The Armani Blueprint - NYTimes.com Can I say a word about Giorgio Armani? You don't mind. Sometimes the quest for self-expression seems narrowed by the ideology of the Web, the need for collective approval. But a great designer is born to be expansive in his view of masculinity. He can't help it. That was the pleasure of watching his men's show the other day. Here was Mr. Armani reinventing traditional working-class clothes - chore coats, plain shirts - in denim or blue chambray. These were among some of my favorite styles of the Milan's men's shows. They were so particular. And the fit and softness of the shrunken jackets that appeared in this section was also impressive. I loved the versatility of the collection - the fact that you could imagine one kind of individual for a saggy cardigan and another kind for those sophisticated checked sports coats. And yet they were all united by Mr. Armani's worldview. The casting was also good - far more diverse, I thought, that what you typically see at his women's shows. In fact, my only wish is that he wouldn't be quite so chivalrous toward women and let them have something similarly free.