In the battle of function vs form there is no clear winner here.

Global Warming Got You Down? Try Zegna's Solar-Powered Jacket

By Sara Gay Forden

A sporty jacket with solar panels on the collar

July 24 (Bloomberg) -- Global warming zeitgeist has made it to men's fashion, if the runways of Milan are any measure.

Fashion executives and store buyers are stocking slimmer, lighter suits next spring made of high-performance fabrics that repel water and don't wrinkle, they said at shows during the last week of June. Some can even recharge your iPod. Favorite color: a pale, pearly gray.

``The world is a lot warmer, so you need to buy a suit that you can wear 10 months out of the year,'' said Colby McWilliams, men's fashion director for Neiman Marcus Group Inc., based in Dallas. ``What we're seeing in the spring is the technology in the fabrics to make the suits more comfortable and low- maintenance.''

For the truly ``green'' conscious, Ermenegildo Zegna SpA, known for its luxury men's suits, presented a sporty jacket with solar panels on the collar that can recharge a mobile phone or an iPod. The $750 coat, something James Bond might be proud to wear, will be in stores in November.

``We haven't solved the problem of global warming, but the Solar Jacket shows there are steps one can take in the right direction,'' said Gildo Zegna, chief executive officer of Ermenegildo Zegna.

The solar panels detach and can be used independently. Five hours of sunshine can recharge just about any portable electronic device, Zegna said. Available as a bomber jacket or in longer styles, the coat was developed in partnership with Starnberg, Germany-based Interactive Wear AG, a maker of wearable electronics. It comes with adaptors for different devices.

Extra `Juice'

``This is truly a solution for the guy on the run, who loves his gadgets and can always use a little extra `juice,' especially if it is `green,''' said Tom Kalenderian, general merchandise manager for men's wear at Barney's, the New York chain owned by Jones Apparel Group Inc. that Fast Retailing Co. and Isthithmar PJSC, the Dubai investment firm, have bid to buy.