After looking at Roger Moore’s velour tracksuit in A View to a Kill, let us compare it to Sean Connery’s tracksuit from two years earlier in Never Say Never Again. Connery’s tracksuit is made in the classic ash grey heavy cotton jersey as opposed to Moore’s fashionable midnight blue. Unlike Moore, Connery wears his tracksuit for its intended athletic use, and he wears it at a health clinic, no less. The tracksuit jacket has a red zip, red ribbed elastic at the hem and at the sleeve openings, and red piping down the side of the sleeves and on the side openings of the front patch pockets. The jacket also has a hood, which closes with a red drawstring.
The tracksuit bottoms have red piping down the side seams and at the pockets, and they have red ribbed elastic at the leg openings. The elastic waist has a red drawstring that Connery keeps tucked in. Under the tracksuit, Connery wears a white poloneck in cotton jersey, and the outline of his vest (A-shirt) can be seen through it. Wearing just an A-shirt under a tracksuit is more typical, but Bond shows a little modesty here. He also wears the perfect complement to the classic ash grey tracksuit: white athletic socks and white trainers.
Connery also wears the tracksuit bottoms with an ash grey jersey over a black mock polo neck for working out.
Of all the non-suit items Bond wears in this film, this is the least weird. It’s appropriate for the location, not at all ropey, or too posh. This is probably the spa’s supplied clothing rather than Bond bringing his own £600 track suit.
Please hurry and get to the dungarees from this film… :)
I think that this is a huge improvement over Moore’s velour tracksuit for two reasons. The first is that Bond is wearing it in a health facility, so it seems like he’d be working out in it as opposed to just lounging around (does he not wear these pants with a matching sweatshirt when lifting weights?). Of course, the white turtleneck (with undershirt underneath!) takes away from that a bit, but you’d be amazed at what I see some people work out in…
The second reason that this seems like a big improvement over Moore’s track suit is that velour doesn’t seem like something that someone would exercise in, regardless of whether it’s working out in a gym or going for a run. I can see someone going for a slow walk in velour on a cool evening, but that would be about it. As I said under the article on the velour track suit it looks like something someone would lounge around in watching TV in a common room.
I’ve never seen anyone exercise in a velour tracksuit – has anyone here seen that? When these were popular a dozen years ago (thanks J-Lo!) I would see lots of women in Toronto wearing them when walking their dog early in the morning, then later it bled over to them wearing them when running errands. I’ll occasionally see a woman wear them now, but they usually have the hair and makeup of a cast member of Jersey Shore. I’m really racking my brains trying to remember if I remember men wearing the male version of that outfit at the time. Lots of bright green, red, or even brown polyester track jackets but no velour that I can remember.
So, to nobody’s great surprise, Connery gets the easier time, again!
Seriously though, we’re at the bottom of the Bond sartorial barrel now when we’re reduced to tracksuits (I know, I know, many men view these as an integral part of their wardrobe now. Esp. this side of the pond!) and it’s shades (forgive the pun) of grey whether it’s Craig, Connery or Moore, to be honest. I also think that, although I haven’t seen it, that Craig’s tracksuit is maybe judged “nicest” on the basis that it’s a current look.
For what it’s worth, when I jog or work out I wear a Polo Ralph Lauren tracksuit in the material like Connery’s here and with exactly this type of jersey polo neck in white or navy underneath. It works just as well as a t shirt as it’s also 100% cotton.
Finally, interesting the comment under the recent post on Moore’s tracksuit which states; “when I was a kid I proudly proclaimed that I wasn’t a Roger Moore fan, I was a James Bond fan – two totally different characters in my mind. He’s still my least favourite Bond, and I’ve yet to see either Moonraker or A View to a Kill.” This parallels almost exactly my feelings regarding Craig and I can therefore say that I am not a Daniel Craig fan, I am a James Bond fan – two totally different characters in my mind. He is still my least favourite Bond (although in my case it’s a tie with Dalton) and I’ve yet to see either Quantum of Solace or Skyfall. Given this parallel I’m sure the writer of the original post will be able to appreciate my particular personal bias!
I suspect the white turtleneck may have been there for practical, moviemaking reasons rather than style: Connery was 53 at the time, and may have been starting to show a little neck-wattle. Not very Bondian.
I agree with TheLordFlasheart, and no, I don’t think velour is a practical material in which to work out. I forgot about the Juicy Couture fad among women ten years ago – now, here in L.A., it is all yoga pants all the time among women, 20-45 years old. I don’t recall anyone working out in velour. And men generally wear, here in California, shorts and t shirts (or go without the t shirt while outdooors which is a new look in the last few years) , all very non-descript and Addidas or Nike.
Glad Connery kept the wife beater t shirt (if that is what an “A Shirt” is) under wraps.
“A-shirt” is one of the more proper names for a “wife-beater.”
And lest we forget, Moore wore a wife…sorry, A-shirt, proudly on display under his powder blue jean jacket way back in LALD…
@david marlborough, I’m going to respond to your post as I think you may have skimmed my posts rather quickly, and picked up on some things that I said while missing others.
