Next winter will be warm and cosy for Dolce & Gabbana's male fans, with big, fluffy sheepskins, chunky jumpers, wraparound wool scarves and cloth caps, the designers suggested in their menswear show.
The duo, the first of the big names to air their ideas for winter 2008/9 in Milan, focused on blacks, midnight blues and charcoal greys.
Models were wrapped up in huge sheepskin coats or jackets, while gilets looked snug over big-knit baggy jumpers in misty blues and greys.
The designers draped soft wool scarves once and twice around necks and tied them loosely at the back, while to keep ankles warm, ribbed wool cuffs finished off low-slung slimline trousers.
There was a nod to equestrianism with jodhpurs and high leather boots, or leather patches on the inside of velvet trousers and shirt elbows.
Stefano Gabbana and Domenico Dolce even turned out one model in comfy coffee-coloured combinations - juxtaposed with tough leather knee-length boots.
Accessories - important for luxury brands as they have strong returns and require small amounts of retail space - were also on a generous scale, with soft holdalls in brown and black leather that needed long legs to keep them off the ground.
And flat caps were de rigueur, whether in rough wool, fine wool for smarter wear or a shiny sateen look for the evening.
British label Burberry went for a thin silhouette inspired by the paintings of northern England artist LS Lowry, its designer Christopher Bailey said.
His collection featured peaked dark wool caps and long trenchcoats - reminiscent of the thin, dark figures which populate Lowry's scenes of England's industrial north in the last century.
Burberry's men wore small-collared silk shirts with ruched or pleated fronts in coffee and black prints. Slimline dark trousers appeared stick-like under tweed overcoats or soft duffle coats.
Hats were too big and peaked or knitted, while gloves were oversized in wool or metallic leather.
And bags - like those at Dolce & Gabbana - were big soft grips just right for journeys on a Lowry-era steam train.
Designer Donatella Versace shunned bags, gloves and hats in her show, which was watched by celebrities including pop singer Beyonce.
She used a difficult palette of dull navy, bruise-burgundy and brown which the designer said was inspired by the paintings of artist Tamara de Lempicka. A focus on tailoring brought back the double-breasted jacket and low-slung straight trousers, instead of the big, snug looks which found favour elsewhere.
Versace's version of sheepskin was worked hard, for coats with panelling picked out in leather strips - a more penned-in look than the wild and woolly lines at Dolce & Gabbana. Sparkly cuffs and lapels tricked out a navy dinner jacket while figure-hugging fine knits completed the retro look.
Lars Nilsson broke with tradition and used a presentation instead of a catwalk show for his first collection at designer Gianfranco Ferre after he was hired to head the brand following the founder's death last year.
The Swedish designer kept the tailored tradition for slimline suit jackets and overcoats at this presentation, where live models mixed with dummies in a set laid out as four rooms.
He made a nod to Gianfranco Ferre's white shirts only in formal evening wear, otherwise using steely blues, beiges and greys.
Nilsson mixed Prince of Wales checks and tweeds with leather and fur to soften his look, putting a dove-grey deerskin lining to a cream and grey cashmere knitted jacket.
Alligator made an appearance for a black short jacket that was laid out on a chaise longue. Trousers, legs were oversized, ruched up in straight leather or billowing in country woollens over ox-blood brogues, while he took necks high and buttoned up on warm wool coats and jackets.
Bottega Veneta designer Tomas Maier said he took inspiration from workmen's clothes for his collection, which also mixed soft fabrics and sharp lines.
Maier said the collection also reflected the photographs of Irving Penn and German August Sander, which often feature everyday people posing in everyday clothes or in uniforms. Maier dressed men in square-cut heavy wool jackets that echoed those worn by roadworkers, or used soft leather for a no-zip blouson that brought to mind artists' overalls.
A short-sleeved black sweatshirt was worn with a blue-grey waistcoat and baggy drill trousers, while roomy denim pants were paired with a smart navy overcoat. And models kept their ears warm with knitted headbands, while Maier's peaked caps and woollen pull-ons echoed those seen at Burberry on Saturday.
At Emporio Armani, ski wear turned urban chic with black and white techno fabrics and jackets or trousers speckled with snow-like sparkles. The Alpine mood ran on in sweaters inspired by Scandinavian patterns with trailing scarves to match.
Giorgio Armani, Italy's best-known designer, also showed some womenswear at Emporio, which is his less formal line. Girls in short white skirts and black fitted jackets paraded alongside a man in black velvet curved-closure jacket and grey trousers.
