Daniel Craig arrived at the Spectre premiere at Royal Albert Hall in London properly dressed in Bondian black tie. Craig’s black dinner suit is Tom Ford’s signature “Windsor” model. which is the same model as the ivory dinner jacket that Daniel Craig wears in Spectre. Unlike the dinner jacket in Spectre, this black dinner jacket is properly cut for only one button on the front with a lower stance. The suit is likely made of a wool and mohair blend since it has a slight sheen, and many of Tom Ford’s dinner suits are made of an 85% wool and 15% mohair blend.
The dinner jacket is tailored with strong, straight shoulders with roped sleeve heads, a lean chest and a suppressed waist. It has a single button on the front, medium-wide peaked lapels, jetted pockets, five buttons on the cuffs and deep double vents. The sleeves are finished with turned back gauntlet cuffs, which wrap around only the outer half of the sleeves and are sewn into inner sleeve seam. The jacket’s peaked lapels, pocket jettings, gauntlet cuffs and buttons are faced in satin silk.
The cut of the double vents doesn’t work well for Craig’s large seat, which is likely why Craig has been dressed in all single vents in his last two films. It’s not because Craig’s build doesn’t work for double vents but rather because the way the vents on this jacket are cut doesn’t work for him. The vents on this dinner jacket don’t completely gape open, but they’re pulled open so that there’s almost no overlap. The vents need to be flared out more to have the proper overlap, and the double vents on the “Rengecy” cut in Quantum of Solace had the necessary flare.
The dinner suit’s trousers have a flat front, slide-buckle side adjusters and straight legs with a satin stripe down each leg. The legs are narrow but not tight.
The white dress shirt has a short spread collar in marcella cotton, a marcella bib front with no placket and marcella double cuffs. The front of the shirt takes four studs, but Craig’s studs do not all match each other. The first stud looks like smoked mother of pearl with a black centre whilst the second and third studs are white mother of pearl with nothing in the centre. The fourth stud looks like it’s also white mother of pearl, but it has a larger rim. The double cuffs fasten with round double-sided cufflinks in mother of pearl.
The black thistle bow tie is not as shiny as the jacket’s facings and may be a barathea weave instead of matching the lapels in a satin weave. Craig wore a cummerbund that matches the bow tie. He had a puffed white silk handkerchief stuffed into his outer breast pocket. On his left lapel, Craig wore a Royal British Legion poppy pin with two red paper petals and a green paper leaf on his lapel, which commemorates those who were killed in war and supports those currently serving. The shoes are Crockett & Jones Alex black calf wholecuts, which Craig wears in Skyfall and Spectre with black tie.
Daniel Craig wasn’t the only person at the premiere dressed like James Bond. Host David Walliams was wearing the same ivory Tom Ford dinner jacket that Craig wears in Spectre. But whether or not you think Walliams looked good, he was poorly dressed because an ivory dinner jacket should never be worn in the British Isles, especially not in autumn or in London. It does not fit him particularly well, with a noticeable collar gap at times. Likewise, Sam Smith was also poorly dressed in his ivory dinner jacket, looking even worse because of his attached wing collar. Though the wing collar looked bad, it is also too formal to pair with an ivory dinner jacket.
Thanks Matt another great review. I remain really puzzled that a great designer like Tom Ford would produce a two button dinner jacket, but I am unfamiliar with white/ivory dinner jackets — is it more acceptable for a white DJ to be two button? I found it really distracting in SPECTRE because at first glance it looked like he had paired a suit jacket with dinner suit trousers (until the lapels and pockets are seen). Was this jacket designed for SPECTRE or does TF normally make 2 button dinner suit jackets ?
Tom Ford has made dinner jackets in both black and ivory with two buttons.
He has indeed. Even a two button notch dinner jacket, which is worse. Bradley Cooper wore one of those once, but it was mitigated somewhat by a stylish waistcoat.
The most offensive thing I saw was that Sam Smith appeared to be wearing Doc Martens, with a horrendously thick sole.
If he had gotten a better shirt and shoes things would have improved greatly.
Another interesting article Matt.
These are again the kind of fit differences you get between off-the-rack and bespoke. For the price of Tom Ford, you could certainly get good bespoke, with none of these complaints.
I know that the patterns are supposed to be created around Craig’s measurements and then scaled. But it doesn’t look like it. They look like they have been designed for a tall slim model and then scaled. Therefore, the fit is compromised in the case of both Craig and Williams.
This gives an awkward combination of high quality cloth and finishing associated with bespoke, but with an off-the-rack fit.
Not altogether terrible, don’t get me wrong. Most people would see these two as very sharp. But really, James Bond is one big advert. And in the case of Tom Ford, it has certainly worked. I have bought quite a few of his over-priced Private Blend Fragrances.
Bespoke is second to none…end of discussion.
