Repost: Two pointers on elbow patches

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:

http://www.vancouversun.com/Gentlemen+prefer+plaids/5784005/story.html#ixzz25zNl6TmW

(Note: if the patches are misplaced, consider having them moved to cover the elbow.)