Conservative is now cutting edge

The winter fashion statement coming out of Milan this week has been decidedly conservative.

Milan designers stuck to the classics in their menswear collections for next winter, presented during four days of previews that ended on Tuesday, but sought to enhance the traditional with a focus on both technology and details.

Radical fashion choices were definitely out.

Staples - suits, double-breasted and pinstriped, as well as coats - were the mainstays in any collection, coming in urban dark colours: anthracite, navy and slate grey.

Yellow was the stand-out colour of the season, but baby blue also saw more exposure, showing up even as a monochromatic overcoat.

Details reflected the winter season. Pockets were big and bold, as were some of the buttons or clasps. Men were challenged to try a little lace - on both their outer and underwear - and male jewellery included lockets and amulets. In addition to ties, there were kerchiefs knotted neatly at the neck.

And the new fashion dilemma? Socks or no socks. Shoes were oversized and worn with skinny cropped pants.

Designers also experimented with technology to play with cashmere, leather and fur, enriching their looks. Sweaters had a starring role in that vein, notably bulky and often worn with shirts left deliberately untucked. Finer knits replaced shirts under jackets - all that added up to a boyish look.

In the sportswear department, Giorgio Armani offers structured leather coats and jackets.

Angelo Galasso said men are becoming more fashion-indulgent and vain, but added that designers must move with caution.

"Men have a harder time accepting change," Galasso said, adding: "I work on a piece that has already been seen, and maybe add an unusual lining or different buttons."

The Missonis went ahead with their preview show, despite the uncertain fate of CEO Vittorio Missoni. His plane went missing on January 04.