Original article published 8 November 2010
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.
For James Bond’s first of two visits to the office in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, George Lazenby introduces a new type of suit to the James Bond character: the classic London three-piece business suit. Compared with Sean Connery’s suits, Lazenby’s office suit combines a traditional style with a more modern fit. The result is one of the most stylish suits of the Bond series.
This suit is made of a medium-weight worsted wool herringbone in navy. It’s a traditional cloth for a London business suit but modern in weight, around 11 oz. The herringbone weave provides texture and interest compared to a standard plain navy worsted but is no different in function. The herringbone pattern has a large repeat, creating the impression of wide tonal stripes.
Dimi Major of Fulham, London—according to the The Spy Who Came Out of the Closet articles—tailored this suit in a traditional button-three style as opposed to Sean Connery’s more modern button-two fastening. This is Bond’s first button-three suit of the series, but it wouldn’t become Bond’s standard style until the 1990s. The medium-narrow lapels have a pronounced roll through the top button for a two-and-a-half roll style. The top button is not obscured by the lapels as it would be in a three-roll-two, but it’s not meant to fasten. From the lapel roll to the curved lower quarters, the jacket has a uniquely and elegantly crafted front edge when worn unbuttoned. The way this jacket hangs unbuttoned is the mark of a fine bespoke suit.
Though the suit’s style is traditional, its cut is updated for the late 1960s with a clean and trim silhouette, compared to the fuller silhouette that Anthony Sinclair tailored for Sean Connery’s Bond. The shoulders are lightly padded with natural sleeve heads for a strong look that doesn’t draw attention to itself. The body has a slight fullness at the chest and a suppressed waist to emphasise Lazenby’s athletic physique. The jacket’s length is slightly shorter than the traditional length, following 1960s trends. The jacket has deep side vents—approximately 12 inches long—and straight flapped pockets. The cuffs are finished with three buttons, matching the number of buttons on the front. The buttons are black horn.
The waistcoat is made in the traditional style with six buttons down the front and four welt pockets. Lazenby wears the bottom button open per traditional and to make the waistcoat more comfortable when seated. The back is made in a navy blue lining fabric but lacks the usual adjustable waist strap. This film features a rare occasion when Bond removes his suit jacket to reveal his whole waistcoat. Etiquette allows Bond to remove his suit jacket in the privacy of his own office when not meeting with anyone else. It also makes Bond look more presentable for the scene than if he were in his shirt sleeves. The waistcoat can not take the place of a jacket outside of his own office, but it does permit him to wear his jacket unbuttoned.
Lazenby’s jettisoned the fuller-cut, forward-pleated suit trousers that Connery wore and wears suit trousers that follow the slim silhouette of the jacket. While Bond wears pleats in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service when wearing Sir Hilary Bray’s suit, pleats would not return until Timothy Dalton reverted Bond’s suits to Connery’s forward pleats. Instead of pleats, Lazenby’s suit trousers have darts on the front to give the trousers some necessary fullness at the hips. The trousers have the same ‘Daks tops’ side adjusters that Connery’s trousers have with an elasticised tab that fastens to one of three buttons on each side. The side pockets are slanted, and there are two single-jetted rear pockets. The legs are trim and straight from the knee-down, finishing the suit’s modern 1960s silhouette.
The white shirt, made by Frank Foster of Pall Mall, is in a lightweight cotton, possibly a fine poplin or zephyr, with a point collar that has with a considerable amount of tie space. The tie space not only provides room for the tie, it also allows pushes the collar points apart to fit neatly inside the waistcoat’s opening without excessive length. The shirt has simple single-button rounded cuffs, making On Her Majesty’s Secret Service the first film Bond wears this cuff. The shirt has a trim fit, which is noticeable in the trim sleeves.
To finish the look with a traditional Bondian element, Lazenby wears a navy blue silk knitted silk tie, something Sean Connery previously wore in Goldfinger and You Only Live Twice. The tie is made in a wide, symmetrical knot, likely a half Windsor knot. The knot is very small due to the nature of this tie. While many knitted ties create bulky knots, others, like this one, make tighter, neater knots. The knitted tie is a little too relaxed for a formal three-piece suit, but it’s also a classic part of Bond’s style that shows how he isn’t one for stuffy conventions. The navy worsted suit combined with a white shirt and silk knitted tie makes this outfit resemble what Ian Fleming’s Bond wore in the books, though the details that Fleming had in mind were likely much different.
