Fashion Monday with JJ Lee

Q. Why does James Bond, no matter who plays him, look so good in a tuxedo? A. It may be because they are handsome, roguish, sophisticated actors who play one of the most dashing characters in 20th century popular fiction. But besides that, all of them follow a few simple black-tie rules (at National Post).

Q. Elbow patches are kind of hot in a "professor that might secretly be Indiana Jones" sort of way - but they also look kind of contrived - especially on a brand new jacket. Does the elbow patch have a place on a new jacket or does it belong only in a vintage piece? A: Style Master says - If I had a whip (maybe I do, maybe I don't), I would crack it now. Elbow patches are best when patching a hole in a well-loved garment. If the hole appears on the left, only patch the left. Symmetry is for suckers and the quirk of one-sided patching gives a whiff of old establishment thriftiness. Admittedly, this year, elbow patches are everywhere (AGAIN in 2012, I wrote this nearly a year ago). So, I concede to the inevitable, the same way Indiana conceded to the feisty Marion Ravenwood. If you must buy a garment with elbow patches, make sure they COVER the elbows and not the upper arm or forearm. If they don't, someone should conk your crystal skull. Read more: htt

This fa ll there will be much talk about the bomber jacket. The term, bomber, will be applied to a lot of short jackets with ribbed waistbands whether they are in fact based on aviator or motorcycle or infantry blouson jacket styles. Above is a picture of Tuskegee airmen during the Second World War. They were some of the first black fighter pilot's in US history. You can find more about them here . Of course, I just want to talk about their clothes. They are wearing the classic aviator jacket, the A2, as designated by the US Air Force. It is COLLARED. On the shoulders do sit epaulettes or straps. Notice the pockets. They are flapped PATCH pockets. They are not slash pockets (they often sit at an angle). The ribbing is low enough to cover the belt line. There was also a G-1 jacket. It has a fur-lined collar and it was used by the Navy and Marines. Most people who see this jacket will often call them "bombers." But when I hear bomber jacket, I think of the gunners

Q.  I like French cuff shirts, but how many pairs of cufflinks should you have and what are some affordable options? I don’t necessarily want to drop several hundred dollars on multiple sets, but get tired of using the same one all the time. — Sean, Toronto Today I took a nuts-and-bolts approach to collecting compelling cufflinks in The Vancouver Sun .

(NOTE THIS IS A RE-POST FROM 2008 from my appearance on CBC Radio with host Stephen Quinn) Fashion Olympics - forget medal counts, who are the best dressed? Canada has yet to win a medal in Beijing but who cares? A opening ceremony fashion Q & A with JJ Lee... Q. You've decided to focus on the Opening Ceremonies. What are you looking for when it comes to judging a country's fashion acumen during the parade of nations? It's not easy to compare what the countries are wearing -- though I think it's patently obvious to anyone when it comes to figuring out who looks good and who looks bad. The reason why it's hard is because the delegate nations pick clothes for different reasons. Generally, there were three genres of clothes at the opening. 1. National costume - this is where athletes are forced to wear clothes as if it were multicultural day at their local high school. 2. Athletic wear - this is where countries dress as if they are ready to take the

Let me introduce you to my Olympic-sized alter-ego gold medal snark @chic_fatigue  http://twitter.com/chic_fatigue It, I call it It, will be tweeting about the fashions seen during the Opening Ceremonies of the London 2012 Olympics.

These are Orlebar Brown Setter Swim Shorts, You may not have heard of London swimwear maker Orlebar Brown but in a few months, with the release of the next James Bond film, Skyfall , you will 1 .

"Well it's got to be. I'll order you a red cap and a Speedo." TODAY, we offer Father’s Day gifts all themed around the films of Wes Anderson . Anderson is the American film director best known for his comedy, Rushmore , which is about a precocious polymath teenager at a private school who falls in love with his teacher. Of course there is also Fantastic Mr. Fox , The Royal Tenenbaums , The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou and The Darjeeling Limited . His latest, Moonrise Kingdom , came out this weekensd. I nearly all his works we will find themes built around unsteady masculinity, boy-men looking for meaning, and often missing or wounded father figures, and these his films we often find items from the world of fashion used to connect the characters. To wit, I present stylish gift ideas inspired by the stylish films of Wes Anderson: 1. THE LIFE AQUATIC with STEVE ZISSOU Who can resist a nice tight Speedo? You can find swim briefs in navy, red, and blac

An image from a 19th century fashion journal. I've posted it before. I actually find it touching.

