Armani shows men how to relax with runway preview in Milan

Tag : Embroidery Vest
It might not have produced fashion fireworks,but this round of menswear preview collections for Spring-Summer2009 offered up a very wearable wardrobe.
The easy to understand clothes presented in the four days ofshowings which ended Tuesday night with a garden party hosted byGiorgio Armani, are a sign that designers know this is no time togo out on a fashion limb.
"I wanted to bring to the city a relaxed and elegant savoir faire,"Armani said of his collection presented earlier in the day, summingup the mood of this round of "moda Milanese."
Jackets, always a safe investment, make a huge comeback. A symbolof the revival is the white dinner jacket, a yesteryear high schoolprom favourite, immortalized by the late actor Humphrey Bogart insuch favourites as "Sabrina" and "Casablanca."
There were plenty of summer suits on the runway, usually with ajacket cut close to the body, and a comfortable trouser. Theconservative look is softened by unconventional lapels, embroiderydetailing, graphic prints, and a pastel palette, even if city greyand blue prevail.
Underneath, the Milan dresser can wear a floral patterned shirt, asilk T-shirt or just a plain classic shirt and tie. In the retrodepartment, bow ties are the favourite.
The over-all impression is relaxed, rather than recreational, withlittle sportswear, usually an Italian fashion favourite. The summerovercoat, a cross between a shirt and a trenchcoat, comes inultra-light fabric and is tied at the waist with a thin leatherbelt. The silk printed pyjama is the latest home entertainmentluxury item.
Footwear is urban, mostly lace-ups, often worn without socks,loafers and an occasional leather sandal or low boot.
Models with horn-rimmed glasses and short haircut underlined theno-nonsense mood.
So how does Giorgio Armani's colourful ode to India collection fitinto all of this?
First of all, no one does a jacket or suit like the maestro. Thisround along with classic styles, he combines a formal jacket inPrince of Wales or chalk stripes with soft trousers in shantungsilk, worn with a loose untucked shirt, and a knotted scarfreplacing the belt at the waist.
For more casual wear he offers cardigan jackets in ethnic fabricssuch as hopsack, matched with brightly coloured silk pyjamabottoms, a scarf lightly tossed over one shoulder.
"I'm not much for colour," said actor Adrien Brody, front row guestat the show, as he picked on fusion nibbles at the garden party,wearing a dark suit, with a matching vest and no shirt. "But thatcollection has got me thinking I could change."
Earlier Tuesday, Marni, by Consuelo Castiglione, went ethereal,reflecting another take on contemporary classic seen in Milan thisweek at Prada and Jil Sander. Little more than wisps of fellowswalked lightly down the runway in oversized shirts reminiscent of apainter's smock, worn over Bermuda shorts or loose trousers. Thesesmocks also made up the jacket of a more formal suit.
The Dolce and Gabbana duo who introduced the current urban look attheir Sunday signature collection, celebrated its success with agrande finale of models in white dinner jackets complete with bowtie at their upbeat D&G second line collection Tuesday.
Leave it to Sylvia Venturini Fendi to come up with the hottest itemin the accessory department: a formal leather lace-up with wedgedheel, part of the Fendi summer collection presented Tuesday.
Times might be tough but there are a lot of guys out there whowould give their last penny to stand taller.