Milan designers tip hat to summer elegance

MILAN — With a tip of the hat — raffia that is — Milan designers salute old-style summer elegance, as they preview next year’s warm weather styles.

The breezy brimmed straw hat has dominated the current menswear fashion week, making it the symbol for the romantic refined look designers propose from beach resort to pool side.

The latest in the series of those who have reinvented the vintage head cover, including Dolce and Gabbana and Ferragamo, is Kean Etro, who previewed his collection Monday.

Into the third day of Milan preview shows, the looks have been tried-and-true traditional, with occasional outbursts of bold color and eccentric styles by such mavens as Donatella Versace and Alexander McQueen’s Sarah Burton.