When a designer has as many strings to their bow as Mr Giorgio Armani – a global fashion empire; a successful perfume and cosmetics business; even an eponymous hotel and restaurant franchise – it’s easy to come to the conclusion that he could make anything stylish. But make no mistake, Mr Giorgio Armani is not a jack of all trades; he’s a master of one, and that’s creating clothes that real men actually want to wear.

That much has been clear since the very beginning. Catapulted to sartorial stardom when he dressed Mr Richard Gere for his turn as Julian Kaye in the slow-burning thriller American Gigolo, Mr Armani’s distinctively louche tailoring and luxe casualwear stole the show, and it would come to define the wardrobe of men for much of the 1980s and 1990s. So strong is the impression it left, that with a plot involving an intense affair, framing someone for murder and one of the first occasions of male full-frontal nudity, American Gigolo is still considered as a movie about style decades later.

Mr Paul Schrader’s script has Kaye swanning around Los Angeles wearing what would become the hallmarks of Giorgio Armani’s collections: languid suit jackets cut long, generously tailored trousers with front pleats, black tuxedos, loose linen shirts and sweeping, belted coats. Unlike the suits of the time, none of it was starched and stuffy; it was an entirely new way of dressing – one that commanded authority in a discreet, tasteful manner – and the fact that Mr Gere wore these looks with a heavy dose of nonchalance, as if his clothes were nothing more than a second skin, only helped to propel this form of power dressing to new heights.

In an especially memorable scene, Mr Gere’s character slowly sifts through his vast wardrobe, creating a line-up of curated outfits. Laying them carefully down on the bed, he meticulously selects a series of beautifully textured sports jackets, shirts to go with them, and knitted, striped and linen ties, changing his mind once or twice. Once he’s done, he steps back, smiles and nods satisfactorily, evidently pleased with his small masterpieces.

It’s the sort of vignette that had until then been reserved for female protagonists on screen; women, after all, were allowed to care this much about clothes. Kaye’s obsession with style is presented as evidence of his narcissistic and materialistic personality – the sartorial equivalent of Patrick Bateman’s grooming routine, perhaps – but it illustrated two radical truths (at least by 1980s standards) to male cinema-goers: firstly, that there’s a true art to putting an outfit together, and secondly, that what you wear matters.

This brings us to our new capsule collection with the Italian brand, which arrives on MR PORTER this week. Heavily inspired by the costumes for American Gigolo, as well as the era of the power suit that followed, it couldn’t have landed at a better time. As we ease ourselves into the promise of a warm spring and summer while we contemplate the possibility of being able to be social again, we’re primed for a change of pace and, with it, the opportunity to dress up once more.

Not that this collection offers your typical office or formalwear. In fact, it’s closer, at least in terms of comfort, to the sweatpants we’ve been wearing for the last year but it’s undoubtedly still smart. Most of the silhouettes are double-breasted, but it’s far from your standard fit: unstructured and laid-back, the lapels hang low around your frame while the longer jacket length feels more relaxed, an impression reinforced by the matching pleated trousers. Even the standout Prince of Wales checked two-piece, a heritage pattern at the more formal end of the spectrum, is subtly done, in elegantly washed-out, vintage-inspired tones and woven with touches of silk and unlined for a breezier fit.

The fabrics, too, are characteristically Giorgio Armani. There’s a mottled, lightweight linen that feels ready-made for spring; sleek silk-blend shirts and a soft herringbone jacquard, which is used to tailor an abundance of items including an oversized trench coat, wide-legged trousers, an overshirt, bomber jacket, unstructured blazer and even a pair of drawstring shorts. Comfort, as well as style, is clearly front of mind, but the clothes lose none of their authority or confidence because of it.

There are also some more casual elements, which include a chevron-pattered sweater knitted with wool and cashmer, and a grandad collar seersucker shirt made from a silk-blend, as well as a tipped jersey T-shirt, to round things out. Simple, but with an acknowledgement that our definition of dressing up has now changed and evolved. These days, and as we go forward, what constitutes “formal” might be as much a well-cut suit jacket as it is a good-quality tee worn under a bomber jacket.

As we settle back into normality, we’ve come to realise that our manner and mode of dressing has been irrevocably altered. What new trends may emerge post-pandemic is still a matter of debate, but this capsule collection, at least, proves we’re heading in the right direction. Now, all that’s left to do is start planning your outfits.