Original article published 14 November 2011
I am in the process of rewriting and revising old articles about James Bond’s outfits that need a refresh and expansion. All former comments are preserved below.
In Quantum of Solace, James Bond arrives at the opera in Bregenz, Austria dressed casually and is in desperate need of appropriate attire, and this performance of Giacomo Puccini’s Tosca is a black tie affair. He sneaks in through the artists’ entrance and steals a dinner suit that belongs to a man who matches his exact size, whom we see struggling to locate his clothes after Bond has swiped them. The outfit is also an updated copy of the first dinner jacket Bond wears on screen 46 years earlier in his first cinematic appearance in Dr. No, played by Sean Connery. It’s the kind of funny coincidence that one expects in a Bond film.
The Tom Ford dinner suit is made of a black mohair-and-cashmere cloth from Taylor & Lodge in West Yorkshire. Mohair is a classic cloth for dinner suits due to its sharp appearance and sheen, and it’s a fibre that Sean Connery, Roger Moore and Pierce Brosnan all wore previously in their dinner suits as James Bond. Mohair and cashmere both provide this suit with a luxurious sheen without being overly shiny. Cashmere balances the stiff, rough mohair fibres with softness, resulting in a hand that is superior to the more typical mohair-wool cloth and makes it one of the most luxurious cloths for a suit or dinner suit. Though the Dr. No dinner suit was the foundation for the Quantum of Solace dinner suit, the former is midnight blue while the latter is black.
The dinner jacket is a classic button-one shawl-collar jacket, the most classic form of the dinner jacket, and it’s one that Bond has worn on numerous occasions. This dinner jacket comes after a 21-year absence of Bond wearing a shawl collar, with its previous appearance in The Living Daylights, when Bond also wore it to a classical music performance. In Quantum of Solace, the occasion is much closer to a fancy dress ball. Daniel Craig would repeat this type of dinner jacket in Skyfall and No Time to Die, making it the style most associated with his portrayal of the character. Following traditional dinner suit conventions, there is one button on the front, the pockets are jetted and the trousers have a silk stripe down the outseam. What makes this dinner jacket recall the Dr. No dinner jacket is the silk gauntlet cuffs, a British detail that is also a common feature on Tom Ford’s dinner jackets. The gauntlet cuffs only cover the outer half of the sleeve, unlike the traditional Savile Row gauntlet cuff that surrounds the entire wrist. Both dinner jackets also have double vents, which are not the most traditional style for dinner jackets but are common enough in English bespoke tailoring.
The shawl collar, gauntlet cuffs, pocket jettings, covered button and trouser stripes are black silk satin, slightly contrasting with the vibrant mohair-cashmere cloth. The shawl collar is slightly wide, giving this dinner jacket a classic and luxurious look. The shawl collar includes a buttonhole on the upper left side, an uncommon feature on a shawl collar, but it’s one that the Duke of Windsor historically incorporated in his shawl collars so he could wear a boutonnière. The buttonhole is lower than where it would be on a notched or peaked lapel, about a third of the distance between the top of the breast pocket and where the shawl collar meets the shoulder. It’s positioned on an angle, following the angle of the ‘barchetta’-shaped breast pocket. The Duke of Windsor instead positioned his to follow the slope of the shoulder.
The jacket’s cut is the same as the ‘Base B’ or ‘Regency’ suits that Daniel Craig wears throughout Quantum of Solace. It’s a firmly structured jacket resembling Savile Row tailoring with a slight concave ‘pagoda’ shoulder and roped sleeve heads, fullness in the chest, a suppressed waist and a flared skirt. The fit closely hugs his body without pulling, and the only issue is that the sleeves are too long. The jacket is cut with a much lower button stance than the suit jackets in the film are, giving the dinner jacket a superior silhouette with a more prominent chest. The lower button stance also allows the chest more ease, so it’s more forgiving with a snug fit. Like the suit jacket, the dinner jacket has five buttons on each cuff, with the last buttonhole longer and worn unbuttoned, as intended by Tom Ford.
