MILAN, Italy — Giorgio Armani closed this round of Italian menswear with a collection that summed up the good vibes emanating from the Milan catwalk for summer 2006.

The short and snappy show was full of the relaxed, soft styles that have made models look good and customers feel good during the five days of preview presentations that ended with Armani on Thursday.

"Giorgio set the mood," said Kal Ruttenstein of Bloomingdale's after the show in the theater of Armani's ultramodern Milan headquarters. He noted how the soft tailoring gave a modern thrust to the sporty look that permeated the catwalk during the presentations.

The latest Armani jacket, ranging in fabric from sporty seersucker to a shiny mix of linen and silk, is short and deconstructed, has prominent lapels and is fastened by a single button. A collarless shirt completes the casual — but never haphazard — look.

Suits — not for business only — have made a comeback for next year's warmer weather. Armani keeps his soft and sensual, with even the pants of a conservative pinstripe suit cut close to the body.

In his show comments, the designer dubbed his well-known obsession for detail "Armania." This round it comes in the ultra softness of the nappa leather used for featherweight blouson jackets, the craftsmanship of knitted cardigans, as well as the meticulous mixture of fabrics and the attention to the color palette. Armani used less white than other designers this season, concentrating more on shades of gray, with an occasional dabble into burgundy and lilac.

Another Armani fixation is footwear, which this round featured tasseled loafers throughout the show, while concentration on jewelry is a new entry in the "Armania" diary.

For his Emporio collection, Armani offered a pearl charm dangling from a silver chain, to be worn around the neck. The designer upped the ante for his signature collection, introducing pearl necklaces.

Earlier Thursday, Miuccia Prada also toyed with the idea of male jewelry, adorning her preppie models with silver and enamel charms, and necklaces made out of a rolled bandanna, during the presentation of her second line Miu Miu collection.

In fact "rolled up" seemed to be the theme of the show, with not only shirts but jacket sleeves and pant legs shortened by turning up the fabric to underline the relaxed feel of the season.

The chic casual collection also featured heavy cotton knit sweaters, trendy pastel colored slacks, printed shirts already seen at the signature collection and the new sleeveless linen shirt.

Overall through the 47 shows and 53 presentations that made up the fashion week, the designers decreed that the summer of 2006 would be cool and relaxed, even when some styles — like Dolce and Gabbana's plunging waistline — turned up the heat. More than a search for lost elegance, there is a nostalgic 1960s "la dolce vita" feel to some of the collections.

The upbeat mood of the season makes the printed shirt a must — whether in paisley, checks, flowers or naif designs.

In the pants department, shorts replace Bermudas, while the favorite trouser cut is straight up and down. Along with traditional menswear colors, bright shades become fashionable and white reigns supreme.

Jeans abound, but that's not news. Denims have become as essential to any wardrobe as underwear.

Jackets tend to be shorter and closer fitting, but as soft as a cardigan. In the sweater section, the V-neck is a must, usually in light or even see-through fabric.

Footwear reflects the all-around relaxed mood from espadrilles to sandals and sneakers. For the more conservative styles, designers offer leather slippers and two-tone laced shoes. Wearing socks is definitely out.

Neckties are no longer a trend issue, but a matter of personal choice. Other options for next summer include scarves, kerchiefs and bona fide necklaces.

Except for the usual kilt at Vivienne Westwood, this round in white silk, there were few gimmicky styles on the Milan catwalk. Designers continue to push bathing briefs, but a visit to any Italian beach will show that most guys here still prefer their boxer trunks.

The summer palette is all about white, beige and light gray, along with bright summer fruit shades like peach, raspberry, lemon and lime. Black is all but banished from the summer fashion scene.

The upbeat mood was best acted out on the catwalk by young, clean-shaven models with boyish haircuts. In this round, the macho man had to share a back seat with the few playboy nostalgics left on the fashion scene.