Fashion Monday with JJ Lee

(photo credit: davidwilkesbespoke.com/Jonathan Cruz) David Wilkes, bespoke tailor, who will be featured in my fall menswear piece for the Vancouver Sun, not only got the big thumbs up from Douglas Coupland, now the writer is praising Wilkes at GQ UK ! The word: Your website contains an index of "Couplandisms," one of which asserts that "Once you establish a look, and once everybody recognises that look as your look, you never have to think about fashion again." What's your look? Headwise, I always kind of knew that everyone goes grey in our family very early—and I was like, it works for me. I started growing my beard and it changes the shape of your skull and your face, and I started seeing my mother's side of the family in myself for the first time. I always get jealous of Prince William because he looks so much like his mom, so that's why I keep this [beard] but it makes me look so old fashioned—I look like an Antarctic explorer or an old Civil War pho...

If you can spend your cash on designer ready-made suits, ask yourself, “Why?” Off-the-racks, no matter how expensive, are made to accommodate differently shaped men. That can mean extra fabric adding unneccesary bulk to your frame. David Wilkes of David Wilkes Bespoke in Gastown will cut out the fat by personally hand making a suit for you. On the money for value side, his suits should literally last a lifetime. On the style side, you receive unique fabric, a perfect fit, and understated luxury. Douglas Coupland has become a fan of Wilkes and agreed to an e-mail interview about his recent plunge into bespoke clothing. FASHION MONDAY:Where are you and from what are you receiving and transmitting this reply? Scotland. MacBook Pro 17". What made you turn to a bespoke tailor like David Wilkes? I hate clothes shopping and off-the-rack is so insanely boring. There had to be a better way. What are your thoughts about people turning to fitted and tailored suits/clothing this season? D...

Two of the more intriguing fashion trends this fall. I discuss with the lovely, the beautiful and deftly clever designer Allison Smith of Allison Wonderland how-to pointers. We're talking about asymmetrical dresses and You Can't Touch This Hammer pants on Fashion Monday. And let's be clear here: Allison Smith doesn't offer harem pants in her line, she did wear denim, low-crotch jeans this spring. More on her clothes next week when I spend a bit more time at Dream , the boutique!

You can hear me live on line, On The Coast at CBC.ca's live stream every Monday at 4:49 PM Pacific. Plus while you're waiting for me to go on air, listen to this mash up:

Why will it be Hammer Time On The Coast ? Well, JJ Lee, this show's guide to fashion, will be looking at two of the more intriguing fashion trends this fall. And he'll have the help of designer Allison Smith of Allison Wonderland for some how-to pointers. We're talking about asymmetrical dresses and You Can't Touch This Hammer pants, when JJ joins me for another Fashion Monday. Today on CBC Radio One's On The Coast, 88.1 FM 690 AM, at 5:45 PM!

The interface of riding bikes and looking good (heels evens).

Harry Rosen on a rare visit to the Vancouver store at the Pacific Centre.

If you were the BC finance minister which John Fluevog would you wear ? It is a rite of Canadian politics. Finance ministers carefully choose their shoes, usually brand new, as a signal of the government making a fresh start. Recent BC budget speeches and the ministers who must present them have received a lot of shoe attention. Carole Taylor, as the finance minister for Budget 2007, was lambasted by the NDP's Jenny Kwan for wearing a pair of $600 Guccis. The criticism of Taylor was quite unfair. She's quite the clotheshorse. She was also my former uber-boss as the president of the CBC back in the day. I loved talking fashion with her in the halls of the CBC (I know, I know, we could have discussed the future of public broadcasting instead) and let me say this: denying Carole Taylor a pair of Gucci's is like denying the Mona Lisa gold-leaf on her picture frame. It's kind of cruel. Even so, Taylor showed a degree of acumen by wearing resoled red patent Jimmy Choo's i...