While Bond’s shoes are not visible with this suit, they likely match the black slip-ons that Bond wears in other London scenes. They’re black low-sided slip-on shoes where the quarters extend as strap over the vamp like a monk shoe would. Because the shoes have a trim last and a plain toe, they are dressy enough for the suit while lending the outfit a more relaxed and modern look in a typically Bondian fashion.
When Bond enters Moneypenny’s office, Lazenby continues the tradition of throwing a hat onto the coat tree. The hat is very dark, either black or very dark navy. It’s a trilby, defined by its narrow snap brim, but this hat has a non-tapered crown rather than the trilby’s usual tapered crown. The straighter crown makes the hat look slightly more formal than a tapered crown. The crown has a centre dent, a front pitch and a wide grosgrain ribbon at its base. The inside of the hat is finished with a black leather sweatband and a white lining.
Overall, Lazenby’s Bond’s London suit style is quite different from the looks established in the Connery films, but it needed an update. Lazenby’s look is more modern but still undeniably British. However, at the time On Her Majesty’s Secret Service premiered in December 1969, young men like Lazenby were more interested in wearing flashier peacock styles, and their suits already featured the wider lapels and trousers that are now more associated with the 1970s. James Bond is dressed in a more conservative late 1960s style in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, but he would update his look with wide lapels and bold linings two years later in Diamonds Are Forever.
Now Pay Attention
| SUIT | |
| Tailor | Dimi Major |
| Fabric | Navy worsted herringbone |
| JACKET | |
| Front buttons | 3, medium-low stance |
| Lapels | Medium-narrow notch |
| Shoulder | Lightly padded with natural sleeve heads |
| Breast pocket | Welt |
| Hip pockets | Straight with flaps |
| Vents | 2 |
| Cuff buttons | 3 |
| WAISTCOAT | |
| Front buttons | 6 |
| Lapels | None |
| Pockets | 4 Welt |
| 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 | White cotton poplin |
| Collar | Point |
| Cuff | 1 button rounded |
| Front | Placket |
| TIE | |
| Brand | Unknown |
| Fabric | Navy silk knit |
| Knot | Half Windsor |
| SHOES | |
| Shoemaker | Unknown |
| Style | Black plain-toe slip-on with strap |
Lazenby's Bond was superbly dressed. He influenced me to get my first real overcoat when I was in high school. And that 3 piece navy chalkstripe he wears in Sir Hilary's office…pure coolness. I even dig the ruffled dinner shirt, but I dont have the guts to pull it off!
His ruffled shirt is the only thing he wore that I don't like. I don't mind the Scottish Highland dress, but as I have no Scottish ancestry I would never wear it.
Hi Matt. This is my first post on your blog, though I have been reading it in the background for a while now.
I love this suit. Would have preferred if the tie was black, but, quibble quibble…
Just a quick question: is there a "rule" about the placement of buttons on a man's suit jacket in relation to the side pockets? I've seen a lot of suits where the bottom button is a bit below the line of the pockets (that is, about the "halfway" point compared to the flap), and others where the bottom button lines up exactly with the opening of the pockets (the pockets being of the straight variety?)
Oh, and by the way, the trousers on this suit are indeed fastened with side adjuster tabs. When Bond is emptying out his office, he sits down to take a swig from his flask and we just briefly get a peek at his waistband, and the buttons can be seen.
There's no rule as to where pockets should be in relation to the buttons. The bottom button should be around the height of the pocket, but it can be at the top of the flap or in the middle of the flap. Hacking pockets would usually place the bottom button height at the bottom of the flap.
A lovely suit, worn well. The three-button jacket compliments his stature perfectly.
This may be my favorite suit worn by any James Bond, although I prefer 2 buttons to 3, and I’d change a few other details. One thing I notice in your picture, and watching the film, is there doesn’t appear to be a waistcoat cinch on the back of the waistcoat. Is that because it is bespoke? Its certainly a lot cleaner look than what I have on my three piece suit. Now that I have moved on to buying bespoke, I wonder if I can get that on my next three piece suit…
This waistcoat does not have a cinch. Most bespoke English waistcoats have a cinch, and I think they are useful at ensuring the waistcoat fits well.
At the same time though, a waistcoat that has no strap is just as big of a flex as seamless back. Goes to show the prowess of the tailor’s fitting and shaping skills.
Are you sure it’s the same suit worn at the Dorchester ? It looks very similar but the jacket seems to be a button two, from what I have seen on the internet. Maybe he had this suit done with both a 3 and 2 button jacket.