The trousers are one of the biggest differences between the Dr. No and Quantum of Solace dinner suits. Connery’s trousers have a high rise with double forward pleats, while Craig’s trousers have a mid rise and a flat front. They both have side adjusters, but Craig’s are the type with straps and a slide buckle instead of Connery’s ‘Daks’ type with buttons. Both have a trim leg that isn’t excessively narrow, but has little taper. Per black tie tradition, the hem is plain.
The dress shirt and bow tie are also very similar to Connery’s clothes in Dr. No, signifying that the similarities between the dinner jackets were intentional. The white cotton shirt from Tom Ford has a semi-spread ‘Classic’ collar, double cuffs and a pleated front with ten pleats on each side. The placket fastens with mother-of-pearl studs instead of buttons. The cufflinks are S.T. Dupont 5172 square cufflinks with their Diamond Head pattern in a palladium finish with a whale back. The bow-tie is a similar diamond-point style to Connery’s in Dr. No, except it has a wider batwing shape that ties a chunky knot to better harmonise with the jacket’s wider shawl collar. Craig also includes a straight-folded white pocket handkerchief.
Another significant difference between this outfit and the Dr. No outfit is the inclusion of a black silk cummerbund. Bond does not wear a waist-covering of any kind with his dinner suit in Dr. No, and he rarely wears a cummerbund in the films before Quantum of Solace. Here it prevents the potential white triangle of shirt between the jacket’s button and the top of the trousers that can be caused by wearing trousers with too low a rise and don’t have braces to prevent them from slipping even lower. However, because the dinner jacket has a lower button stance than the suit jackets in the film, the triangle of shirt may not have presented itself here even without the cummerbund.
Bond’s shoes are oxfords in black calf with leather soles from Church’s, likely in the same ‘Philip’-model quarter-brogue six-eyelet oxford that he wears with his suits. Though any amount of broguing is not traditional for a black tie shoe, the subtlety of this shoe’s punched cap toe makes it acceptable when a plain toe or stitched cap toe is unavailable. Despite the shoes, this is overall Daniel Craig’s most traditional black tie outfit in his James Bond films.
Now Pay Attention
| SUIT | |
| Tailor | Tom Ford |
| Fabric | Black mohair-cashmere |
| JACKET | |
| Front buttons | 1, medium-low stance, black silk satin covered |
| Lapels | Medium shawl, trimmed in black silk satin |
| Shoulder | Pagoda with roped sleeve heads |
| Breast pocket | Barchetta Welt |
| Hip pockets | Straight, jetted, trimmed in black silk satin |
| Vents | 2 |
| Cuff buttons | 5 |
| TROUSERS | |
| Front | Plain |
| Support | Slide-buckle side-adjusters |
| Front/side pockets | Curved on-seam side pockets |
| Rise | Medium-low |
| Leg | Straight and narrow |
| Hem | Plain |
| Trimming | Black silk satin waistband and side stripe |
| SHIRT | |
| Shirtmaker | Tom Ford |
| Fabric | White cotton poplin |
| Collar | Semi-spread |
| Cuff | Double |
| Front | Placket with mother-of-pearl studs |
| BOW TIE | |
| Brand | Tom Ford |
| Fabric | Black silk satin |
| Shape | Medium-width diamond-point batwing |
| SHOES | |
| Shoemaker | Church’s |
| Style | Black calf oxfords |
Not sure how I feel about vents on a dinner jacket, but they do make sense here since Bond wears this during an action scene. (It is after all Quantum of Solace, which is nothing but action scenes strung together by a sloppy narrative, but I digress.)
As long as there are two vents on a dinner jacket rather than one it's alright. Even Connery wore a vented dinner jacket. Apart from that I think this suit looks outstanding.
Just kidding, what was all this fuss about having a tailored dinner jacket in Casino Royale when a stolen literally off the peg suit fits that well !? The gag of the magically fitting suit is one of the few good laughs of the otherwise serious movie. And it is a nice reference to the Dr No dinner jacket and a nice suit.
I agree with Kyle – this is an outstanding dinner suit (as was Craig's in Casino Royale). I too am conflicted, however, about vents on a dinner jacket.
