Original article published 1 October 2012
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.
The scene in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service when Bond cracks Gebrüder Gumbold’s safe does not sound exciting on paper, but it comes together as one of the film’s most memorable moments thanks to Peter Hunt’s suspenseful direction, John Barry’s eerie music and Marjory Cornelius’s sophisticated costume design via Dimi Major’s jaunty tailoring. In a wardrobe that includes some of Bond’s most exquisite tailoring, Bond’s fifth checked suit of the series remains one of the most popular looks of the series.
The glen check suit is a staple of Sean Connery-Bond wardrobe, which includes four distinct variations on the glen check suit by Anthony Sinclair in the first three Bond films. When George Lazenby first auditioned for the Bond role, he went to Sinclair and bought a suit Anthony Sinclair made for Sean Connery that he didn’t pick up. This suit is most likely the one he wears in a photoshoot at a lamppost and the palace of Westminster behind him. This is a glen check suit, and it helped to form his initial Bond image.
When Lazenby was being outfitted by Dimi Major for his own wardrobe as Bond, he needed his own version of the Bondian checked suit. While the suit Lazenby wears in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service—a British button-two black-and-white checked suit—was already a familiar look for James Bond, this suit transformed that style into something more adventurous. While Bond’s creator Ian Fleming wrote, ‘Never say “no” to adventures,’ it’s not a concept the literary version of James Bond applied to his wardrobe. Sean Connery’s Bond was not adventurous in his suits, but he was in his towelling swimsuit coverups. Lazenby’s Bond brought a more audacious fashion sense to the character, and this look shows how it can be applied to a traditional Bond look without loosing the essence of the character. It’s why it’s so successful.
The checked suit in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is a black-and-white Prince of Wales check, which is distinguished from Bond’s previous glen checks with the inclusion of a mid blue overcheck, also called a windowpane or deco. A blue or red overcheck is a traditional addition to the foundational check, while purple overchecks offer a flashier alternative. Lazenby’s check is woven in an even twill weave, giving the central section of the check a proper houndstooth check.
The illustration below breaks down Lazenby’s Prince of Wales check:
One interesting thing that tailor Dimi Major does is rotate the cloth 180 degrees on adjacent panels. This can be seen by looking at the horizontal stripe sections in the pattern. On the lapels a white stripe is on top, on the front body panels a black stripe is on top and on the sleeves a white stripe is on top again. While there is a consistency to how Major laid out the pattern, some may consider this poor pattern matching.
This suit is made of worsted wool in a traditional medium weight, likely around 12 to 14 oz, which is heavier than most suits made in the 21st century. The weight contributes to a beautiful drape. This scene takes place in Bern, Switzerland in late autumn after the leaves have fallen from the trees. Many people are wearing coats, but Bond’s suit appears to be heavy enough to keep him just warm enough. Bond’s a tough man who can withstand unpleasant weather, but he typically dresses appropriately for the weather.
The button-two suit jacket is cut with softy padded extended shoulders and natural sleeve heads, a sight fullness in the chest, a sharply nipped waisted and a flared skirt with closed quarters. The lapels are in a medium width, about 9.5 cm wide, which signals that the narrow lapels that defined most suits throughout the 1960s had come to an end.
The check’s medium scale and high contrast makes it a slightly sporty suit, and it has sporty details despite it still ultimately being a business suit. The standout detail is in the steeply slanted hacking pockets with an elegantly rounded front edge to match the shape of the jacket’s lower front. The pockets are emphasised by the addition of a ticket pocket, and this is Lazenby’s only suit in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service that includes a ticket pocket; the double-breasted blazer is Bond’s only other jacket in the film with a ticket pocket. The jacket is trimmed with black horn buttons, which match the black in the check but contrast with the suit overall to add to the sporty look. The jacket is detailed with three buttons on thecuffs and long double vents that angle outwards to emphasise the waist.
The suit trousers have a darted front, slanted side pockets and narrow, straight legs. The waistband is done in the classic English style—it has an extension with a hidden hook-and-bar closure and Daks-style button-tab side adjusters.
