Monthly Archives: January 2012

M: The Brown Flannel Suit

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Bernard Lee’s M is known for his likeness to Winston Churchill, partially attributed to his penchance for bow tie. M didn’t wear a bow tie in Dr. No, but he started the tradition in the second film, From Russia With Love. M’s first bow tie is wine red with pale yellow dots, and later in the film wears a very similar bow tie. M’s suit is brown flannel with a red cast. The suit coat has a 2-button front with 3 buttons on the cuffs, flapped pockets and no vents. It actually has a very similar cut to Connery’s suit, with natural shoulders and a swelled chest. The trousers are most likely also the same, with double forward pleats. Though M’s and Bond’s suits are very similar, the difference in their figures is what makes the suits look so much different from each other.

M’s shirt is slightly off-white with a spread collar and double cuffs. His shoes are medium brown, quite unusual for office-wear in London, though a man in his position can wear whatever he wants to. M accessorises his suit with a folded white linen handkerchief in the breast pocket. And though it’s not something he wears, the pipe is is a key accessory to the character. Even though there is nothing particularly outdated with his clothes, the pipe, bow tie, flannel cloth and vent-less skirt all contribute to M’s old-world look.

You can see Bond’s blue suit from this scene here.

Tick-Patterned Suit

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As a part of his disguise as Sir Hilary Bray in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, Bond wears a copy of Sir Hilary’s tweed 3-piece suit. This suit is made of brown tweed wool with a cream tick pattern and a rust windowpane. With the same softly-padded shoulder and clean, fitted cut as George Lazenby’s other suits, this suit was probably also made by the same tailor, Dimi Major. The suit coat has a 2-button front with classic hacking details, such as a deep single vent and angled, flapped pockets, but the jacket length is shorter than a typical hacking jacket. This coat has 3-button cuffs like in the rest of the suits in the film, and all the buttons are made of dark brown horn.

This suit’s waistcoat has a 6-button front, worn with the bottom button open. The trousers have double forward pleats with a narrow leg and turn-ups, similar to Connery’s suit trousers. The shirt is a cotton twill with a tattersall pattern in tan, navy and green on an ecru ground. It has a spread collar, plain front and single-button cuffs His shoes are mid brown wing-tip derby shoes. Bond later wears this shirt, these trousers and these shoes casually with a cardigan. The narrow tie is a navy repp with a large crest under the Windsor knot. I know nothing about heraldry, but the crest would have a special meaning to Bray. If anyone knows this meaning please feel free to share. Bond also wears Sir Hilary’s round tortoise-shell glasses.

In the previous scene, Bond wears an Ulster coat and more over his suit to stay warm outdoors.

Double Leather Jackets

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Bond appears to be going all out with the leather, imitating the dress of the man he’s impersonating, Mr. Van Bierk. On top is a tan suede jacket from General Leather Co. cut in the style of a 3-button lounge coat. It has bi-swing shoulder pleats, a belted-back detail, patch pockets with button-flaps below welted slash pockets on the chest, and 2 buttons on the cuffs.

Underneath the tan jacket Bond wears a shorter dark brown leather jacket. This jacket has a button front and many front pockets. Underneath that jacket Bond wears a dark grey button-down shirt from R.M. Williams over a charcoal crew-neck undershirt from Hanro of Switzerland. Bond’s tan flat front trousers that match the tan suede jacket have slanted side pockets and are worn with a brown belt from Polo Ralph Lauren. Bond’s brown grain-leather and canvas boots are from Kurt Geiger. When Bond meet’s Van Bierk he takes his sunglasses. Can anyone identify the make and model?

Dark Brown Striped Suit

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In the famous scene in Fort Knox in Goldfinger, Bond wears 2-piece suit tailored by Anthony Sinclair in brown with a subtle, closely-spaced pinstripe in a darker brown. The brown harmonises well with the surrounding gold. The suit is cut the same as the rest of Connery’s suits in Goldfinger, with a 2-button suit coat and trousers with double forward pleats. The suit coat has jetted pockets, 4-button cuffs and no vents.

The shirt is white with a spread collar and double cuffs. Bond wears the suit with a black knit tie tied in a four-in-hand knot, black socks and black short, elastic-sided boots, showing how brown and black can effectively be paired together. The black boots become derby shoes in some action shots, since the boots aren’t as effective for jumping around. Bond also wears a white folded handkerchief in his breast pocket. It’s sloppy of Bond to leave his collar unbuttoned whilst wearing a tie, and I don’t know why he did this one time. Does anyone have an idea as to why he left it open?

