Ermenegildo Zegna is layering up for next fall and winter with menswear looks to cozy up against the winter chill. The collection presented Saturday on the first day of Milan Fashion Week featured slim plaid, checked or houndstooth suits under ample shearling jackets or capes styled for men. Suits are worn with shirts layered underneath with a turtle neck — or, when not, with chunky textured ties.

The colors were warm — camel, sandy browns and midnight blue, playfully evoking the desert in a cold weather collection that also featured winter white — while the tactile, layered look was calibrated for warmth against the elements, suggested at the opening of the show by the crackle of a fire against a whipping winter wind soundtrack.

Zegna states that his man is looking for a break from the global financial turmoil — but keeps his Blackberry handy in case opportunity beckons. Luggage is ready for a quick getaway, including carry-ons clad in plaid; large, flat messenger bags in fine leather, and ample duffels.

The prime destination is clearly the mountains, where polished combat boots will protect against the chill while fringed moccasins await for the fireside. After a day in the elements, apres-ski evening wear is relaxed. Tuxedos are silky and quilted — quite the opposite of the stiff and formal image they normally evoke. A dark robe coat of a brushed alpalca called Spazzolino billows luxuriously over a white tuxedo shirt.

It’s a collection that allows each man to find his own comfort level, even considering whether or not to shave: Zegna made beards a fashion option, from full on to a few days’ growth to stubble. Clean shaven, of course, is always in style.