Original article published 6 August 2011
I am in the process of rewriting and republishing old articles about James Bond’s outfits that are in need of a refresh and expansion. All former comments are preserved below.
Sean Connery established James Bond’s suit style in the first five films as mostly grey-toned with the occasional blue and brown. George Lazenby’s first lounge suit as Bond in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is none of the above, establishing a fresh look for a new Bond actor. It’s an ecru suit, and it’s highly appropriate for a resort in Portugal in early September when the weather is typically pleasantly warm. Bond wears this suit on screen for less than one minute when he arrives at the Palácio Estoril Hotel, but the outfit serves to introduce a new kind of suited look for the character. The ecru suit portrays Bond as relaxed and off-duty, while Connery’s lighter grey tropical wool and mohair suits in warm locales are more serious and mean he’s at work.
Bond wears a few more similarly pale coloured suits later in the series, in Diamonds Are Forever, Moonraker, Never Say Never Again and The World Is Not Enough. Another was made for Quantum of Solace but went unused. Thanks to Marjorie Cornelius’ costume design in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, the ecru or cream suit became a staple for Bond.
Lazenby’s suit is likely made of linen or a linen blend, especially since its colour is the natural colour of linen. It has the texture of linen but lacks the wrinkles. Its short time on screen gives it no chance to wrinkle, so it could be made of Irish linen. Moygashel produced a crease-resistant 100% Irish linen thanks to their unique finishing. This suit could also be a blend of linen with wool, silk, rayon or polyester to minimize wrinkling but maintain the look of linen, especially on screen where the look is more important than comfort in hot weather.
The cut of Lazenby’s suit is slightly fashion forward and not the classic Savile Row look that Connery wore, but it’s still tailored in the English tradition. Dimi Major of Fulham, London made this jacket with straight lightly padded shoulders, natural sleeve heads, fullness in the chest, a suppressed waist, a shorter jacket length, and a flared skirt with more rounded lower front quarters. The front of the jacket has two buttons in a medium-low stance, and the medium-width lapels are cut with belly for a classic English look and roll out from the button.
The jacket is detailed with steeply slanted flapped hacking pockets, long double vents and the sleeves have the then fashionable touch of only one button. The buttons are beige horn and the buttonholes are sewn with a darker, contrasting thread in medium brown. It’s not a strong contrast, but it’s a little flashy. The edges of the front, lapels and pockets are swelled for a sporty look.
The suit trousers have a darted front, slanted side pockets and narrow, straight legs. The hems are plain with no break. The waistband is done in the classic English style—it has an extension with a hidden hook-and-bar closure and Daks-style button-tab side adjusters.
Bond wears a shirt from Frank Foster in pink cotton poplin, in either plain or end-on-end. Bond previous wore three pink shirts—two of them camp shirts—but this is the only time that Bond wears a pink shirt with a suit. The pink shirt with a suit is slightly flamboyant for Bond, but it goes perfectly with the resort look. This pink shirt is also appropriate for business dress, but it’s not part of Bond’s sartorial identity in that context. The shirt has a semi-spread collar with points of approximately 3 inches long and 1/4 inch of tie space, and it is styled with a front placket and rounded single-button cuffs.
While the ecru suit and a pink shirt with a suit and tie are both new styles for Bond, he returns to an old classic for his tie: a navy silk knitted tie. Connery previously wore this tie in Goldfinger and You Only Live Twice, and the silk knitted tie in black is Bond’s standard tie in the Ian Fleming novels. In navy, the tie anchors the outfit with high contrast while avoiding the harshness of black. Lazenby’s tie is tied in what appears to be a half-Windsor knot.
Bond wears pale beige shoes with this suit, another unusual choice for Bond. The pale shoes are appropriate for the resort setting, though a shade of brown suede or calf would be a more typical choice for the character. The shoes could possibly be made of buckskin, which is a traditional type of leather for men’s shoes in white or off-white shades. The shoes have a plain toe and a monk strap across the vamp, but they have the lower vamp and quarters of a slip-on shoe rather than the derby-like shape of a typical monk shoe.
Now Pay Attention
| SUIT | |
| Tailor | Dimi Major |
| Fabric | Ecru linen or linen blend |
| JACKET | |
| Front buttons | 2, medium-low stance |
| Lapels | Medium notch |
| Shoulder | Lightly padded with natural sleeve heads |
| Breast pocket | Welt |
| Hip pockets | Steeply slanted with flaps |
| Vents | 2 |
| Cuff buttons | 1 |
| TROUSERS | |
| Front | Darted |
| Support | ‘DAKS Tops’ 3-button side-adjusters |
| Front/side pockets | Slanted side pockets |
| Rise | Medium |
| Leg | Straight and narrow |
| Hem | Plain |
| SHIRT | |
| Shirtmaker | Frank Foster |
| Fabric | Pink cotton |
| Collar | Semi spread |
| Cuff | 1 button rounded |
| Front | Placket |
| TIE | |
| Brand | Unknown |
| Fabric | Navy silk knit |
| Knot | Half Windsor |
| SHOES | |
| Shoemaker | Unknown |
| Style | Pale beige plain-toe slip-on with monk strap |
It's interesting how similar this suit is to Craig's Layer Cake suit, and would be considered quite fashionable by today's standards– proof that fashion really is cyclical!
This suit made for a welcome change from Connery's staid colours but, for me anyway, the shirt and tie combination doesn't work with the colour of the suit.
Pink and navy and cream? Bit of a mish mash. A blue shirt would have worked much better. Some shade of brown shoe (such as the tobacco colour ones Lazenby wears elsewhere in the movie) would have worked better too.
