AN intemperate outburst from Italian designer Georgio Armani reported in the Sunday Times may have caused some upset in the Row but should be seen for what it undoubtedly was - a clever spin to get publicity for his latest business development.

Best known for his soft, unstructured ready made menswear, Armani is making what he claims to be a "revolutionary" move by branching out into couture clothes for men, the first designer ever to do so.   Oh, come on, Mr Armani!  

In the interview, he goes on to describe what he intends to offer - such revolutionary tactics as measuring customers, allowing them to choose their own fabric, to dictate the style details - even down to the buttons and lining.   Well, at a starting price of around £5,000 rising to £30,000, one might expect to have the sort of input that Savile Row has always offered, rather more reasonably priced.  

Perhaps more to the point is that he is piqued at the prospect of Savile Row actually taking him on in Italy, a contingent of tailors having been invited to the prestigious Italian menswear event next year by the organisers.   That, plus the prospect of raking in up to £75,000 for "a single outfit with all the trimmings" from the top coterie of billionaires who now call London home.

Well, Savile Row has seen them come and seen them go.   Certainly, it could learn much from Mr Armani's talents in the hype and spin area but will probably eschew an ill-mannered response and certainly will never bandy the names of its illustrious customer base about in the press.   It all comes down to Savile Row's essential respect for quality - and that is something you cannot buy, even for £75,000.

LEGENDARY style figure, Beau Brummell, appeared in an enjoyable romp of a TV drama recently, showing how the Dandies and the Fops were the Rockers and the Mods of their day, even showing some of the more modern aggressive tactics.

The production made clear how Brummell set the lead for dark clothing, clean white linen and immaculate accessories that was followed then by the rest of the Regency court set and ultimately by the rest of the world - today's dark business suit a direct descendant of Brummell's dark ensembles.

Brummell was responsible for an appreciation of excellent tailoring. The cut, fit and line of his jackets had to be immaculate, the cloth of the finest. Though tailors had a hard time getting their bills paid by him - and many other stylish young bloods of the time - this was undoubtedly an era when the tailoring craft was appreciated and tailors celebrated.

A new Beau Brummell is sadly needed. The business suit may be unassailable in its practicality and popularity for business wear but most young, style-conscious males have missed out on the joy of dressing up for far too long and have long since lost the ability to appreciate tailors and tailoring.

In the Autumn issue of savilerow-style.com, we'll look at some modern-day potential Beau Brummells who could perhaps help bring a renaissance of Dandyism.