GIORGIO ARMANI

Some menswear brands gently pushed the gender envelop this season. There were short-shorts, of the kind worn by the protagonist in the Oscar-winning Italian film Call Me by

Your Name, ruffled shirts (even in Gucci’s absence) and jewelled necklaces. Not so Giorgio Armani. He anchored the collection in the timeless, masculine double-breasted jacket — but his was no stuffy affair. More formal versions had wide-notched lapels in fabrics, while washed-out linen numbers had a softness that suggested an evening seaside stroll, while sportier iterations came in printed silk.

Armani said he aimed to democratise the formal wardrobe staple, making it “wearable, and accessible to everyone.”

Trousers were mostly wide-legged and always cuffed. Shorts fell loosely to the knee.

While Armani showed what may have been the only tie on Milan runways this season — and just one — he also sent well-toned models down the runway bare-chested beneath the jackets.

Many of the looks were finished with a gaucho-style hat that matched the ruggedness of a pair of jacketless looks with weathered leather vests over black T-shirts. Denim was light blue and soft in pleated trousers with matching cropped jackets or collarless shirts.

“It is very difficult to talk about the future of male elegance, especially if I see my things near others completely different and totally far from this type of elegance,” Armani said back stage.

Armani also brought back a gently curved version of the GA logo from the archives.