Sports couture
We've had trainers at the couture shows and now designers are re-interpeting the humble tracksuit in ready-to-wear. At Marni, a midnight blue silk jacket and skirt with go-faster stripes; at Fendi, techy fabrics made to atelier specifications; and at Giorgio Armani, tailoring given a lime green track-ready twist.

20s & 30s
The age of jazz and glamour, as evoked by Karl at Fendi, Miuccia at Prada and Dolce and Gabbana at their label: it's all Poiret finishes and silhouettes, hoods and bracelets sleeves. Except at Prada, which looked to cash-strapped post-war Germany at that time, and still turned out fabulous.

Animal print
A classic. Even better, for autumn you don't have to choose between snake and leopard - designers used all sorts of 'animalier' prints, from zebra to ocelot.

60s
Clean lines and space-age separates: the 60s were the prism through which many Milan labels looked at tailoring. It's sharp and sassy with graphic prints, sometimes short and mostly fuss-free.

Patchwork
This homespun, cobbled together look has been with us since New York but for the Italians, it's far more than just fabric crazy-paving. It's a chance to to experiment with form and fabrics, using fur to patch, or rendering the effect in print and graphics.

Masculine Fit
Move over hourglass, there's a new silhouette in town. It started at Marc Jacobs last season and has eddied through the autumn shows, in more and less extreme versions. In Milan, broad shouldered tailored with high waists and narrow hips became something of a trend, either exaggerated at Jil Sander or in a simple mannish mode at Emporio Armani.

Artist's Graffiti
Graffiti is rather a misnomer, because the point of this trend is art. But it felt casual, not constructed. Consuelo Castiglioni at Marni was inspired by German artist Magnus Plessen in blocky abstract figures on dresses, while at Sportmax and Bottega the effect was more smudgy and graphic.

English Heritage
The Italians love all things aristo, so it's no surprise they've looked to our upper classes for winter. It came through in in a glut of countrified fabrics, such as tweed and Prince of Wales checks, theming a whole collection at MaxMara, in the colour palette at Marni, and as military references at Fendi.

Shaggy Coats
The fur flew all over the Milan catwalks - as usual the Italians have a higher tolerance for it than us), but many pieces were shearling, ironed or curled into shaggy, voluminous coats, as at Gucci and Emporio Armani.

Biscuit colours
Well, not strictly biscuit shades, because there's a bit of pink in the mix - but taupes, neutrals, oatmeal, caramels, and browns, as posh outerwear, minimalist and retro tailoring, and even cocktail dresses. And yes, all right, a little bit of antique rose, too.