Giorgio Armani summed up the five days of menswear preview showings for fall-winter 2004: dressing a man who dares to show tenderness. Throughout the week designers have been abandoning tough guy looks to explore the gentler side of the male ego, from the sporty wholesome look of the English countryside, to the genteel style of velvet suits, cashmere sweaters and silk evening wear.

"Metrosexual" is the name invented for a man who combines macho with mild, claiming some femininity for the male sex. "It's a question of esthetics, not gender," said Armani after the show in the theater of his ultramodern headquarters. Armani's winter collection centers around the new "George" jacket. The shoulder is subtly padded, hinting at power, while the soft lines and sweater-like fabric give it a feminine feel. "Above all it is very comfortable," Armani said.

T-shirts under jackets are replaced by refined silk shirts, while trousers are loose-fitting, but never baggy. Evening wear includes the sweater tuxedo which combines silk and jersey to produce a jacket which is as soft as a cardigan but as formal as a dinner jacket.