Not all of Anthony Sinclair’s suits for Sean Connery are lightweight, which is one thing his suits are known for. Connery wears a heavy charcoal flannel suit with grey chalk stripes at the end of From Russia With Love in Venice. Though this suit looks like a mottled charcoal on the Blu-ray edition, but it looks navy in the older prints of the film. It might just be because of the soft fabric, but this suit looks to have a more relaxed cut than the rest of Connery’s suits. It has a more old-fashioned look than most of Connery’s suits. The button two suit coat has a relaxed fit with a draped chest, natural shoulders and a gentle waist suppression. The coat has flapped pockets, four-button cuffs and a single vent. The suit trousers have double forward pleats, button-tab side adjusters and taped legs turn-ups.
The ecru silk shirt from Turnbull & Asser has a spread collar, a front placket and two-button cocktail cuffs. The back of the shirt is shaped with two darts, though the shirt still has generous fit. Bond ties his dark blue grenadine tie in a very small four-in-hand knot. Bond places a folded ecru handkerchief in his breast pocket.
Navy socks match the suit, and Bond’s shoes are black three-eyelet derbys.
Excellent post, I’ve been looking forward to this one for a while. Grey or navy flannel is an excellent and traditional choice, especially during the winter months.
This is a perfect example of how our favorite spy can be well-dressed without standing out. His suit is well-cut and timeless without being flashy or trendy.
Very classic, very British, very Bond.
I agree – the suit is well-cut, simple and very elegant.
Looking at the last picture – are the shoulders too big? Nice suit otherwise.
Part of what you see is caused by the way Connery’s arms are positioned, since the suit wasn’t fitted that way. Tailors may make shoulders of a coat larger than the actual shoulders for a better silhouette.
I have always thought Anthony Sinclair made the shouldes of his suits too big making Connery too much “hulky” . He would have look much more elegant and stylized with a slimmer cut
This is a chalkstripe? It looks like a pin stripe. Could you explain the difference?
A chalkstripe is a stripe on a flannel cloth that resembles the soft line of a tailor’s chalk. Typically chalkstripes are wider than pinstripes, which are typically only 1 or 2 threads wide. A pinstripe would get lost in a flannel cloth. Chalkstripe can also refer to a wider stripe on a worsted cloth.
What color is the stripe? White? If he is wearing an Ecru shirt with a white chalk stripe and white pocket square, that still matches?
The pinstripe is either white or light grey. White pinstripes and white pocket squares go with everything.
Ok good tokno.thanks Matt.
100% agree with Kyle. I too have been looking forward to this suit. In 1962-64, they really nailed the look which Kyle describes.
How does everyone else feel about the tie knot? It seems smaller compared to the rest of the film. Usually I’d tell someone to tighten their knot, but this one seems over-tightened. Perhaps a slightly larger knot would work better in this case — one of the few times I’d say that.
A tie knot should always be tight. It’s just that this tie is very narrow, especially in the knot area, so it ties a very small knot.
Interesting choice in the ecru shirt with the navy suit. Have you any idea as to why they broke the trend of a pale blue shirt throughout the movie for this color? A slight edge in formality possibly?
Since the suit is flannel, it is less formal than the other suits in the film. He may have been wearing ecru to try to dress up the suit a little, but they simply may have just wanted a to break from the blue shirts worn in the rest of the film.
Matt , how can you be certain that the shirt is silk ? EVERY OTHER shirt worn by Sean Connery as James Bond is Sea Island Poplin . Does this shirt have any defining traits that identify it as silk ?
There are a few things that give it away as silk. It has more sheen than a cotton shirt usually has. It drapes more elegantly and smoothly, and it doesn’t wrinkle, while Sea Island cotton will wrinkle just from putting it on. The colour is the natural colour of silk.
If someone really wanted to go silk, do you think its best if it’s reserved for black tie events?
I think silk shirts are fine with suits too, but it’s easier to wear them with black tie.
http://turnbullandasser.co.uk/off-the-cuff-sean-connery
Matt , after coming across this Article , l don’t think this Shirt is actually silk anymore. The Man who cut Sean Connery’s shirts for the Bond films ( Paul Cuss ) claims that all the shirts made by Turnbull and Asset for Sean Connery were sea Island cotton in either white or pale blue.
Turnbull & Asser has simplified things there. As you can see in the screen shots, this shirt is not white. They are writing this to sell shirts, not to tell a perfect history. Connery wore few plain white shirts as Bond; they were usually cream or ecru.
So the shirt’s were cream or ecru; Was the collar regent as turnbull asser claims?
Connery’s collars varied throughout the films. They were bespoke collars, so you can’t put a label on them.
http://auctions.alexautographs.com/auction-lot-detail/Anthony-Hopkins-%22Hannibal%22-Screen-Worn-Outfit-(2)-&salelot=09ROCK+++698+&refno=+++62861
Matt , l know that this is unrelated to James Bond , but l am starting a blog on the suits worn by Sir Anthony Hopkins as Dr. Hannibal Lecter . Your observation skills supersede mine greatly , so l need some help. Can you tell me if the trousers in this link are pleated or Flat front ? Could you also tell me if the shirt has a breast pocket or not ? I really appreciate it.
The trousers have a flat front, and the shirt has a breast pocket.
Which suit would be better to own ? This one or the one worn by Bond in Fort Knox fight in Goldfinger ? Personaly the one from Goldfinger maybe looks too simple.
Any suggestions ?
I don’t think either looks too simple since neither is a plain cloth. The Fort Knox suit is a year-round weight while this suit is a winter weight, so that makes a difference when choosing between them.
Thank you for your answer.