Long flowing women's trousers and a silvery silk top with bows and pearls were paired with more velvet for a man's evening suit. For accessories - hot items for many luxury brands for their one-size-fits-all space saving - Armani had scarves that were swathes of rust and grey wool, while caps had earflaps or were knitted pull-ons - an emerging trend for the season.
Idiosyncratic fashion designer Miuccia Prada turned tailoring inside out and back to front in her menswear show, going against the predominant trend for soft, snug styles.
Prada's models wore flat-fitting waistcoats that were solid at the front and secured at the back with broad black bands, or shirts that sported double collars one on top of another in bright reds and blues.
A nod to cummerbunds gave a second waist above tailored trousers, while cuffs of scarlet sprouted from sleeves of jackets which had no shirts to support them.
Models wearing ruler-thin black ties and ruler-thin black waistbands separated from hip-high trousers gave the impression of a Modigliani painting.
Shirts were reversed to have buttons at the back, often left undone to allow glimpses of backbone.
And despite the timing of the show, Prada provided little warmth and volume, preferring skinny rib sleeveless jumpers to the generous wool knits and coats seen at Dolce & Gabbana or Emporio Armani.
Britain's Spice Girls turned out to watch Roberto Cavalli's show on Monday and he didn't disappoint them, including in his show a gorgeous green evening shift and a black satin Cinderella gown for women.
Models wore suits in shiny midnight blue and black jacquards. Cavalli brought back turn-ups to straight-legged trousers and threw roomy sheepskins - emerging as a seasonal trend - or leopard print coats over the top of outfits.
His glamorous womenswear was a hit with retailer Hennes & Mauritz, where shoppers queued when they went on sale on November 8. Cavalli said he had no plans for any further collaborations and was keen to know who might be the next designer for H&M, which has used collections by Karl Lagerfeld and Stella McCartney.
At Gucci, designer Frida Giannini mixed textures of soft tweed, velvet and silk for what she described as a "Russian Rock" look on models with tousled hair and dark-rimmed eyes.
Low-slung trousers were long-legged and straight, while silk scarves in Paisley prints or tartans served as belts. Leather belts with studs were instead slung round necks.
A grey-flecked tweed tailored jacket was worn with mole-soft velvet trousers and a fine silk patterned flat-fronted shirt.
Thin stirr-up fastenings flapped open on trousers over flat, slouchy boots, some with studded backs to the ankles.
Giannini used brick red and petrol blues to brighten up her predominant blacks, greys and browns, with metal coins and studs jingling on trousers seams and the side panels of bags.
For eveningwear, velvet contrasted with astrakhan in black coats and trousers, with touches of scarlet in hip-hugging scarves lending a military dash. Giannini, in only her second winter menswear collection, echoed other designers this week with huge soft leather grips as luggage or studded versions slung over shoulders.
She put fur on collars and long, long cuffs or collars, while sheepskin - a favourite fabric this week for designers - was used for a roomy coat closed by leather bands or a hooded waistcoat.
Giorgio Armani's retro spy style and luxury looks won whistles and loud applause after his show, as buyers and journalists acknowledged a classic show from the doyen of Italian fashion.
Armani, the last of the big names to present his ideas, chose velvets and silks mixed with tweed in blacks, greys and night-sky blues for his men to wear next winter.
Spies came to mind as models walked down the catwalk, their hands in the pockets of dark, shiny mackintoshes wearing tall dark fedoras and shades.
Velvet - already a trend at Milan's shows - was everywhere, in trousers, jackets, shirts and coats, as well as gowns for a couple of female models who joined the show.
A black velvet evening coat swept down to the knee and was matched with velvet shoes, while for the women, a long black gown was held barely there by the narrowest of halter necks.
Armani, known for his classic lines and soft looks, made a collar into a velvet fringed scarf or stood it high in pale speckled blue under a velvet jacket.
There were warm, wraparound coats in sheepskin or wool, and heavy jackets.
Armani's men carried their hats as well along with gloves and a slim portfolio or a big squashy travel bag.
Footwear for men featured knee-high boots worn over trousers or lace-up, smartened-up workmen's boots, while the women wore their long gowns with pointed flat beaded sandals.
At D&G, the less formal line of Dolce & Gabbana, the inspiration was tartan, which the two worked over into patchwork jumpers and jackets.
Velvet was also in the mix, as it was at Armani and other designers this week, while hats were enormous wolfskin trappers' versions.
The designers pushed the plaid idea into a biker's jacket in leather patches of blue, red and white, or took it as a basis for jumpers made of patchwork squares, either fine wool or chunky aran designs.
At the finale, models walked down the runway all dressed in black trousers, white shirts, black bow-ties and heavy-framed spectacles but with tartan jackets which started off as red and gold stripes on a black ground and moved through bases of brown to maroon to red.