Skiing in the Caucasus

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Whilst a one-piece ski suit isn’t the most stylish way to ski, it might be more practical. Bond wears a dark olive ski jumpsuit in The World is Not Enough made by Omega Outdoor Agencies. It comes Q-Branch-equipped with an inflatable bubble for protection in an avalanche. R demonstrated the bubble for Bond at the lab as part of a ski jacket, but Bond wears it in a jumpsuit instead. Perhaps the gadget works better in a jumpsuit. R describes the ski jacket as follows: “Now note closely please: pockets, poppers and zipper.” The ski suit has the same. It has a zip down the front to the crotch, and a fly covering the zip closes with poppers (snaps). The jumpsuit has two pockets in the chest that are accessed from the sides and two pockets on the side of the hips. The pockets close with zips to ensure everything inside stays put. The waist is tightened with a built-in belt that closes with a metal “seat belt-style” clasp, and the collar tightens with drawstrings. The bottom of the leg has an elasticised lining with zips and Velcro at the sides.

Underneath the jumpsuit Bond wears an insulating black mock poloneck jumper with a zip at the top. The zip may extend all the way down the garment. Bond wears insulated black ski gloves and Calvin Klein 2007 sunglasses with a gunmetal frame.

Connery’s Mid-Grey Flannel Suit

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In Diamonds Are Forever Bond wears a winter staple, the mid-grey flannel suit. The suit is tailored by Anthony Sinclair and cut in the same style as the rest of the suits in the film, with a natural shoulder and roped sleeveheads, a clean chest and a nipped waist. The fit isn’t as good as some of Sinclair’s other suits, probably because Connery gained weight after the final fitting. This suit coat is cut with a low 2-button front, which is flattering to Connery’s heavier figure, though the coat pulls at the button. The coat has deep double vents, flapped hacking pockets with a ticket pocket and 4-button cuffs. The claret lining can be seen underneath the vents. Now that this is the 1970s the lapels are wider than Connery’s lapels were in the 1960s. What looks more dated, however, are the wider pocket flaps. While not much of the suit trousers are seen they probably are the same flat front cut as the rest seen in the film.

Bond’s cream cotton poplin Turnbull & Asser shirt has a spread collar and 2-button turnback cuffs. The tie is amethyst-coloured grenadine silk, tied in a Windsor knot.

Connery’s Flannel Chalkstripe Suit

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Not all of Anthony Sinclair’s suits for Sean Connery were lightweight. Connery wears a heavy navy flannel chalkstripe suit at the end of From Russia With Lovein Venice. Though this suit appears mostly charcoal on the Blu-ray edition, the suit looks to be navy, matching the tie, in the older prints. It might just be because of the soft fabric, but this suit looks more relaxed than the rest of Connery’s suits. It has a more old-fashioned look than most of Connery’s suits. The 2-button suit coat has a relaxed fit with a draped chest and natural shoulders. The coat has flapped pockets, 4-button cuffs and a single vent. The suit trousers have double forward pleats, button-tab side adjusters and turn-ups.

The ecru poplin shirt from Turnbull & Asser has a spread collar, a placket front and 2-button turnback cuffs. The back of the shirt is shaped with two darts, though the shirt still has generous fit. Bond ties his dark blue grenadine tie in a very small four-in-hand knot. Bond places a folded white linen handkerchief in his breast pocket. Navy socks match the suit, and Bond’s shoes are black 2-eyelet derbies.

Black Half-Zip Shirt

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Bond wears an all black outfit for two nighttime excursions in Moonraker. The shirt is unique for it’s zip that goes halfway down the chest. The zip fastening is black and has a fine tooth. The shirt has a point collar (the same point collar that Frank Foster made for the rest of Moore’s shirts), a patch breasted pocket and 1-button mitre cuffs with smoked mother of pearl buttons sewn with black thread. The material of the shirt is most likely a soft polyester.

The slightly flared trousers have a plain front with one pocket on the back right but none on the sides or front. Bond wears a black belt with a brass buckle, matching his black, leather-soled horse-bit slip-ons.