Milan keeps things moving!

The year has just begun but the menswear preview collections currently showing on the Milan runway are all about how a guy should dress for the fall-winter 2008-2009.

And to make things walk even faster, this round the Milan shows are crammed into four days to accommodate a busy Paris schedule which includes both menswear and couture next week.

"Everybody is doing everything fast," said Tomas Maier, creative director at Bottega Veneta, to The Associated Press after his much applauded show on Sunday.

Maier's collection balances elegant with casual to create a contemporary country club look. Inspiration for the casual comes from the workman's wardrobe, from the chore coats to the driver's jackets and baggy painter pants. Fabrics range from canvas and denim to sturdy leather. The more formal wear is as tailored as a made-to-order suit. Jackets are single or double-breasted and trousers are wide.

Dolce & Gabbana, one of the hottest labels in trendy menswear, also called for an end to fashion overdose at a pre-show chat with the media. "What's happening in fashion is like inviting someone to dinner and stuffing them with double helpings. By the time desert comes around, they can't look at food anymore," Stefano Gabbana said.

The duo's show on Saturday offered up rustic fashion for next winter. Going back to their roots, they outfitted a Sicilian shepherd from macho woolen cap to bulky knit sweater under a hefty sheepskin coat, to the all-purpose leather boots. When he goes to town on business, their shepherd wears a pinstriped suit complete with white shirt and tie and carries a crocodile briefcase.

Burberry designer Christopher Bailey, who also showed Saturday, was in the mood for romance. Silk shirts, vests, soft cardigan sweaters and legging-like trousers all combine to evoke a misty English countryside. A crocodile leather trench coat and pullovers fashioned with tufts of rooster feathers lent an extra dash of eccentricity to an already dandified collection.

Earlier on Saturday, Donatella Versace underlined the comeback of the top coat with an extra long double-breasted military version in deep purple. According to Donatella, the coat represents a male yearning for luxury.

Dolce & Gabanna

Bottega Veneta

Versace

Pictures from Chris Moore/Karl Prouse