And just what is the most modern way to wear a black suit? McWilliams suggests wearing it for business or casually, with
zentai a high V-neck knit sweater or a black shirt without a tie, or even as a dinner suit.
The next item topping the fall list is the high V-neck knit. This updated classic sweater is best in lightweight cashmere and silk and works as a great layering piece under the black suit, a top coat or a leather blazer other items all on the essential list for guys this fall. And for a ''very hip occasion,'' says McWilliams, ''pair it with the one-button peak-lapel tuxedo.''
Yes, every man is going to need a tuxedo this fall to enjoy celebrating the dawn of a new millennium in style. The best one around, according to the menswear experts at Neiman's, is the one-button peak-lapel. It's a little more sporty but still has the classic elegance necessary for any gala affair.
And remember, you can wear that tuxedo in a dozen ways. Rip it apart and wear the tux jacket with the high V-neck and a ''techno'' pant a five-pocket jean that's also on this year's top 10 list. Or wear the black shirt with the tuxedo and a black satin tie.
The techno pant is the ''new jean for the millennium,'' according to McWilliams. Cut like a five-pocket jean, it comes in dressier fabrications and usually has a little bit of stretch to it. This new pant adds a sporty dressed-up feel to a wide array of toppers from the black dress shirt to a leather jacket and
zentai bodysuit even a top coat.
The knee-length top coat is one of the most modern touches men can add to their wardrobes this fall. It lends an air of movie-star quality to black pants, black suits or over the black tuxedo or leather blazer.
The black leather blazer is another fall must-have for men, who will enjoy having an alternative to a sport coat in their wardrobe. Pair the leather blazer with the techno pant and the high v-neck knit or wear the leather blazer with the black dress shirt and the techno pant.
And of course, no season of black basics would be complete without the black dress shirt and the black satin tie. The new dress shirt of the season, McWilliams says, is the black French-cuff dress shirt by , which can be worn with or without a tie, day or night with a black suit or with a pair of jeans. Sterling-silver and black-onyx
spider man costume are the latest way to accessorize a French-cuff shirt.
Another accessory of the moment is a versatile tie that completes the monochromatic look in black satin. Wear it to work with the black suit or with the tuxedo as an alternative to the bow tie or wear it with the black dress shirt and the leather blazer.
And the shoe of the season? It's a black leather dress boot with square toes to wear with it all from suits to sporty techno pants, even that black tuxedo. Now you can ride off into the sunset in style.
Sharon Mosley is a former fashion editor of the Arkansas Gazette in Little Rock and executive director of the Fashion Editors and