Trying to stay cool, neat, and dressy but not too dressy this summer is the serious question I will be addressing in my next Style Master column for The Vancouver Sun . While I won't reveal all my tricks or those of the sartorial powers that be (and they are powerful -- for their thoughts, you just have to read my column), I will tell you the virtue of striped shirts: they don't show off wrinkles the way plain fabric shirts do. Another benefit of the striped shirt (not to broad, okay, one should avoid appearing as an awning or a barbershop pole), it has colour and pattern and holds up well with a plain blazer and NO tie. Better yet, they look lively with the jacket off - which plain shirts do not. Plus you get to roll the sleeves. That's so macho. But what of checks and micro-checks? Well, on me, they can make me look short and my face heavy. I do like them immensely though.

Nothing lightens up a look like a clever print or woven tie. Not the garish ones with hula dancers and giant panda bears, Saint Nick or whatnot... No, I mean those subtle little "critter" ties where the animal looks like an abstract pattern on the field from far away but up close you can see a fauna pattern. Above is a bird on a fence rail by Hermes (in store in Canada, $210) - a bit of fun without the buffoonery. But how do you tell the difference between a poorly made spring tie and one well done: check out my latest advice column at The Vancouver Sun  with thoughts from Tom Siddall of Harry Rosen and Tina Tsakanikas of Dion Neckwear .

Jump for joy, a summery outfit on sale at Nifty Fifty by Allison Wonderland After doing taxes, spring cleaning, the ole nine to five, you deserve a treat. Nifty Fifty is an annual market of local fashion in Vancouver and the price is just right: $50 or under. This Sunday, 11 AM to 7 PM, April 22, in Vancouver at Heritage Hall, 3102 Main Street. Admission is one sliver of a loonie. Participating will be some of my favourite fashion people in the city including Allison Smith of Allison Wonderland and Erin Templeton . Check out the event's Facebook page .

Ferragamo's Baby Tiger pattern for Spring Summer 2012 Light, airy, and full of whimsy, the silk print or foulard tie with tiny geometric shapes or figures is the perfect piece to enliven a suit in the spring. And dismiss thoughts that a silk print is less worthy than a woven tie. Yes, a woven is hefty and it will bellow luxuriousness especially when paired with a thick, plutocratic knot. But it is heavy like a great overcoat. The finely printed tie, made by human hand or at least mechanized screen rather than the spew of an inkjet, can inspire singing in the rain, a shuffle and a tap, a game of catch. It can wave in a warm breeze and sway like a budding willow branch. Choose a simple four-in-hand knot and a young man's pointed or Eton collar, you pick, for a change. Hermes horses , Ferragamo horsebits , Liberty florals , Drakes muted madders are hardly jokes or novelties but wearing one would certainly be original.

The CBC Bookies are a winner take all knock voting bread on and off the table death match in various categories including NON-FICTION. Vote accordingly and clang your shivs against the chain link cage.

My latest piece in the Vancouver Sun is on the pleasures of seersucker (despite the dire headline). Plus I dedicated a site to the pleasures of summer suiting - ie cotton, linen, silk/mohair, and, of course, seersucker.

With the second season of the hit BBC show Sherlock airing on BBC Canada this February (it debuts on PBS this May), it was elementary to expect a fervour for Holmesian fashion. The iconic fashion item for Sherlock redux is not a deerstalker cap. Instead, it's his chic outerwear. Yesterday, Katherine Lazaruk , a Vancouver image consultant, mentioned in passing that the Sherlock manteau (above), called the Millford by motorcycle coat makers Belstaff) had sold out. Belstaff had restocked but recently announced they would no longer produce it. The coat is a double-breasted tweed coat with dramatic sharp-angled lapels and collars. Always popped-up, they frame the detective's face (Benedict Cumberbatch) and impart the right 21st Century edge to the updated Victorian crime-solver. The long drape does well on Cumberbatch's slender body. It makes him look taller than he actually is. In the trailer for  Season 2 , his ostensible height becomes a punchline.  If you have been c