Fashion Monday with JJ Lee

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.