Fashion Monday with JJ Lee

Watch on the BIG SCREEN the stylish and classic thriller by Michael Mann: HEAT Starring Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and VAL KILMER on July 2 at the Vancity Theatre! I'm presenting it as part of the Vancouver International Film Festival's Cinema Salon. It would be great to see you there. Info and Tix !

The flashes of brilliance, the moments of poor judgment, the grit of a journeyman’s effort, the blatant violations of code and the dramatic crescendo of the final — it’s hard to tear your eyes from the screen during the NHL Playoffs. And I’m not even talking about what takes place on the ice. With the profusion of analysts, panellists and insider columnists able to fill every waking moment of our lives with hockey talk, we are also treated to an endless parade of clothes. Not surprisingly, there have been a few sartorial offsides and several major infractions. Commentators like CBC’s PJ Stock and TSN’s Aaron Ward are on TV because of their hockey knowledge, not their fashion smarts. It’s a missed opportunity, as many Canadian men take dressing cues from these guys. In the spirit of post-game dissection, I pulled out the digital crayon to draw attention to the hockey cognoscenti misplays, and to sketch out how they can elevate their style to a championship level. A side note: I w...

A vancouver shirt/tie combo from Brooks Brothers . Or this tie from J Crew . Ok, you would be half-dressed in these Topman/The Bay boxers .

Check out my take on the charm of Val Kilmer's Doc Holliday hat in The National Post .

It's been a while since I posted here. But you can find recent blogs about clothes and writing at JJ-LEE.COM

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.