From Jil Sander to Burberry, there were men's wear risks in Milan MILAN - The economy continues to tank, spirits are still low - so wise men are fleeing to the safety of suits. That sober vision is the perceived wisdom about male fashion. But "who dares sins" is not the mantra for the Italian 2012 men's wear winter season - even if sartorial styles are on the rise. Instead, taking a risk has been dramatically displayed by a black leather Jil Sander collection deep on the dark side and by a gilt trip from coats to shoes at Dolce & Gabbana. While Burberry's insistence on the "polite" side of the British gentleman laid down a challenge to former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's 1987 claim that "there is no such thing as society." On Sunday, Bottega Veneta took a sober line - but made it sharp and original by inserting blocks and strips of color or shiny leather into plain tailoring and biker sportswear. In a general overview of the first days of the Milan season, the men's wear spine has been stiffened by firm tailoring but a young, slim, body-conscious shape, with short jackets and skinny pants, is the silhouette of the season. Raf Simons, the designer who has re-modeled Jil Sander , called his collection "a reflection on contemporary masculinity - an exploration of the subtle tension between control and release." It was also his first showing since the news that Mr. Simons was the latest candidate called in to talk about the vacant job at Dior. A romantic take on upscale couture the collection of beefy leather trench coats and thin black neckties was not. With its sinister undertones of storm troopers and sexual perversity, but an outer shell of business-like respectability, the collection was both streamlined and disturbing. As the designer put it backstage, after describing the mood as "psychological" and "quite dark": "Everybody has a Godzilla in his bedroom." In this case, there were various mini-monsters, in the shape of dinosaurs and whales, patterning a back flap on taut sweaters and blazers. But this man's closet also would be filled with delectable clothes, from the short, tailored jackets curved with multiple seams to the impeccably cut pants and the bold, oversize coats. They were cinched at the waist to emphasize a luxurious, hyper-masculine sexuality. The details were offered with similar surprise elements to those in the bigger picture. There were wraparound newspaper holders (no iPads here) and business suits woven in sleek, low-tech tweed. The entire collection looked like it was going back to an earlier vision of the sexualized male - but with that magical fashion reality that was right for now. It was raining again at Burberry Prorsum , that familiar digital rain cascading down the backdrop. Cue for trench coats and "brollies" (as if those global traders in today's City of London would follow a quaint old British tradition). But what umbrellas! Elegant species were finished off with knobs fashioned into the heads of dogs or ducks, showing that every British "city clicker" still has his heart in his country "pile." And that was the story of the collection from Christopher Bailey, chief creative officer of Burberry Prorsum: a kaleidoscopic shake-up of town and country. It brought short, upper-crust tailored coats that would not have looked out of place in "Downton Abbey," the top-ranked British snobs-and-servants television series. There was a military swagger to fitted, double-breasted coats, an urban sharpness to geometric patterns and a yearning for country in a fox symbol embroidered on the chest of a sweater. But Mr. Bailey, who dedicated the collection last year to craftsmanship, and previously has explored street smart mods, got the balance just right this season. The plush of velvet, the blush of blueberry, the mix of tactile tweed and dotted ties had the right dose of British elegance and eccentricity. "Polite," said the designer backstage to sum up his new "Gentlemen." But the show of soft-edged entitlement was more powerful than Mr. Bailey suggested.