The Armani Effect Will Live Forever, and I Have the Proof

We lost legendary designer Giorgio Armani last month, but Armani—the brand, the vision, the patron saint of menswear moodboards—will live forever. And there’s no better proof of that than Giorgio Armani’s NYC flagship store on Madison Avenue. When Miles Pope, GQ’s Global Fashion Director, stepped through its doors recently, everywhere he looked, he saw Mr. Armani's infallible eye; the eye that made suiting feel sexy, and made casual feel ineffably cool. “Everything down to the wallpaper, with a print of palm leaves that were at his home, you’re like, yeah, this is Armani,” says Pope.

But GQ’s fashion czar wasn’t there to admire the wall coverings. Pope was there to do his job, which in this case, meant trying on racks of blessedly beautiful clothes designed by Mr. Armani himself.

“If you're looking for the perfect pair of black trousers, Armani has it—and they'll have it in cashmere,” says Pope. From the suave-as-hell suiting to gratuitously luxe knits to a simple long sleeve black tee that left Pope stuttering (at the feel…and the price), Giorgio Armani delivers. Pope was not surprised:

“Armani's always had a moment, and is continuing to have a moment,” he says. “It’s a revival in some ways, even though it never went anywhere.”

Consider these four fits your reminder that Giorgio Armani will always hit the mark.

Heads-up: Items that are sold out or unavailable online have been swapped for similar picks.

Look #1: A set that suits you

One thing you won’t find in these four fits: a suit. At least, not the kind you’re imagining. “I tried to stay away from your traditional Armani suiting, because I think everyone already knows that Armani makes the best suit,” says Pope. “So I went into it thinking, What's the new modern interpretation of a suit?”