A quote from Vesper Lynd in Casino Royale‘s train scene defines the expectations for this outfit:
By the cut of your suit, you went to Oxford or wherever. Naturally you think human beings dress like that. But you wear it with such disdain, my guess is you didn’t come from money, and your school friends never let you forget it.
By this I would assume the filmmakers are trying to pass off Bond’s Brioni suit as a bespoke Savile Row suit, but the cut of Brioni is distinctly Roman and not British. The shoulders are too square and too built up, giving the impression of a new-money-rich executive rather than an old-money, public school educated man.
James Bond also does not wear his suit with disdain, at least not in the films before Casino Royale. Bond has always had a strong interest in the clothes he wears and does not dress a certain way merely because he thinks he is supposed to. That line in the film suggest he only wears a suit because he thinks that what men are to wear and would rather not wear a suit. The three piece suit in the final scene of Casino Royale shows that he has changed his opinions of suits and now enjoys wearing suits. It would be unusual, however, for a 38-year-old man to change is tastes in clothes so dramatically. Ian Fleming would not have expected Bond’s love for Vesper to change his tastes in clothes, which is something ingrained in one’s ways more typically at half of Bond’s age here. No man in his late 30s would decide only then that he likes wearing suits.
The suit’s cloth is navy with a subtle, closely-spaced multi-stripe in thin coloured pinstripes that are difficult to see. This isn’t very British either, as they ordinary prefer their stripes to stand out, or at least appear to be there. The suit has a button three front and four cuff buttons with straight, flapped pockets. We see very little else of this suit, but it’s likely that this suit is detailed in the same way as the suit in the following scene, which will be covered at a later date. That suit has a single vent and darted front trousers with turn-ups, and it wouldn’t be a stretch to assume that this suit has the same.
The trousers have an extended waistband that is visible. Bond isn’t wearing a belt with this suit like he does with the grey suit in the following scene. Instead of a belt, Bond wears braces with either a black or navy ribbon and black ends. The braces are made by Albert Thurston. Much more than his suit, the braces give the impression that Bond ‘went to Oxford or wherever’.
The shirt from Brioni is a white-on-white twill stripe with a fine blue or grey pinstripe centred on each white stripe. The scale of the shirt’s stripes conflicts with the similar scale of the suit’s stripes; patterns worn together should always be different in size so they don’t compete. The tie has a burgundy ground with a neat pattern of, what appears to be, yellow dots with a white pin-dot in the centre.
I didn't much care for the Brioni clothes in this movie (or the Brosnan ones) either.
For some reason, the Brioni from GoldenEye strikes me as very dated. After that, however, Brosnan's suits still look fairly fresh to me, only his choice of ties sometimes still say late-90s.
Thanks for doing the review. I always thought the shirt and suit were solids.
Anonymous: The funny thing is that Goldeneye and Casino Royale are my two favourite 007 movies from the '90s onward, yet my least favourite movies for style in the "modern" Bond era.
I thought and still think the Brioni suits look excellent.
Excellent! You really describe Bond's wardrobe very well and it is a pleasure to learn about! Thanks very much!
How could that clever English woman (if Lynd is an English name) mistake an Italian suit for an English one?
I've always felt that the suits that Craig wears in Casino Royale look a little off. Reading the analysis here I have come to believe that that was intentional – Bond is fresh from the field (he still has the bulkier physique) and has yet to settle on a personal style. He is buying and wearing what he thinks are appropriate clothes for an agent at his level.
If I understand correctly, the Italian suit was consciously chosen by the film leadership, although they knew that the script – in which Bond's suit is described as Oxford manner and thus of English origin – would be in contradiction to it?
This suit is not navy, it is midnight. It at first looks black, but under light, it shines a blue.
There is no fine line between navy and midnight. Both are very close to black. Considering the context, I called it navy.
Hi there
I would live to know what kind / brand of suit Vesper is wearing in the train. I am desperatly seeking a nice suit for me but they are all sooo bagy and masculin (although Bond says this too about her suit, i like the cut and style). Thanks for any feedback, U.
Sorry, I have no idea.
Hello Matt, I would really like to have your opinion about two subjects please.
– I saw a Brioni tie on this ridiculously overpriced “luxury” website, Mr Porter. Here’s the link :
http://www.mrporter.com/product/360884
I think it’s really really close to the train tie you described. Possibly a reedition ?
-and about Brioni suits, do you think their reputation of top quality and longevity is deserved ? Being a student, I am seriously considering buying a pre-used suit on Ebay, that is if I manage to find the right size…
Thanks in advance.
It possibly could be the same tie (but narrower), or at least a very similar tie. Brioni suits are indeed excellent quality.
This is the tie: http://www.ajb007.co.uk/post/726432/#p726432.
I’ve always loved the shirt Bond wears in the train scene. Other than your very detailed description above, have you ever been able to track down who made the shirt?
The shirt is most likely from Brioni.
Why do you say this suit is navy? It seems too dark and aggressive to be navy. On the pictures it looks more like a deep charcoal; I think it might actually even be black. Since you said that Bond avoids black suits most of the time, I have the feeling it is a deep charcoal. When looking at the picture of the suit, it doesn’t have the vibrancy of a navy suit, even if it is the darkest shade of navy possible.
I always assumed vesper was wrong here, she’s not a field agent, not a “spy”, and she hasn’t got Bond all figured out. Bond’s friends teasing him for not coming from money giving him a chip on his shoulder? It would be people seeing Bond and what he gets/gets away with that would get chips on shoulders (like Vesper herself, hence her need to project all this weird psycho-analysis on Bond).
Actually, about this famous quote. I think most of the commenters -as well as you Matt- had seen in it too much matter and signification than it could actually carry. By her remark, I think Vesper just meant ‘by the cut of your suit’ : ie, a well-fitting, classically cut suit, and nothing else. Something that would have to do with perfection and excellence : values related both to Oxford -at least from its reputation- and to a top-notch quality suit, whatever brand or tailor it comes from. I don’t think the screenwriters did think about Brioni and Oxford, and the difference of ‘country origin’ between these two names and notions !
Lindy Hemming could have seen it and remarked the mistake, but she was the costume designer, not a screenwriter.
They aren’t try to pass this suit as a British one. Plus when she gave him his dinner jacket, you can briefly see the Brioni label on the suit bag lying on the bed, for a second.
This is a case of product placement taking precedence above story.
Matt, I have a question – what’s the closest suit in the series that executes this “disdain” suit the most accurately? In other words, which suit in the series could have replaced what Craig was wearing here, based on your perspective?
That line never made sense for me… it was well written but poorly executed in the film. If they had gone to the Hotel Splendide to change and Bond had shred his clothes the same way Connery did in FRWL (yanking off his tie, tossing a T&A shirt to a corner of the bathroom floor with zero F’s given), and then Vesper says the line “You wear it [your clothes] with such disdain, my guess is you didn’t come from money…” it would’ve at least made more sense.
I actually rather like this suit more than the ending pinstripe 3 piece. Racoon007 is currently getting a suit made like this and I like how the pattern is subtle but still stands out without being overbearing like a lot of striped suits are today. If I were to get a navy pinstripe suit, it might look something like that.
Matt, I’d appreciate your opinion – just ordered this tie and haven’t received it yet. I doubt it’s an exact match, because designers don’t usually keep the same pattern in their collection for seventeen years. But I think it has a similar look.
https://www.brioni.com/en/us/pr/bordeaux-and-midnight-blue-micro-motif-jacquard-silk-tie-O61D00P140S6092
Hi Mike, while it is not a match, the pattern is indeed similar. It’s a beautiful tie.