The duo, the first of the big names to air their ideas for winter 2008/9 in Milan, focused on blacks, midnight blues and charcoal greys.
Models were wrapped up in huge sheepskin coats or jackets, while gilets looked snug over big-knit baggy jumpers in misty blues and greys.
The designers draped soft wool scarves once and twice around necks and tied them loosely at the back, while to keep ankles warm, ribbed wool cuffs finished off low-slung slimline trousers.
There was a nod to equestrianism with jodhpurs and high leather boots, or leather patches on the inside of velvet trousers and shirt elbows.
Stefano Gabbana and Domenico Dolce even turned out one model in comfy coffee-coloured combinations - juxtaposed with tough leather knee-length boots.
Accessories - important for luxury brands as they have strong returns and require small amounts of retail space - were also on a generous scale, with soft holdalls in brown and black leather that needed long legs to keep them off the ground.
And flat caps were de rigueur, whether in rough wool, fine wool for smarter wear or a shiny sateen look for the evening.
British label Burberry went for a thin silhouette inspired by the paintings of northern England artist LS Lowry, its designer Christopher Bailey said.
His collection featured peaked dark wool caps and long trenchcoats - reminiscent of the thin, dark figures which populate Lowry's scenes of England's industrial north in the last century.
Burberry's men wore small-collared silk shirts with ruched or pleated fronts in coffee and black prints. Slimline dark trousers appeared stick-like under tweed overcoats or soft duffle coats.
Hats were too big and peaked or knitted, while gloves were oversized in wool or metallic leather.
And bags - like those at Dolce & Gabbana - were big soft grips just right for journeys on a Lowry-era steam train.
Designer Donatella Versace shunned bags, gloves and hats in her show, which was watched by celebrities including pop singer Beyonce.
She used a difficult palette of dull navy, bruise-burgundy and brown which the designer said was inspired by the paintings of artist Tamara de Lempicka. A focus on tailoring brought back the double-breasted jacket and low-slung straight trousers, instead of the big, snug looks which found favour elsewhere.
Versace's version of sheepskin was worked hard, for coats with panelling picked out in leather strips - a more penned-in look than the wild and woolly lines at Dolce & Gabbana. Sparkly cuffs and lapels tricked out a navy dinner jacket while figure-hugging fine knits completed the retro look.
Lars Nilsson broke with tradition and used a presentation instead of a catwalk show for his first collection at designer Gianfranco Ferre after he was hired to head the brand following the founder's death last year.
The Swedish designer kept the tailored tradition for slimline suit jackets and overcoats at this presentation, where live models mixed with dummies in a set laid out as four rooms.
He made a nod to Gianfranco Ferre's white shirts only in formal evening wear, otherwise using steely blues, beiges and greys.
Nilsson mixed Prince of Wales checks and tweeds with leather and fur to soften his look, putting a dove-grey deerskin lining to a cream and grey cashmere knitted jacket.
Alligator made an appearance for a black short jacket that was laid out on a chaise longue. Trousers, legs were oversized, ruched up in straight leather or billowing in country woollens over ox-blood brogues, while he took necks high and buttoned up on warm wool coats and jackets.
Bottega Veneta designer Tomas Maier said he took inspiration from workmen's clothes for his collection, which also mixed soft fabrics and sharp lines.
Maier said the collection also reflected the photographs of Irving Penn and German August Sander, which often feature everyday people posing in everyday clothes or in uniforms. Maier dressed men in square-cut heavy wool jackets that echoed those worn by roadworkers, or used soft leather for a no-zip blouson that brought to mind artists' overalls.
A short-sleeved black sweatshirt was worn with a blue-grey waistcoat and baggy drill trousers, while roomy denim pants were paired with a smart navy overcoat. And models kept their ears warm with knitted headbands, while Maier's peaked caps and woollen pull-ons echoed those seen at Burberry on Saturday.
At Emporio Armani, ski wear turned urban chic with black and white techno fabrics and jackets or trousers speckled with snow-like sparkles. The Alpine mood ran on in sweaters inspired by Scandinavian patterns with trailing scarves to match.
Giorgio Armani, Italy's best-known designer, also showed some womenswear at Emporio, which is his less formal line. Girls in short white skirts and black fitted jackets paraded alongside a man in black velvet curved-closure jacket and grey trousers.
Long flowing women's trousers and a silvery silk top with bows and pearls were paired with more velvet for a man's evening suit. For accessories - hot items for many luxury brands for their one-size-fits-all space saving - Armani had scarves that were swathes of rust and grey wool, while caps had earflaps or were knitted pull-ons - an emerging trend for the season.
