The Suits of James Bond - Skyfall
Posted: Jul 15 2013
We are back with the last installment of suits from Daniel Craig’s era as James Bond in arguably the best of the three movies in terms of plot and wardrobe. If you are on the impatient side, like me, you have probably already skipped ahead to check out the examples of sartorial excellence on display and done a slight double take. Has he lost his marbles, one of those photos isn’t Bond! But that suit is why I was so excited to write this article. Javier Bardem might just play the best Bond villain ever and the suit is rockin! I find it strange that we don’t get requests for it… maybe people are afraid to embrace the Machiavellian within. This article will hopefully help to rectify that grave injustice.
Bond is once again in the capable hands of Tom Ford. Sure the scenes are modern but literally speaking we are still at the beginning of Bond’s story and the adjustments to design are so slight yet effective that it gives that 60’s feel in a modern setting without us even noticing. They all have slim lapels, slim ties and a fastening button that is slightly higher at the waist, very reminiscent of Sir Sean’s Bond suits. Tom Ford has once again gone with a very slim fit with waist suppression, concave shoulders and the 3 button with a lapel roll to 2 as in Quantum of Solace. Up until now I have picked 3 suits that all serve different roles in the modern man’s wardrobe but I just couldn’t decide one which of these four to drop, so we’ve got the lot. Let’s get cracking.
Suit No. 1 is from the opening scene. It is a black and white pick-and-pick, otherwise known as sharkskin. The pattern gives the impression of a ladder working its way up the suit. We actually just got another selection of sharkskin fabric so if this particular colour isn’t to your liking I am sure we can accommodate you. The suit has a narrow notch lapel, 2 vents, 3 working sleeve buttons and slightly slanted pockets. Interesting little bit of trivia, Tom Ford made 60 of the sharkskin suit for the opening sequence.
Suit No. 2, my favourite for this movie. Javier Bardem is wearing a chocolate brown vest and trousers with a cream sports coat with two chocolate brown horn buttons on the front and three on the sleeves. Just an amazing combination, coupled with the dark brown patterned shirt, it all just works. We have never made this suit for a client, I guess in terms of practicality you are fairly limited by how many times or places you can wear it. Tom Ford made this slightly different to Daniels suits, I guess just as another point of difference. It has slightly rounded shoulders, a wider lapel and a classic fit. Would be a great suit for a day out in the sun.
Suit No. 3 is really just me wanting to write about an overcoat. We love making overcoats at Tailor On Ten, probably because living in Bangkok we never get the chance to wear them ourselves. There is always an element of masculinity to them but this one is special, not often do you see an overcoat in anything other than black. For this scene on the roof of MI6 Bond’s overcoat is a very dark Burgundy, so dark that it isn’t till the sun shines on it that you notice. These slightly off-black colours really draw the eye, it’s that imperceptible element of something different, the allure of the unknown. Not sure about the burgundy? Tailor On Ten has lots of winter fabrics, one of which is a very dark midnight blue, perfect if you want Bond’s imposing winter look.
Suit No. 4 or as Esquire calls it, ‘The Suit,’ mixes old with new in perfect harmony. Sure the cut of the suit is modern but the fabric is glen plaid in mid grey and black. It’s an historical fabric which usually consists of a slightly larger check pattern but Tom Ford has gone for a very fine pattern here which creates that shimmery, eye-catching effect. It is a 3 button jacket with a lapel roll to 2 and a single vent. The flapped hip pockets are on a shallow slant, a hint at classic English styling but not enough to draw attention. The cuffs have three working buttons. Coupled with a light blue shirt and pocket square it is the perfect suit for balmy old Scotland! We have had a lot of requests for this suit and I can understand why. It is a fantastic colour combination with a very intriguing fabric and it always comes out looking great. It is also the most versatile of the suits and you will get a lot of wear out of your glen plaid from Tailor On Ten.
So there we have it, three Bonds and a bad guy. That concludes our look at the sartorial style of Daniel Craig as James Bond… for now. It was recently announced that Daniel Craig will be coming back for Bond 24. We look forward to seeing if they stick with Tom Ford or go with another designer, personally I think they should go with Tailor On Ten and I think you should too!
Tailor On!