I have tried to avoid matters outside the clothes, but I must agree that Quantum has a sloppy narrative (apparently intended as an homage to Chinatown), and some of the action is too over-the-top. That said, I have to give it props for actually trying to be about something – Bond's coming to terms with and accepting (seeking a measure of consolation and humanity, or a quantum of solace over) Vesper's actions. "A" for effort, acting, and the usual production values. "C" for writing – Purvis & Wade's are at fault no doubt, based on their track record (Casino Royale is the outlier).
It makes me wonder whether it is actually midnight blue or black?
It actually looks like midnight blue in the movie, but this might actually be plain black changing its' colour due to light reflection:
(see: http://www.taylorandlodge.com/index.php/news/jamesbondexaminer/)
A very nice dinner jacket. I have no problem with the vents, locks really good to me. But, I do have some issue with the shoes. Black patent is always to prefer rather than basic Oxfords. What do Matt and Co. think about this?
Patent leather plain-toe oxfords are preferable for black tie. I think regular plain toe or cap-toe oxfords are okay, but if these are the same oxfords Craig wears with his suits in the film they have a perforated cap toe, which doesn't work so well for evening wear.
What about the suitability of black loafers/slip on shoes with evening wear?
The only traditional shoes for black tie are patent leather oxfords and patent leather court shoes. One could argue that plain-toe slip-ons are similar to court shoes and therefore acceptable. As long as the shoe is patent leather and has a plain toe I think it's okay for black tie.
Just as long as Bond doesn't wear those formal patent leather pumps with the little bows on them!
I didn't see the cummerbund.
With the jacket closed the cummerbund shouldn't be easy to see. If it weren't for behind the scenes pictures I wouldn't know it was there.
Anyone know where I can purchase a similar diamond end bow-tie?
I have a grosgrain thistle diamond-end bow tie from Polo Ralph Lauren.
I only saw the movie once and noticed the cummerbund, namely because it's one of the few times any Bond actor has worn one.
One could argue that he kept his own black shoes since the performer's didn't fit him. But it doesn't explain why everything else (improbably) fits him perfectly.
@ Jovan: The shoes must have been "borrowed" from the performer as well, since Bond arrives at the opera house wearing his brown suede chukka boots from this outfit: https://www.bondsuits.com/casual-wear-in-haiti/
What a fortunate coincidence that this guy happened to have the exact same measurements as Bond!
Movie magic fixes everything. ;)
What happened to the article about the Dr. No Dinner Jacket? I couldn’t find it anywhere on this site. Could you repost it if it is gone? Or give me the link to where it is.
Thanks for pointing that out Stuart. The article didn’t seem to make it over to the new site. It’s up now:
https://www.bondsuits.com/?p=382
No problem! Glad I could help.
Hi. I’m not sure why my comment was not displayed, but I would like to know if you would recommend me this suit for my wedding. I’d love to use it, but I’m not sure because it’s a “dinner suit”.
Thank you SO MUCH in advance!
Rolando
Sorry Rolando, I don’t know what happened to your first comment. A dinner suit is the English term for what Americans call a Tuxedo. I’ll answer you further in response to your email.
Hi,
Would you usually wear a silk pocket square with a suit that has silk collar etc, or does it really matter. And how can you tell the pocket square he is wearing is linen? (I’m not arguing about whether is it, I just want to know how you can tell)
It doesn’t matter what kind of pocket square one wears with a dinner suit. Brosnan wore a silk pocket square whilst Connery and Craig wore linen. Silk pocket squares typically aren’t crisply folded like linen pocket squares, as this one is folded.
Many thanks.
Matt, does the tuxedo not have the same concave shoulders that the rest of the QoS suits have?
It has the same shoulders.
Matt, are the lapels of this dinner suit of the same width as Connery’s Dr No dinner jacket, except with less belly perhaps ? It’s hard to see the shape of them because of their black facing.
These look a little wider than the lapels in Dr. No. But it’s also difficult to compare since the shape is much different.
Thanks Matt.
This suit wasn’t a midnight blue mohair tonic fabric. It was a 50/50 cashmere mohair fabric in black from Taylor and Lodge, that used to be purchasable from their web site, but that option seems to be gone.
http://www.taylorandlodge.com/index.php/news/jamesbondexaminer/
After scrolling through the comments it seems another commenter has also picked up on this discrepancy. You might want to update the article.
