The Suits of James Bond - Casino Royale
Posted: Jul 05 2013
Movie stars and characters are often inspirations and can act as a catalyst to change our look and style. Many of our clients send us photos of suits, shirts and jackets from their favourite movies and ask if we can recreate them, and since we have always been more than happy to accommodate those requests, we decided to help this process. In this serie of articles, you will find descriptions of suits seen on the silver screen that hopefully will give you inspiration for your next bespoke combinations.
James Bond was the obvious choice to get us started. The timeless elegance of the debonair secret agent with a license to kill, made of the character the perfect candidate for our style dissection. When it comes to Bond suits there is simply too much to write about, we decided to just take a look at the latest reincarnation, Daniel Craig.
In this first post, we will deal with Casino Royale. We have picked three suits that we have already made a few times and which could fill three different roles in your wardrobe.
Suit No. 1 A very summery grey linen suit. Linen usually comes in beige, but the grey really seems to work for this combination. The design of the jacket sports a 3 button front and 4 button sleeve. Peaked lapels, double vents and flapped pocket complete the suit. This is a rather formal, classic design, and Bond could easily complement it with a tie. The shirt has a large two-button cutaway collar and short sleeves, which is odd worn with a jacket but appropriate when it gets hot and the jacket comes off. Perhaps Bond has also opted for a half-lined jacket for ultimate cool. This great outfit for days in the sun, confirms how Bond suits are often effortless yet eye catching.
Suit No. 2 For this suit, a myth needs to be debunked. The tux James wears in the scene is given to him by Vesper, Casino Royale’s bond girl. When Bond asks her how she was able to get a bespoke tux for him without his measurements, Vesper replies “I sized you up the first time I saw you”. Now, we don’t care if your name is Vesper or Henry Poole, that is simply not possible. But let’s talk about the tuxedo.
The tuxedo is perfect, and a cut frequently requested by Tailor On Ten clients. The black dinner jacket follows in the in elegant fashion for evening wear. It has a one-button front, silk trimmed peak lapels, jetted pockets and no vents. The inspired decision to go sans cummerbund or waistcoat gives it a very modern look. The shirt has a spread collar and double cuffs with a placket with hidden buttons. All in all, a really a great option for a tux, hitting the elegant sweet-spot.
Suit No. 3 Is one of our favorites, as it provides a rare glimpse of Craig’s Bond in a three piece, and we have a soft spot for waistcoats.
The suit is a navy three piece with a widely spaced, subtle pinstripe. It is a symbol for the movie, a coming-of-age for James Bond. They put him in the semi-formal grey linen with no tie at the start of the movie, then build to the tux that was purchased for him, to the immaculate three piece, showing the progression of Bond from a regular thug to mature, lady killing 00 agent. The jacket is classic with a 3-button front, 4-button cuffs, and flapped pockets, but what stands out is the lapels. These are very wide notch lapels, going away from the more extravagant peak lapels. The classic proportions may be another way to indicate Bond’s supposed maturity. The waistcoat compliments the attire, working in perfect harmony with the shirt, a high collar cutaway with double cuffs.
These suits were all made by Brioni, whose tailored suits range from about $6,500 anywhere up to $40,000 or more. At a conservative guess these would cost between $6,500 and $10,000. Now, depending on fabric, Tailor On Ten can make these for you for about 1/10th of the price. It's a no-brainer really, for your next suit, choose Tailor On Ten.