You’re correct. I’ve removed the reference here.
That navy 3-piece suit with a 2-button jacket I thought was even cooler than the navy 3-button version used in the film.
What makes you and Le Chiffre say that the Dorchester suit is a button 2? I can’t seem to find a clear photo that shows Lazenby in the suit standing up. Is it just the way the lapel line looks longer in some of the photos? I wonder if the way Lazenby is sitting in the photos at the Dorchester are causing the jacket to sit in a way that exaggerates the lapel roll through the top button and make it look like a button 2.
It’s possible there’s a button hidden under the lapel, and the pressing it had before filming could have revealed the button.
There is a photograph of Lazenby in May 1970 where he wears the suit with long hair and moustache and the lapel line is consistent with a 2-button but I also suspected a pressing issue.
What knot is this tie done in?
The knot is most likely a half Windsor.
Being able to wear a navy or midnight herringbone heavyweight suit is the prime reason I endure living in the Pacific Northwest. Should be brought back at even heavier weights!
I was always vocal about how Connery’s Bond could use more navy suits.
There are some elements to this suit that I like. I like the soft shoulders and natural sleeveheads as they remind me a bit of Anderson and Sheppard’s drape cut. And like Connery’s trouser style in Diamonds are Forever I like the darted front, plain hem trousers as opposed to the double forward pleated and cuffed pants. My question though is are darted front pants a good middle ground between flat front and pleated pants (more volume than flat front but not as voluminous as pleats) as I think they might be the best trouser style for me.
The darted front does provide more fullness than a flat front, but it’s mainly intended to provide shape to better fit over the hips rather than provide a fuller fit.
I always thought that herringbone pattern is less formal/more sporty but personally I love wearing this pattern because somehow it makes suit look more interesting and feels so easy to wear rather than plain colors which anyway should only be worn for very formal settings.
A herringbone pattern would be less formal, especially in a high-contrast pattern. But this is a solid-coloured suit in a herringbone weave without a pattern, so it’s still treated as a plain suit. Fine herringbones are sometimes considered more formal, and in black they are traditionally used for morning coats.
Oh, I understand now. Thank you for explaining.
I love these updated articles!
Would you consider writing about Dr. Kaufman’s clothes from TND? They’re not the easiest to see given the dim lighting in the scene, but I thought Lindy Hemming did a great job showing how fastidious and eccentric he is.
Lazenby’s wardrobe would have been very fashionable for 1964 or ’65 – it’s almost reminiscent of what The Beatles were wearing then – but by 1969 things had moved on.
I could not disagree more. Obviously, Bond didn’t subscribe to counter culture fashion, but other than that, Lazenby’s clothing was tastefully trendy. His tailoring has very little in common with what the Beatles wore in 1964/5.
The Beatles were wearing Mod fashions with very skinny lapels, ties, straight bottom waistcoat, and ankle boots. You see more of those trends reflected in Connery’s tailoring in Goldfinger and Thunderball (albeit greatly moderated) than Lazenby’s tailoring as Bond.
Lazenby’s tailoring and casual wear here owes more influence to the Peacock Revolution of the late 1960s, albeit once again diluted by Bond being an Establishment character. You need only look at photoshoots of the Beatles at the end of the 1960s to see the connections. They are often wearing slim fitting flat front trousers, jackets with wider lapels and wider ties, ruffled shirts, and double breasted jackets like Lazenby’s blazer. The other big difference is the use of colour and patterns. Like the Beatles in 1964/5, Connery largely stuck to conservative business colours like blue and grey and small patterns, whereas in OHMSS, Lazenby’s Bond uses colour more daringly such as as his cream suit, pink shirt, and his comparatively to Connery, much bolder glen check suit.
I highly recommend you read this blog more closely to get a better sense of the smaller details and trends in play during this period.
I love this suit, I just wish the collar hugged his neck better. But that’s a problem the other suits have.
What do you mean by “The way this jacket hangs unbuttoned is the mark of a fine bespoke suit”?
A good fit and good construction can determine how the jacket hangs when unbuttoned. This jacket drapes very well and keeps its shape without being buttoned. The average jacket doesn’t look this good when unbuttoned.
I myself would’ve worn a repp or silk tie, and double cuffs and an ice blue shirt.
How does Lazenby get it so that little of the waistcoat is visible when the jacket is open almost as if it is buttoned?
That’s the sign of a well-constructed and well-fitted suit.
Also if Bond removed his jacket in his office would a 2 piece suit not have had the same effect?