Overall, I think Lazenby is unfairly maligned as his sartorial style was quite competent as was his performance in what, in hindsight, was one of the best Bond movies of the entire series.
Or perhaps classic style and good taste never go out of fashion! Having said that, Lazenby's jacket is a little too short, especially for a man who is 6'2"! Notice, also, how "unfinished" Craig's currently fashionable open collar looks compared to a shirt and tie outfit.
My previous comment was intended as a reply to "Anonymous". While I'm at it, I agree with David's assessment of the shirt/tie combination and the cream shoes.
Personally I don’t mind the colours of the shirt and tie, though I do agree on the shoes. Another colour would have broken it up and looked more pleasing.
I’ve got to say, I’m 27 and I really like the look of that suit. The only things I’d change would be the colour (to dark blue, though this might have a knock on effect to the material), and would be the length of the suit. Seems too short by an inch or two to me, but that’s probably just personal preference
Matt, do you think it’s ok a linen Summer suit to be worn with a knit tie? Do you think the texture match is ok?
Knitted silk with a linen suit is a perfect match!
What color are his socks?
Please, merciful Lord, let it be anything but white..
They’re a mid brown.
Is this suit made out of cotton? if the shirt and tie combination do not match what other shirt and tie combination would work with this suit? I recently acquired a Brooks Brothers cotton suit in this color and I’m trying to figure out what to wear with it
This suit is not cotton. Cotton doesn’t tailor well and is not often used in bespoke suits.
Awesome suit. I am happy the produces and Lazenby were not afraid to take chances in this film. From outfits, to the story, to other end of the film they went bold and in my opinion succeeded.
Of all the light coloured suits in the Bond movies, my favourite is Roger’s in Moonraker. Connery’s in NSNA is beautiful too. This one is nice but somehow Lazenby doesn’t do it justice.
Oops…?
Original article published 6 August 2011
I’ve fixed the italics. Thanks.
Probably my favourite linen suit in the series, collar fit notwithstanding. (Which is an issue his other suits have for unknown reasons.) I agree that brown shoes would have been a better fit, but I’m not sure why some have an issue with the pink shirt. It’s a good look to me.
Thanks for your input. I have personally worn a (light) pink shirt with dark ties and glen check suits in the past. Even the most traditional senior bankers never really frowned too much on it.
The shoes here are best forgotten. They sadly remind me of the light grey, cheap-looking, soft leathered + rubber soled shoes, a pinnacle of fashion in the mid 1980s, at least on the German-speaking side of Switzerland… Cringeworthy at the very least.
Some suede, even medium brown or tan would have done a favour to this suit, otherwise well cut, well-balanced, and well worn.
Interesting! I didn’t know those were a thing. I wrote an article with Matt’s help a while back for The Kavalier regarding Lazenby’s shoes, including the interesting monk loafers. They’re definitely better in brown suede.
https://thekavalier.com/blog/2020/3/26/george-lazenbys-sensible-youthfulness
I really like this suit on Lazenby, shoes not withstanding. Bond broke out of some rather repetitive suit combinations in OHMSS.
Agree 100%.
George wears it with absolute assurance and it’s a shame it doesn’t get more screen time. The pink shirt works well because it’s a very pale shade which keeps it subtle, and the navy tie links it to the bond we know. Sadly nowadays you probably couldn’t really wear this anywhere outside of a Wedding.
There are plenty of places this outfit could work today. I recently attended a summer event for a museum in New York where people did dress like this. I was in Palm Beach earlier this year and without the tie one would blend in. Adding the tie wouldn’t be a stretch.
Sorry Matt – I should’ve added the caveat – you couldn’t wear it outside of a Wedding in Britain!!
I don’t think it would have been appropriate to wear anywhere in the UK in the 1960s, so this suit is more wearable now than it was then! Perhaps a seaside resort in the south, but I’m not familiar at all with life there in the 1960s to know if it would have been appropriate.
I’m in California right now to attend friends’ combined milestone birthday party. The party has a ‘black and white’ theme. I told mine host I had a black wool suit or a white linen suit and he suggested I bring the linen so I’ll be wearing that tomorrow in full expectation of ‘Miami Vice’ comments being thrown my way!
I really like Lazenby’s suit with the corollary that I don’t like the steeply slanted hip pockets, especially on more formal (ie not country) suits. They emphasize the hips which looks feminine to me. Straight or slightly angled pocket flaps would have worked much better and this goes for the otherwise exemplary Prince of wales suit too.
You made the right choice. Black wool worsted would have looked a bit funereal for the occasion, and I’m saying this as a gal who has way too much black in her wardrobe. I have at least a couple non-black dresses for occasions like that.
“I’m in California right now…”
Lucky man is all I can say!
I live in San Diego, which is warm and sunny almost every day of the year. There are few opportunities to wear a suit, or really anything beyond jeans and a t-shirt — and if you do, you will stand out like a sore thumb. One day, I went to Home Depot wearing jeans, white shirt, and a sports jacket. A random woman said, “You are much too well-dressed to be in Home Depot!” I don’t know if she was being serious.
Unfortunately she probably was. I get comments like that just wearing a damned slip dress and flats out with friends.
IMHO Lazenby’s suit with pink shirt is extremely elegant and appropriate for the venue without being garish . I don’t see any reason why some would object unless of course you happened to live in drab Britain where it seems to imprison people in a world of 50 shades of grey!? Bond may be careful but still able to embrace color as he did in Thunderball !
>drab Britain where it seems to imprison people in a world of 50 shades of grey
Are you quite alright? English shirtmakers, most of all Turnbull & Asser, brought on the peacock revolution in shirts.
You’re correct but not about the weather in London in general! LOL.