This suit is full of late 1960’s English flair and is the one of the most fashionable suits Lazenby wears in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. Suits like this one show what lies ahead for Bond’s fashion in the following decade, both in the wider lapels Sean Connery would wear in Diamonds Are Forever and in the more adventurous colours and patterns Roger Moore would wear in his 1970s Bond films. However, this suit remains more palatable than the 1970s fashions, and its cut is still fashionable in the 21st century, especially due to its slightly short jacket length. Unlike what was fashionable in the 2010s it does not look shrunken, but the fit of this suit has some issues around the collar because it’s not sitting well on the shoulders.
The sky blue shirt and navy tie continue the familiar colour pairing from Sean Connery’s first two Bond films but in different styles and textures. The colours are more important than ever—Lazenby’s shirt and tie both coordinate well with the suit’s mid blue overcheck, despite that neither the shirt nor the tie are a perfect match with the overcheck’s colour. The way the overcheck blends with the black and white that surround it helps it blend well with almost any shade of blue. The overcheck provides instructions on what to pair with this suit, saying that there needs to be blue elsewhere in the outfit to coordinate with it. It needs to be worn with something else in blue look grounded, but only one item in any shade of blue or including any shade of blue is needed to ensure this. While Bond’s approach is the most obvious and simplest one, the shirt and tie do not need to be limited to these shades of blue or solid blues. A blue accent in the shirt or tie is all it needs.
The sky blue cotton voile shirt made by Frank Foster coordinates with the blue windowpane in the suit. Voile is a lightweight and breathable cotton, so it’s an unusual choice for what’s otherwise a cold-weather outfit, but it has a superior drape compared to most other woven cottons. The shirt has a point collar, single-button cuffs and a front placket.
The narrow navy knitted tie has a dull, slightly pilled look that suggests it is made of wool instead of Bond’s usual silk. The wool tie is less formal and more rustic than silk, and here it underscores the sportier aspects of the suit. This wool tie has a fine knit rather than the more typical chunky knits, so it harmoinses well with the worsted suit. A wool tie is also most appropriate for the colder months of the year, and here it’s bringing an appropriately more wintry look to a three-season suit. It is tied in a half Windsor knot, filling in the collar’s tie space without overpowering the collar.
The shoes are black low-sided slip-ons with a plain toe. The quarters of the shoes extend as strap over the vamp like a monk shoe would.
Now Pay Attention
| SUIT | |
| Tailor | Dimi Major |
| Fabric | Black and white Prince of Wales check with a blue overcheck |
| JACKET | |
| Front buttons | 2, medium-low stance |
| Lapels | Medium notch |
| Shoulder | Lightly padded with natural sleeve heads |
| Breast pocket | Welt |
| Hip pockets | Steeply slanted with flaps and ticket pocket |
| Vents | 2 |
| Cuff buttons | 3 |
| 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 | Sky blue cotton voile |
| Collar | Point |
| Cuff | 1 button rounded |
| Front | Placket |
| TIE | |
| Brand | Unknown |
| Fabric | Navy wool knit |
| Knot | Half Windsor |
| SHOES | |
| Shoemaker | Unknown |
| Style | Black plain-toe slip-on with strap |
Actually Matt, you’re more on point than you think, The trend is now going towards a wider lapel like on this suit — very much mirroring what happened in the late ’60s. Tom Ford’s influence is starting to be felt in that regard. He also tends toward an English-style nipped waist as this coat has. The shrunken suits don’t have much life left in them. In a few years time, everyone will wonder what the hell they were thinking and Indochino will be hawking 4″ notch lapels and disco flares.
Overall, I’d actually wear this suit. It still looks pretty good today, notwithstanding the fit issues around the collar.
I think you were about a decade premature with this prediction but now that it’s 2022 I think the emerging trends are proving you right…
Great look. Lazenby’s suits I never had a particular aspiration to but I do think he was definitely well dressed for the character had a feel for the image that accompanied it which was, perhaps, more innate than Connery. In my opinion, he carried the clothing even better than his predecessor.
“The cut is in line with the current fashions of then and now, though unlike today’s fashionable suits this suit does not look shrunken”. Good point which illustrates the distinction between fashion with a heritage of tailoring and so called “tailoring” with a fashion focus. This is why Lazenby. Connery, Moore and Brosnan’s suiting will, for the most part, always look good.
