Moore’s Unused Dinner Jacket

Posted on 1 May 2013 by Matt Spaiser

As part of Live and Let Die promotions, Roger Moore’s photo was taken as Bond in a dinner jacket, yet this outfit didn’t make it to the film. Not wearing a dinner jacket in Live and Let Die was one of the many ways used to distinguish Moore from his predecessors. Cyril Castle made this black dinner jacket in the same six-button double-breasted with two to button style as the double-breasted suit Moore wears at the end of the film. It has softly-padded shoulders, slanted pockets with fancy braided jetting, satin silk peak lapels, and satin silk-covered buttons. The dinner jacket also has Cyril Castle’s flared, link-button cuffs, which are seen on all of the suits in Live and Let Die.

The shirt repeats George Lazenby’s now very dated style with a ruffled front. The lack of such flamboyant clothing that made it into Live and Let Die is more in character for Bond. The shirt is likely made by Turnbull & Asser, in a way to tie Moore’s clothing in with Bond’s already established shirtmaker. It has a spread collar, and its double cuffs have the buttonholes very close to the fold—something which Turnbull & Asser is known for. Moore wears a wide black bow tie and a white handkerchief puffed in his breast pocket.

The Black Polo Neck

Posted on 24 February 2013 by Matt Spaiser

In Live and Let Die‘s climax, Roger Moore channels Steve McQueen in Bullitt with his black polo neck and shoulder holster. We typically don’t see Bond’s shoulder holster since it’s hidden under his suit, and when he’s not wearing a jacket he typically doesn’t wear a shoulder holster. But here it’s a larger holster than usual to hold a larger gun. The shirt and trousers are black, which isn’t the best type of camouflage for night in the jungle. The shirt is a lightweight cotton knit with a polo neck collar and long ribbed cuffs for greater ease in rolling up. The trousers are Moore’s typical flared trousers, and he wears them with a wide, textured black belt with a large brass buckle. The shoes are dark grey or black suede trainer-style shoes.

The Powder Blue Leisure Suit

Posted on 12 June 2012 by Matt Spaiser

Roger Moore is all too often accused of wearing leisure suits, but only does this powder blue number from Live and Let Die qualify. The jacket alone could easily have been from the 1960s, but wearing it with matching flared trousers turns it into a classic leisure suit. The jacket has a front and back yoke, turn-down collar, two button-flap patch pockets and 1-button cuffs. The jacket is a little longer than waist-length, and the bottom width can be adjusted with buttoned tabs. The flat-front trousers are worn with a surcingle belt. The belt is a cream web with brown leather ends and a brass buckle. Similar to denim clothing, this leisure suit has rivet buttons and flat-felled seams.

Moore wears only a white knit vest under the jacket, tucked into his trousers. His shoes are navy suede-effect slip-ons. This casual outfit is one of the most dated of the series and unlike Moore’s suits has just about no redeeming qualities. The best part of the outfit is the classic surcingle belt.

Trouser Adjusters

Posted on 25 May 2012 by Matt Spaiser

Anthony Sinclair’s Side Adjusters in Dr. No

Though the go-to method of supporting trousers these days is the belt, English suits weren’t traditionally worn with belts. The Duke of Windsor famously went to an American tailor to have his suit trousers with belt loops made because his London tailored refused to. And there are many reasons not to wear a belt with a suit:

A belt breaks the visual flow from the coat to the trousers, especially on a lighter suit. A suit should be one.
A belt buckle disrupts the line of a fitted suit coat.
A belt buckle creates a lump under a waistcoat on a 3-piece suit.
Trousers will sag during the day with a belt and need to be pulled up.

Only braces can solve problem 4, but the other three problems can be solved with side adjusters. By the 1950s it was common for English tailors to make trousers with an adjustable waistband system to take the place of braces, and there are a number of different types of waistband adjusters.

Cyril Castle’s Side Adjusters in Live and Let Die

Sean Connery’s Anthony Sinclair suits all featured “DAKS tops,” originally made by Simpson’s of Piccadilly. The name is a portmanteau of “Dad” and “slacks.” The style has buttoning tabs on the sides, connected with hidden elastic across the back. One drawback to this is that the adjusters can only be tightened to where the buttons are placed, though the elastic helps for a snug fit. There are usually two or three buttons on each side, and Connery used one of the buttons on the left to secure his shoulder holster. Roger Moore also wore this style on his Cyril Castle suit trousers in Live and Let Die.