Why did he wear studs that don’t match? I never saw this before…
I think Craig might be wearing the Tom Ford “Grosgrain Lapel Tuxedo”
http://www.harrods.com/product/grosgrain-lapel-tuxedo/tom-ford/000000000002470065?cat1=bc-tom-ford-brand&cat2=bc-tom-ford-men
That one doesn’t have gauntlet cuffs. And Craig’s lapels look much more like satin than grosgrain.
Man, Craig really was immensely well turned-out at this premiere. Good classic Black Tie carried out to perfection. I especially like that he’s wearing a proper dress watch, rather than the more bulky Omega Divers.
Yes, it’s good to see a proper dress watch. Any ideas which one it is? Maybe this one?
http://www.omegawatches.com/watches/de-ville/tresor/master-co-axial-40-mm/43253402102004/
I can’t imagine that his contract with Omega would allow him to wear a watch from a different manufacture, especially on the Spectre Premiere.
Enthusiastically agreed, sir.
Has anyone figured out the watch’s make? It looks terrific with black tie.
Definitely prefer this to the dinner jacket he will be wearing in the film. As enthusiastic as I am about the return of the ivory dinner jacket, I wish it was styled more like this one here with a single button and double vents.
For those who are interested, Mr. Porter is selling the SPECTRE dinner jacket on their website.
http://www.mrporter.com/en-us/mens/tom_ford/james-bond-slim-fit-silk-blend-tuxedo-jacket/590842
They also have one that’s a bit more classic and slightly reminiscent of the Quantum of Solace dinner suit.
http://www.mrporter.com/en-us/mens/tom_ford/black-slim-fit-mohair-and-wool-blend-tuxedo/590824
He’s looking better in his Dinner Jacket at the premier than he does in the stills and clips I’ve seen of the film.
Maybe he’s lost some weight since filming, and the suit now fits him?
He has certainly lost bulk since filming, which makes the suit fit better.
Interesting wristwatch he is wearing — a proper dress watch, reminiscent of the Gruen from Dr No? Would you happen to know what that is?
It’s probably an Omega, either a new De Ville or a vintage De Ville or Seamaster. I’m no watch expert.
Very nice looking dinner suit. I thought Fiennes and Bautista looked good as well.
‘Black grain de poudre Windsor peak lapel tuxedo with satin lapel and cuff detail, cotton poplin pique plastron evening shirt and bowtie’. Apparently.
~ from the TF ‘instagram’ account
That confirms what I wrote. The trousers that Craig wears with the ivory dinner jacket in Spectre are a black wool and mohair grain de poudre, so these suit trousers are likely identical.
How about Mr.Spaiser doing an article on who should play Bond next and why?
I disagree, this blog is about the clothes and should remain about the clothes.
I second Jovan’s remark. There are plenty of other places on the internet to play that game.
I’d like to see whoever the next Bond is wearing some tweed. And wouldn’t it be great to see him in a Kilt – I mean, he is half Scottish.
Great point but how about mr spaiser doing an editorial on who should play bond based on their style of dress. Surely Hugh Jackman gave a bondesque appearance at the oscars and he has been considered for the role. Jim caveizal who was a model for Zegna would have been a great bond. I personally feel Jason Isaac should play bond but hey it’s not my blog…
I thought mock turtlenecks belonged in the fireplace ….
I think this would a bit out of place here because this blog is dedicated to dealing with the Bond suits and outfits. Of course it’s Matt’s blog and he can do whatever he wants. But I would be astonished if would fall in with the suggestion.
In all objectivity, and in spite of my reservation about the casting, Craig really looks well-dressed here. It even makes me forget the non-matching studs.
I could not see whether the last sleeve buttons were undone or not.
That would be my only disappointment.
Otherwise: ‘chapeau bas’.
There are five buttons and the last one is open.
Thanks.
O tempora, o mores ..
Well, just seen the film. Daniel Craig’s suits are quite absurd! Most of them are at least two sizes too small for him and almost look like ill fitting body stockings. What were they thinking about?!
$4390 for the white dinner jacket and $5670 for the black dinner suit….worth it chaps?
Matt, I saw one or two people sporting the white dinner jacket on opening night in Austin, TX. Even with our hot summers, I’m assuming it’d be unseasonable to wear one now?
It certainly is unseasonable to wear one anywhere outside of the tropics right now. Outside of the summer months, a white dinner jacket should only be worn in the tropics.
Hi Matt:
I was looking to get one of my current dinner jacket altered in order for it to accommodate gauntlet cuffs. However, I’m ashamed to say I’m not exactly sure how these should fold or look? Are they meant to look sewn on, or should they look folded? How wide should they be? It seems some of the tailors where I’m at might not be 100% sure. I’d really appreciate your advise and any useful tips on this matter.
Thank you in advance for your help and once again fantastic work on this website.
Gauntlet cuffs are sewn on, but they are sewn inside the cuff and folded over. There’s a close-up photo of a gauntlet cuff here: https://www.bondsuits.com/jacket-cuff-button-styles/