The overall feeling I’m getting from Lazenby’s suits is that they are a style that I could go for today (I’m 27). I like his slightly shorter jackets and overall fit, without looking like I’m about to uncomfortably burst out.
Dear Matt,
Another favorite of mine.
By coincidence, as I had to dress up a bit today, I chose my Prince-of-Wales suit with light blue shirt and navy knitted tie with precisely that look in mind before even looking at your blog.
Best regards,
This might just be my favorite suit in the entire series – it looks just as good today as it did 43 years ago!
Dear Matt,
I think we have at least 2 suits there. On the top photograph (the effects shot from inside the Rolls), the suit does not have the 180° degree opposition of adjacent panels and the pattern on the lapel is not at the same height as on the close-up.
Wouldn’t the cream suit with its 1-button cuffs or the powder blue with its swelled edges and high darts and identical cuff detail qualify as most fashionable suit for 1969? Or perhaps you meant fashionable for both 1969 and 2012 if that is possible.
Best regards and keep the good work,
It does look like there are two different suits. Perhaps even more were made. All of the two-piece suits in that film were quite fashionable fashionable, yet they don’t look so dated.
You are most likely right, it is two suits. I guess the top one were used on location in Bern while the latter were used in Pinewood Studios a few months later/before. The time gap between the takes could explain it, but not justify the “blooper”.
Still a very nice suit. Fitted, but night Craig-tight.
How would you say this compares to the similar suit in From Russia with Love? It is my favorite and I really like the look of a black and white check from a distance, but it seems like too much contrast up close. Does this material ever show up as a gray and black instead?
This suit has a much closer and more rakish cut compared to Connery’s suits, and if the cloth didn’t have the overcheck that part would be very similar. Daniel Craig will be wearing a grey and black Glen Urquhart check suit in Skyfall, and that cloth is not as bold. You’ll find this pattern in a wide variety of colours. You’ll also find the pattern in a variety of scales, so it won’t always look as bold as it does here.
I love this one, been looking forward to it. I think Lazenby’s clothes, apart from the ruffled shirts, have aged very well and I’ve always considered this his definitive suit. This is how to do the close-fitting but not too tight look. The cut reminds me a little of Richard James’ suits. Here Bond is well-dressed without being overly ostentatious. Properly fitting Glen check will always be a classic.
Richard James would be great for future Bond movies ,in my opinion.
Great suit. Too bad there is an slight issue with the collar – just like the suit Lazenby wore for the 007 casting : the collar was ‘too short’. Anyway, this one was claimed to be a Sinclair suit, and the PoW is a Major suit. Apparently, Lazenby’s neck was particular :)
Does the problem lie with the suit collar or with the shirt collar? The suit looks perfect to me, but the collar is a little small…
The shirt collar needs to be adjusted but the real problem is with the jacket’s collar.
Lazenby somewhat foreshadows the sartorial direction the series was heading, seeing his suits have far more “flash” than Connery’s. That said, I have always admired this particular style of flaring the “skirt” of the jacket. Is this something that has to be done at the construction of the suit, or can it be added in alterations?
I don’t think the skirt can be altered to be more flared. The vents are flared out, unlike anything you’ll find in most ready-to-wear.
Belatedly, as Jason suggests above, one of your periodic comparison posts with this and another Glen Plaid??
Hi Matt,
Is that the same suit GL wears to buy the ring? I love that scene with the dissolve, and the DBS…
No, that’s a light blue suit: https://www.bondsuits.com/light-blue-suit/
I have a jacket that seems to fit perfectly except it produces a pronounced collar gap, like the one Lazenby, is demonstrating here. The lines of the suit otherwise seem clean, sitting smoothly along the back and chest. The suit is comfortable and was made with my measurements. What could have gone wrong?
There’s a lot that measurements cannot account for. Lazenby doesn’t have a collar gap here, he just doesn’t have the jacket on well. It looks fine in other shots. A collar gap can happen if the back is too tight, but it usually happens if the front/back balance of the jacket is off. Sometimes the collar can be shortened to fix this.
