Think Italian fashion and you are likely to think of chic central, Milan. But "Made in Italy" actually has its roots in Florence, where the hotly anticipated Pitti Uomo trade fair opens this week. The most famous men here may be naked -- from Michelangelo's David to the sea-god Neptune -- but every year the Tuscan city becomes the capital of men's fashion, putting on four heady days of ready-to-wear shows.

The event, which kicks off Tuesday, is a must for buyers, journalists and fashionistas -- drawing some 36,000 last year -- who gather to gawp, gossip and go mad over the latest trends at the city's imposing Fortezza da Basso fortress.