Tom Ford’s Side Adjusters in Quantum of Solace

Daniel Craig introduced another classic trouser adjuster style to the Bond series with his Tom Ford suits in Quantum of Solace. The Tom Ford side adjusters are two strips of cloth brought together with a slide buckle, though a more casual variation can be found that uses D-rings. As opposed to button-tabs, this style allows for an exact adjustment. Other styles of side adjusters exist, such as a waistband that expands and contracts with a locking zip fastener. There are also adjusters that look like DAKS tops but don’t have elastic across the back, and thus they do not function as well.

The Monogrammed Dressing Gown

Posted on 12 December 2011 by Matt Spaiser

Roger Moore is introduced as Bond in a dressing gown and pyjamas. Live and Let Die was a big movie for dressing gowns (with Bond wearing three total). The half-sleeve cotton dressing gown is pale yellow with a subtle floral motif and red piping. The yellow is characteristic of the 1970s and even matches Bond’s bedding. But it’s still not quite as outdated as Bond’s kitchen. The dressing gown has a shawl collar and a belted waist. The breast pocket is monogrammed “J.B.” in burgundy silk, so you may notice the monogramme does not match the piping. The dressing gown is lined in yellow silk.

The pyjama bottoms match the dressing gown. The dressing gown and pyjamas came from Washington Tremlett Ltd., The store was then located at 41 Conduit St. in London, right next door to Moore’s tailor Cyril Castle who was located at 42 Conduit St.

Bond also wears purple velvet Prince Albert slippers, also monogrammed. The monogram is in gold thread and the slippers have light purple piping. All three pieces of this outfit together were sold at Christie’s in South Kensington on 14 February 2001 for £7,050.

Double Windowpane Dressing Gown

Posted on 9 October 2011 by Matt Spaiser

In the final scene of Live and Let Die, Bond wears a dressing gown in a terrycloth with a short pile. It has a base in white and red, which may have been achieved by using a white pile with a red ground. It has thick navy windowpane with a thinner red windowpane offset on top. The dressing gown has a shawl collar, set-in sleeves, a belt tied around the waist, and two patch pockets below the belt. Bond rolls back the cuffs, showing that the terry cloth is double-sided.

The Black Short-Sleeve Shirt

Posted on 15 August 2011 by Matt Spaiser

Black isn’t a natural choice for a warm-weather shirt, but Roger Moore wears a casual black silk, short-sleeve shirt in Live and Let Die. The shirt is fitted through the body and has a large collar, placket front and breast pocket. The shirt is worn tucked into the trousers. Moore’s beige trousers have a flat front, flared leg, and two rear pockets. As usual with Moore’s trousers, there are no side pockets. Moore wears a thick black leather belt and black horsebit slip-ons, showing an effective use of black shoes with casual wear.

The Beige Basketweave Sports Coat

Posted on 24 June 2011 by Matt Spaiser

Moore’s famous sports coats started with this one, a 2-button in a fancy beige basketweave. I’m not sure what the fabric content is, but I would guess linen and silk. Like the suit jackets in Live and Let Die, it has double vents, slanted and flapped pockets, and link-button cuffs. The buttons are light brown horn.

A close-up of the sports coat and shirt fabrics.
Is there a more specific name for the sports coat’s weave?

Bond wears contrasting dark brown, flat front trousers. The trousers have two rear pockets but no side pockets for a clean look. The cut narrows at the knee with a slight flare towards the bottom, for more of a “boot-cut.”

Notice the link-button cuff on the sports coat
and the turnback cuffs on the shirt.

Bond’s shirt from Frank Foster is ecru with a dobby figure. The shirt has a spread collar, hidden-button placket front and 2-button turnback cuffs. The brown abstract tie is tied with a four-in-hand knot. Roger Moore thought it would be clever to wear crocodile shoes at the crocodile farm, so he found some reddish-brown crocodile slip-ons. The shoes have a squared bicycle toe. The belt, however, is just plain brown leather.

Crocodile shoes

You can see more pictures of the shirt and trousers in the previous entry.

The Suits of James Bond

Category Archives: Live and Let Die