Thank you for your response. It is all very mysterious to me.
I think this could be the most underrated suit in the series. Perhaps a bit of the credit also owes to Lazenby, who had an ideal frame for suits.
I agree with Joshua!
Lazenby’s wardrobe is one of the best of the whole series. When it comes to ’60 style you always get something timeless, as opposed to ’70s and ’80s, and Craig’s Tom Ford “leggins ‘ style” suits… Even the (according to my personal taste) fantastic Brosnan’s Brioni suits (I think that the Blue one in DAD is one of the best of the whole series too) are still beautiful today but not 100% “timeless” as ’60s ones.
This said, Matt, I’m a big fan of your site and you do a fantastic job (I’m the one who recently pointed the white two button Moore’s tuxedo on instagram, and we both thinked it wasn’t so great), I would like to ask if you can do a post of comparison of “English/American/Italian” cuts, of How Savile Row cut differs from the general English cut, of “Neapolitan/Roman/Milanese/Florence” cuts.
This said (2), I’d like to fully understand “clean”, “lean”, “full”, “straight” when refers to chest cut, and if “straight” refers to padded/structured, when refers to shoulders.
It’d be fantastic if was possible to do with (Bond) suit images/sketch.
Thanks in advance!
Vittorio
This is one of my favorite suits in the Bond series. In fact, Lazenby wears many suits I like, and I count the Navy Herringbone 3 piece as my all time favorite of any Bond suit. My question is, would this suit be appropriate for a daytime wedding?
It would be appropriate for a guest to wear to a daytime wedding that requires lounge suits/cocktail attire. I think it is too sporty for a groom.
I had a suit made in this material back in 2000, and want to replace it. I had it tailored in Vitale Barberis Canonico Super 110s fabric. Light grey with blue overcheck. Absolutely great handle and well suited to a Sydney, Australia climate. Would you be able to advise where in 2022 I could obtain same?
Dugdale’s 7504 is a very close match for this cloth, and they are reasonably priced. While the source for Lazenby’s cloth is unknown, it’s certainly from an English mill.
https://shop.dugdalebros.com/search/product/7504-black-white-pow-with-blue-overcheck/colour/black_white_pow_with_blue_overcheck/page/4/
Huddersfield Fine Worsteds 158001 is a heavier weight with the same look.
https://shop.hfwltd.com/collection/112
Certainly a great example of a close fitting jacket. But the trousers don’t look that comfortable, especially in the thighs !
Definitely my favourite suit of the film. I only wish the collar had a wider spread, but perhaps that is merely personal preference on my part.
I agree. The shirt – a beautiful colour and cut – lets down the rest of the outfit. Virtually every other shirt which Frank Foster produced for the Bond movies were better than the Lazenby shirts in terms of collar style. Frank had some very odd ideas about what people should and shouldn’t wear and often it was about his preference rather than the customers, despite him being an absolute gentleman.
Interesting, I wasn’t aware of that.
It’s not just you. A wider collar would have looked good on Lazenby, and allowed a little more space for that thick tie knot. But I still think Lazenby looks better in point collars than Daniel Craig does.
I think they both look okay in them. I just prefer that a point collar is worn with casual wear, with a collar bar, or with a double breasted suit since the points don’t have to reach as far with the higher opening.
Can you please elaborate on the bad neck and shoulder fit?
The jacket’s collar is leaving space at the sides of the shirt collar, but I don’t know if it’s an issue with the collar or with the shoulders. I suspect the jacket’s collar needs to be shortened to fix this problem, but it could be more involved than that.
“but the fit of this suit has some issues around the collar because it’s not sitting well on the shoulders”.
How?
I am trying to say… you are Dimi Mayo,the new tailor of a brand new Bond.
You work is about to be seen by millions of viewers around the world..i imagine that you that you want to do a perfect job.
So,how to explain sloppiness about the collar fit?
Maybe hurry of the production of the movie?
I can only imagine how rushed Major was, tailoring not only Bond but every other main male character. His other suits don’t have this issue.
By George, a Gorgeous, Gorgeous, Gorgeous suit.