The idea of utility hung heavy this week, from strapping on a bag at Gucci to the strange strapped tops at Burberry (apparently inspired by the straps working men use to sling their coats over their shoulders). Gianfranco Ferré offered a khaki jumpsuit and Costume National a shorts-jumpsuit.
The biggest story, though, was pockets. Lots of them. Particularly on jackets: Versace put four on a suit jacket while Gucci and Emporio Armani employed a similar tactic on bombers (where it seemed more at home). Burberry's longer-length coat with six pockets down its front felt like a step too far.
Perhaps the thinking is that clothes need to be more useful in a recession. It's simplistic, but all these new places to store your kit do cut out the need for a new bag. Though the bulkiness of all the pockets (especially when filled) is always a concern ... Photograph: Giuseppe Cacae/Damien Meyer/Giulio Di Mauro/AFP/Getty/EPA
Gulp. Not words that any campaigner for the smart city short or slick trousers wants to hear. The trend was particularly prevalent at Dolce & Gabbana, where zips and pockets were festooned upon trousers - even three-quarter-length trousers. It was the Brits abroad look mixed with Maharishi. Kind of. Certainly, a combat style has the commercial legs that their spring/summer pyjama-inspired collection evidently lacked.
Mr Armani, in both his Giorgio and Emporio lines, added his voice to the utility noise via wearable smart pocketed shorts, while Dsquared took the idea to its camp limits. Cue super-short shorts, topless bodies sporting backpacks and exposed boxer-waistbands, in variations on a combat theme. Photograph: Gian Mattia D'Alberto/Alberto Pellaschiar/Empics Entertainment/AP
Luckily, combats were not the universal slacks message from Milan. Despite skinny denims and slim-leg trousers continuing to dominate the high street, a roomier trouser shape has been bubbling away under the radar. Neil Barrett offered trousers with added volume in the crotch. Versace and Armani let the extra fabric ripple through the entire leg. Missoni's opening outfit featured a wide white trouser, tapered at the ankle and rolled up. This has been the trouser styling trick in fashion circles for two summers now.
Some designers added to this ankle-grazing idea by introducing a sporty cuff at the bottom. See Bottega Veneta (cuffs and gathered hems), Barrett (cuffs on slim sporty jogger styles) and CP Company, who teamed cuffed slacks with a tailored suit jacket. This cuff idea ticks the season's utilitarian box, but it puts your footwear under the microscope. Photograph: Giuseppe Aresu/Giulio Di Mauro/Matteo Bazzi/AP/EPA
One of fashion's most enduring women's looks is animal-inspired printed clothing, from zebra to snake via giraffe and leopard. This season, it crossed over into menswear. At Burberry, it was a cute leopard-spot top, at Missoni, a tiger-striped cardigan, while Giorgio Armani offered a python-printed nylon parka. This is not about actual exotic skins - I'm still racking my brains about where on earth it might be appropriate to wear Versace's spring '10 real crocodile blazer - but could well be the season's fun print. Photograph: STR/Damien Meyer/Reuters/AFP/Getty
Monochromatic clothes were rife at the shows. It was particularly striking at Prada, where grey ruled the day. Miuccia Prada apparently felt the need to test the cliché of the grey suit (a look she believes men are stuck with). She sawed off sleeves, perforated them, and, most significantly, styled them minus a tie or a shirt. A simple two-button double-breasted suit jacket was worn with a light cardigan, while other looks were more heavily layered. Perhaps she has realised that there is now a whole generation of men who might wear suits, but not in a formal fashion. Photograph: Stephano Rellandini/Reuters
After years of persuading men to swap overly treated or washed-out jeans for rich, dark, raw indigo denim, the about-turn to a paler species may take time. It's a look teeming with 80s overtones. At Dsquared, a chambray denim shirt said boy scout (thanks to the styling). McQueen showed a classic denim jacket washed out and neatly buttoned to the neck, which was lovely. The Dolce diffusion label, D&G, made their message clear from outfit one: a pale denim shirt tucked into pale, ripped jeans, worn with a white vest. Photograph: Stephano Rellandini/Alberto Pellaschiar/Damien Meyer/AP/AFP/Getty
There was a distinct late-90s whiff to a black, wet-look nylon trench towards the end of the Calvin Klein show, which had started with a sporty black parka. These two coat styles are the leading outerwear prospects - not including those with a million pockets - coming out of Milan. Two of the best were Jil Sander's flyaway light trench in icy baby blue - its sleeves pushed up past the elbow - and a soft yellow parka with hood that finished just below the waist at John Varvatos. Both of these also ticked off the inevitable spring trend for ice-cream shades. Photograph: Giuseppe Aresu/PR/AP
We've seen great hulking bags swinging down the men's catwalks in recent seasons. Backlash newsflash: a handful of designers have decided to shrink them down to almost purse-like proportions. There were 33 (I counted them) appearances of the purse-clutch on the Dolce catwalk. Versace attached their natty version to a belt, in a nod to the bumbag (travel being another big 'theme' this week), while Emporio Armani slung his mini-bag onto a strap, which was then worn across the body. Oh dear. Certain footballers really don't need any more encouragement to wear outfits of ludicrous proportions. Photograph: Giuseppe Cacace/Damien Meyer/AFP/Getty
It's possible to avoid the pastel/white/grey uniform many designers are proposing for spring. You'll find red dotted around - best was a leather doublebreasted jacket at Burberry. Bottega Veneta went for a spot of colour-blocking by clashing pink with orange, while Calvin Klein took orange and put it with a strong blue. Orange will start to appear in stores soon as part of the autumn collections, so by spring, its presence in menswear may well be less shocking. Bold cobalt blue has proved to be a shade with staying power in recent seasons: it's one of the key shades at Gucci. And for fans of a colourful shoe - and who doesn't love a wallop of colour pounding the pavement? - then Marni's yellow loafers will truly be a joy. Photograph: Giuseppe Cacace/Allessandro Garofalo/Stephano Rellandini/AFP/Getty/Reuters
Shimmer works on a runway: it adds drama. In real life, a silk midnight blue Gucci suit somehow becomes less relevant, but that doesn't mean that its lean shape doesn't cut quite a dash. If only we spent our lives on a red carpet ... A sheeny jacket is less difficult, and there are several styles to experiment with. Z Zenga offered a royal blue doublebreasted version, dressed down with neutral matt trousers. Trussardi 1911 offered an exotic red silk coat with matching shoes - both were nice individually, but not together. For a more casual option, a silver John Varvatos bomber jacket might work. The one of the runway was teeny-tiny, but we assume it will be developed into a non-model-friendly version before it hits shops next January. Photograph: Giuseppe Cacace/Damien Meyer/AFP/Getty
