Dressing Men: A Delicate Balance

As they whittled down dozens of outfits for Saturday's Dolce & Gabbana men's fashion show, designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana paused earlier this week to debate a sandal made of rope, its cord wrapped around an ankle. "This looks too fashion, too wild," Mr. Gabbana said. Mr. Dolce grabbed a rope flip-flop. "That looks more adult," Mr. Gabbana said approvingly.

It's that tension--tweaking men's classics without going too far--that has helped Messrs. Dolce and Gabbana build one of the biggest and most successful men's businesses. Half of the company's €1.2 billion ($1.48 billion) in 2008 sales was generated by its men's collection, a balance few other major fashion houses have achieved. Whether that has helped the design house better weather the downturn remains to be seen, though retailers say the line is selling well right now.