“So, to nobody’s great surprise, Connery gets the easier time, again!”
I think that this has to do with two points that I raised under the post about Moore’s velour tracksuit. The first is that, unlike Moore, Connery is wearing his outfit in a health facility. Secondly, unlike Moore, Connery is wearing an outfit made out of material conducive to exercising (in fact, as you point out, the same as yours). I don’t think that there’s an anti-Moore or a pro-Connery bias as you suggest in the velour tracksuit comments:
“…it seems to me that some Bond’s (Connery, Craig), no matter what the sartorial crime, can get away with murder whereas others (Moore, Dalton) for differing reasons are condemned instantly…”
Sometimes Connery wears a more appropriate outfit then Moore – I think it really is that simple. No bias required.
Addressing my youthful aversion to Moore, you state “Given this parallel I’m sure the writer of the original post will be able to appreciate my particular personal bias!”
If you continued to read my post you would see that a) my feelings about Moore have softened since my early teens, and b) my thoughts on characterization, actors, and wardrobes are separate. In fact, I state “Having said that, Connery’s terrycloth playsuit from GF is one of the sartorial low points of the series for me, and when I look at Moore’s more fashionable outfits from the 70s I readily acknowledge that, were I an adult in the 70s, that’s likely what I would have worn.”
That’s not to say that you aren’t allowed your biases; opinions are not right and wrong. As I state, it’s not who’s right but what’s right IMHO. Every Bond actor appears to have both their supporters and detractors here, but given the wide variety of wardrobe worn by each actor (excepting, perhaps, Lazenby) I would find it strange if anyone was to wholly write off or uncritically support any actor’s wardrobe.
Well I agree that from a sartorial point, Connery will defeat Moore in the tracksuit section, I think we have to note a few things involving each.
Yes, Moore’s velour tracksuit is not really suitable for working out. Yes, it’s not the best choice of attire for spying in the evening either. However, Moore does not wear this outfit to work out. To give him minus points regarding the functionality of the attire is pointless, as he clearly never demonstrates this is it’s intended purpose. Also Moore is portraying a Aristocrat, so it’s more than feasible to assume on the subject of activewear he is a looks not function type of buyer.
To turn the flip part around, Connery wearing a turtleneck to work out in is equally ridiculous. I can only imagine how that shirt must smell after a hour or two of strenuous workout. Fit wise it’s on the money.
Ultimately Connery wins based on how his outfit doesn’t seem as dated and “trendy” as Moore’s. That being said I don’t actually mind Moore’s outfit and wouldn’t condemn it in the same light as some others have. I wouldn’t wear it out in public but I’d be more than happy to wear it around the house as PJ’s.
Excellent points! A good defense of Sir Roger.
Wow, get a load of this; “I’m going to respond to your post as I think you may have skimmed my posts rather quickly, and picked up on some things that I said while missing others” and, if that wasn’t enough, in conclusion, “That’s not to say that you aren’t allowed your biases.” Gee thanks. Frankly, the attitude here seems more than a little presumptuous and self important but maybe I’m reading more in to it and the poster is actually quite a modest fellow.
Actually, when I stated “So, to nobody’s great surprise, Connery gets the easier time, again!” I wasn’t referring to a particular poster, rather a general tendency overall and when I read a post, like most, I focus on what aspects are of interest to me. There was nothing in my post of 29/12/2013 which could be deemed to misconstrue anyone’s previous observations.
As I have never exercised in a garment made of velour material I cannot vouch for whether it was comfortable o r not but, as stated above, it’s not being worn to a gym in this movie so it’s a moot point. As Connery had little interest in Bond’s wardrobe I strongly suspect he would have had little objection to the velour version if it were presented to him. Anyway, as I have no interest in a back and forth with my friend I will again focus on the point which caught my attention while “skimming” both his post below the velour tracksuit and his response. It’s this; whether or not a given item is appropriate or, as he states originally “what” is right. Well, this is more than a little subjective and of course, subject to changes in social mores. I see a lot of outfits worn in settings where people of differing ages and viewpoints might question whether or not the garment was “right”. But back to Bond, was a full dinner suit (“flamboyant” as Matt describes it, to boot) appropriate/right for scaling the side of a high rise Las Vegas Hotel or a white dinner jacket for strolling the casino’s below in “Diamonds are Forever” (nobody gave Connery a hard time on foot of the post re: the former). Or a three piece pinstripe for a visit to an oil rig in the same movie? On the other hand, Moore’s constantly reviled safari shirts/suits are most appropriate for the jungle heat of India or South America. Personally, for me, it’s Bond. It’s escapist entertainment. Who cares at the end of the day? Maybe this ruins the “authenticity” of the thing for the more serious minded but for me, if it’s entertaining and executed with chutzpah, then it’s fine.
Anyone know the details of this outfit? In an effort not to appear on the bandwagon of craig I have decided to go into this direction.
Surprised that you didn’t cover the track outfit that he wears when he first meets Pat Fearing in NSNA. I think the jacket he wears in that one is burgundy, but I could be wrong.