was worn simultaneously by four models in tiny red lace tap pants and giant silver letters on their backs that spelled V-O-T-E.

Monique Lhuillier

Red-carpet princess Monique Lhuillier turned out a series of pretty dresses that are sure to make her starlets happy.

The spring collection, however, strayed from the volume and all the jeweled embellishment that have been her hallmark in recent seasons, instead offering mostly sophisticated, fluid looks.

The last look might have been the best example: a black chiffon gown with a fitted corset bodice and a draped skirt that came together in a bow at the waist. There were plenty of more colorful options, including seafoam-colored chiffon strapless gown with draping all over the top and then a billowy handkerchief hem and a nude-colored chiffon crisscross draped bodice gown.’

These fashion confections – inspired by Laduree macaroons – carried through to some outstanding daytime outfits, including a light yellow metallic tweed suit with a shawl-collar jacket and a slim pencil skirt worn with a cream-colored V-neck halter blouse with ruffles down the front.