Idiosyncratic fashion designer Miuccia Prada turned tailoring inside out and back to front in her menswear show, going against the predominant trend for soft, snug styles.
Prada's models wore flat-fitting waistcoats that were solid at the front and secured at the back with broad black bands, or shirts that sported double collars one on top of another in bright reds and blues.
A nod to cummerbunds gave a second waist above tailored trousers, while cuffs of scarlet sprouted from sleeves of jackets which had no shirts to support them.
Models wearing ruler-thin black ties and ruler-thin black waistbands separated from hip-high trousers gave the impression of a Modigliani painting.
Shirts were reversed to have buttons at the back, often left undone to allow glimpses of backbone.
And despite the timing of the show, Prada provided little warmth and volume, preferring skinny rib sleeveless jumpers to the generous wool knits and coats seen at Dolce & Gabbana or Emporio Armani.
Britain's Spice Girls turned out to watch Roberto Cavalli's show on Monday and he didn't disappoint them, including in his show a gorgeous green evening shift and a black satin Cinderella gown for women.
Models wore suits in shiny midnight blue and black jacquards. Cavalli brought back turn-ups to straight-legged trousers and threw roomy sheepskins - emerging as a seasonal trend - or leopard print coats over the top of outfits.
His glamorous womenswear was a hit with retailer Hennes & Mauritz, where shoppers queued when they went on sale on November 8. Cavalli said he had no plans for any further collaborations and was keen to know who might be the next designer for H&M, which has used collections by Karl Lagerfeld and Stella McCartney.
At Gucci, designer Frida Giannini mixed textures of soft tweed, velvet and silk for what she described as a "Russian Rock" look on models with tousled hair and dark-rimmed eyes.
Low-slung trousers were long-legged and straight, while silk scarves in Paisley prints or tartans served as belts. Leather belts with studs were instead slung round necks.
A grey-flecked tweed tailored jacket was worn with mole-soft velvet trousers and a fine silk patterned flat-fronted shirt.
Thin stirr-up fastenings flapped open on trousers over flat, slouchy boots, some with studded backs to the ankles.
Giannini used brick red and petrol blues to brighten up her predominant blacks, greys and browns, with metal coins and studs jingling on trousers seams and the side panels of bags.
For eveningwear, velvet contrasted with astrakhan in black coats and trousers, with touches of scarlet in hip-hugging scarves lending a military dash. Giannini, in only her second winter menswear collection, echoed other designers this week with huge soft leather grips as luggage or studded versions slung over shoulders.
She put fur on collars and long, long cuffs or collars, while sheepskin - a favourite fabric this week for designers - was used for a roomy coat closed by leather bands or a hooded waistcoat.
Giorgio Armani's retro spy style and luxury looks won whistles and loud applause after his show, as buyers and journalists acknowledged a classic show from the doyen of Italian fashion.
Armani, the last of the big names to present his ideas, chose velvets and silks mixed with tweed in blacks, greys and night-sky blues for his men to wear next winter.
Spies came to mind as models walked down the catwalk, their hands in the pockets of dark, shiny mackintoshes wearing tall dark fedoras and shades.
Velvet - already a trend at Milan's shows - was everywhere, in trousers, jackets, shirts and coats, as well as gowns for a couple of female models who joined the show.
A black velvet evening coat swept down to the knee and was matched with velvet shoes, while for the women, a long black gown was held barely there by the narrowest of halter necks.
Armani, known for his classic lines and soft looks, made a collar into a velvet fringed scarf or stood it high in pale speckled blue under a velvet jacket.
There were warm, wraparound coats in sheepskin or wool, and heavy jackets.
Armani's men carried their hats as well along with gloves and a slim portfolio or a big squashy travel bag.
Footwear for men featured knee-high boots worn over trousers or lace-up, smartened-up workmen's boots, while the women wore their long gowns with pointed flat beaded sandals.
At D&G, the less formal line of Dolce & Gabbana, the inspiration was tartan, which the two worked over into patchwork jumpers and jackets.
Velvet was also in the mix, as it was at Armani and other designers this week, while hats were enormous wolfskin trappers' versions.
The designers pushed the plaid idea into a biker's jacket in leather patches of blue, red and white, or took it as a basis for jumpers made of patchwork squares, either fine wool or chunky aran designs.
At the finale, models walked down the runway all dressed in black trousers, white shirts, black bow-ties and heavy-framed spectacles but with tartan jackets which started off as red and gold stripes on a black ground and moved through bases of brown to maroon to red.