Hi Matt:
Out of all the dinner suits Daniel Craig’s Bond wore, this is my favourite. However, I was wondering though if this particular dinner jacket had pick stitching on it. What’s your position on this? Should dinner jackets include pick stitching on them?
Once again, keep up the great work.
I don’t believe it has pick stitching on the lapels. I don’t think that lapels with facings should have pick stitching, and it’s not usually done. But overall, it’s a matter of taste.
Got it. Much appreciated.
Good evening Matt. :)
I have a question for you, and i hope i chose the correct article for it.
Might it draw your attention to a further scene in the movie, where Bond is spotted by Greene and there is a gunfight that follows? In that scene, you will remember there being a character who was a member of Special Branch, the one whom Bond threw off a roof and who got shot dead by one of Greene’s henchmen when he fell on the bonnet of Greene’s car?
I rather liked his suit and in particular, his tie. Although his role in the film is brief, could you throw some light on his outfit?
Thanks,
Regards,
Anuj
Matt, is the tux in the movie the same as the one used in promo Quantum shots? The shawl collar looks a bit different but I can’t tell if it’s just the angle
https://ae01.alicdn.com/kf/HTB1EmecXsnrK1RjSspkq6yuvXXa7/Custom-Made-black-mens-suits-tuxedo-jacket-men-Suit-James-Bond-dress-wear-to-wedding-Suit.jpg_640x640q70.jpg
Yes, that’s the same suit that he wears in the film.
Matt – do you know the differences between this dinner suit and the one Craig wears in Skyfall? Both are magnificent in my opinion.
The material is different, the collar is shaped differently and one has a buttonhole in the collar, one has gauntlet cuffs with more buttons on the cuffs, and the cuts and fits are very different.
Thank you! They are both among my favorite Bond dinner suits since the Brosnan era.
One of the examples of Bond´s found clothes instead of his own.
Most of Daniel Craig’s Bond’s dinner suits were not ones he bought himself!
Nevertheless, Bond did “find” it. Or rather, he stole it!
I struggle to pick between this and Craig’s Brioni dinner suit. I think, for me, this one just edges it out.
It’s a tough choice. They’re both have something unique to offer.
Is it ironic that a suit Daniel Craig find by chance in an opera house fits him better than the ones he has made for himself in the later movies? Seriously though, this is a lovely suit and Mr Craig looks good in it.
Regarding the undone last button on the five-button cuff: in the mirror image (Bond putting in earpiece), all of the buttons are fastened. I know this goes against Craig’s custom as Bond, as well as the jacket’s design. Maybe this contributes to the shirt cuff looking constricted?
The jacket cuff is simply too narrow. Unbuttoning the last button helps a little, but the shirt cuff will still be too snug inside.
It looks to me like this was a problem on the jacket sleeves in Dr. No and FRWL, as well, which I have found somewhat baffling since the suits were not too tight anywhere else – any thoughts/insight on this? (Just a minor curiosity)
He mostly wears cocktail cuffs in those films, so it’s not really a problem.
This diamond end shape is really interesting.
Interesting comment regarding the sleeve length Matt – they look about right to me. Are the sleeves on a dinner jacket meant to be shorter than on a regular suit jacket? I only noticed recently just how short the sleeves on the “Dr No” dinner jacket are – certainly shorter than the “Quantum” one. I recently bought a dinner suit – which fits pretty well overall – but I do need to get the sleeves shortened so I’m curious on this point.
In the first picture, Craig’s jacket sleeve is coming down to the base of his hand, and the shirt cuff is too big and sitting over his hand. A tighter cuff would place the shirt where it needs to go, and then the jacket sleeve should be about 2 cm shorter. The suits in the film have the same problem.
I love this dinner suit, despite the minor shortcomings. Much like the double cuff shirt worn with the otherwise iconic shawl cardigan, one has to wonder why they reused the less-suited punched cap oxfords. In this case, Bond packing light doesn’t work as an excuse.