Giorgio Armani's 2005 designs for the England Football team's new official 'off-field' wardrobe were unveiled last night at a formal banquet in Chicago to celebrate the American and the English teams on the first night of the England Team's USA 'friendly' tour.

The emphasis is on a casual but elegant look based around a two-button midnight blue wool crepe suit, with flat-fronted trousers. The suit is designed to be more informal than Giorgio Armani's previous Team England suits, in keeping with the 'friendly' nature of the USA tour. There is no tie and players will have the option to wear a wide-collared fitted white cotton shirt or a white cotton T-shirt. They can also choose whether or not to match these with a navy crew neck pullover.

As in previous seasons, Giorgio Armani has also created a range of accessories for the players, including shoes and sunglasses.

Giorgio Armani says: "These young and talented players are positive and relaxed in the way they approach the game, and they play in a modern, fluid way. Sven-Goran Eriksson encourages them to play with flair, and as they head for the USA this summer, they should be dressed in a way that is appropriate to their on-pitch philosophy."

The big news for fans is that for the first time, they will be able to buy the suit and accessories in Emporio Armani stores England-wide (London, Birmingham, Manchester).

The new outfit is a perfect expression of Armani's twin passions: modern menswear and football. He is famous for revolutionising the way men dressed, when he introduced a softer, deconstructed approach in the Eighties. He is also the designer who pioneered the idea of footballers as fashion icons: in 1995, he broke with convention by introducing David James, then Liverpool goalkeeper, onto his catwalk. James went on to feature in the Armani Jeans and Emporio Armani Underwear advertising campaigns.

"Footballers are today's new style leaders," says Giorgio Armani, "but unlike the movie stars and pop stars who they now join as fashion icons, they have to show an acute combination of mental and physical discipline which makes them genuinely heroic."

Giorgio Armani's friendships in the football world include Real Madrid's Ronaldo and Luis Figo, Inter Milan's Christian Vieri and Fabio Cannavaro and AC Milan's Andreij Shevchenko (with whom Giorgio Armani has opened two stores in the player's home town of Kiev in the Ukraine). He has designed outfits for Chelsea and Newcastle United, and has published a book to raise money for the Special Olympics charity. Called "Faces of Sport", it features portraits of many of the footballers he has worked with internationally.

The Armani Group is one of the leading fashion and luxury goods groups in the world today with 4,800 direct employees and 13 factories. It designs, manufactures, distributes and retails fashion and lifestyle products including apparel, accessories, eyewear, watches, jewellery, home interiors, fragrances and cosmetics under a range of brand names: Giorgio Armani Privè, Giorgio Armani, Armani Collezioni, Emporio Armani, AJ | Armani Jeans, A/X Armani Exchange, Armani Junior and Armani Casa. The Group's exclusive retail network currently comprises: 63 Giorgio Armani boutiques, 11 Armani Collezioni stores, 133 Emporio Armani stores, 87 A/X Armani Exchange stores, 18 AJ | Armani Jeans stores, 6 Armani Junior stores, 1 Giorgio Armani Accessori store and 20 Armani Casa stores in 39 countries.

Clothing details

FORMAL

Suit: A dark navy blue two button, single breasted jacket in a light wool crepe, with flat-fronted trousers.

Shirts: A wide-collared, fitted white cotton shirt.

T-shirt: A white, sporty cotton T-shirt.

Sweater: A navy crew neck, cotton sweater.

Accessories: To be confirmed

www.armanipress.com

Source: Giorgio Armani S.p.A.

For further information please contact: Mel Moss / Katie Morgan, Giorgio Armani UK Press Office, T: +44(0)20-7808-8100, F: +44(0)20-7581-5885