While the Paris men's shows for summer 2006 lacked the verve of the previous season, they did further illustrate a growing split in men's fashion. Changing demographics, the rise and fall of the metrosexual, and the blending of codes that once defined gay and straight also play into the picture. Vogue USA is launching its first ever men's magazine aimed at a target reader earning over $100,000 a year and presumably less interested in style than in ambience. On the other end of the spectrum, the Internet is alive with young fashion enthusiasts blogging away even as their Ipod blares out the latest downloads. The two camps come down to the classic gentleman versus the cutting edge.

In fashion terms, the split could not be clearer. Visionaries like Hedi Slimane for Dior Homme and Raf Simons in his own name stand at opposite ends of the spectrum from the velvety wardrobe envisioned by Stefano Pilati for Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche, or the opulent look of Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton.

The world of Dior, that of rock stars, glistening evening wear, dramatic tailoring - as in the reversed tail jackets and shorn off boleros shown last July - bears little in common with the yachting bon vivant that seems to have inspired others, including Ozwald Boeteng for Givenchy. Ditto for Raf Simons, who this past season showed in Milan one time out. His sleek collections of futuristic pieces are likely destined for a younger, style-conscious consumer.

Men's shows can be either terminally dull or ecstatically impressive - and sitting through them twice yearly can either lull you to sleep or leave you standing and applauding. Mick Jagger, who recently tangled with the White House, came quickly into the last Dior Homme show after the lights had been dimmed, then bolted back out as fast as lightening. That sort of star power does more than generate attention - it gives a clear indication of who is wearing what.

One designer that falls somewhere in between is Paul Smith. His latest collection was full of fine tailoring, but that little extra punch lets you know that his work is not destined for a stuffy men's club. Another look hard to classify is Karl Lagerfeld's men's line for Chanel, which combines understatement with glittering urbanity.

Elsewhere, avant-garde Belgian designer Bernard Wilhelm tried for street smarts, but wound up looking uncomfortably out of place, almost as if he got lost on the streets of South Central L.A.

Where men are heading depends on the man. The sure thing is they are in opposite directions.