Original article published 29 October 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.
Quantum of Solace is frequently cited as one of the most stylish James Bond films, and it is thanks to outfits like the midnight blue suit that James Bond wears to the Greene Planet party scene. This scene could have been a good opportunity for Bond to wear one of his iconic dinner jackets, but since he wears a dinner jacket to the opera earlier in the film, costume designer Louise Frogley took a different approach for the Greene Planet party. Outside of James Bond’s unusually glamourous world where black tie events are frequent, a suit and tie is the more realistic outfit this party. At first glance Bond’s look is a by-the-book example of how one should dress for what Americans call ‘cocktail attire’, but Bond shows extra attention to detail to make this outfit special for an evening out.
Bond demonstrates how to dress for a fancy evening party by wearing the most formal lounge suit one can possibly wear, due to both its colour and its cloth. The suit is midnight blue, a deep, dark colour that looks similar to black but looks richer. It appears black under artificial light at night but will shine blue under a bright light, compared to black which can look brown or green under artificial light. Midnight blue is more festive and more sophisticated than black because it looks livelier, even if the difference is subtle. A black suit is traditional for mourning, which is when Bond usually wears his black suits—he wears a black suit in Diamonds Are Forever for mourning the death of his ‘brother’ and later in Spectre as part of a disguise at a gangster funeral.
This suit is made of 52% mohair, which has a sheen and crisp drape that brings it a greater formality than wool has. It looks especially beautiful at night, where artificial light highlights its sheen without looking gaudy. Because mohair alone is so stiff, the mohair cloth is woven with 48% cashmere. Mohair is usually woven with or blended with wool, but cashmere makes this a more luxurious cloth. Louise Frogley said of mohair, ‘It was extremely popular in the ’60s; all the Mods and all the wannabe Bonds wore it. I’m sure Sean Connery would have worn it at least once.’ While Bond was far from a Mod, Sean Connery did wear mohair suits in Dr. No, Thunderball and beyond, for its trendy look in the 1960s, for its formal sheen in dinner suits, and for its breathability in hot, humid climates like Jamaica and the Bahamas.
Starting in this film Bond wears suits by Tom Ford, and this suit is one of at least four suits that Daniel Craig wears in Quantum of Solace. The midnight blue suit is made in Tom Ford’s ‘Regency’ model, which has a trim cut with slight pagoda shoulders and roped sleeve heads. The shoulders are wide but with thin padding so they aren’t built up much. The chest has a slight fullness, the waist is tightly fitted and the skirt is slightly long and flared out, all creating a dramatic silhouette that emphasises James Bond’s strength without attempting to show off his muscles. The jacket has a stiff canvas to give the suit an armour-like feel and appearance, appropriate for James Bond. The front has a three-roll-two buttoning, where the lapel rolls down to the middle button so the jacket behaves like a button-two jacket. The buttons are in a medium stance with the middle button at the narrowest part of the natural waist, and the quarters are open below the button.
The jacket is detailed with medium-width lapels, straight flap pockets and a ticket pocket. The breast pocket is a curved ‘barchetta’-style welt. The skirt has slightly long double vents at the rear. The cuff is in Tom Ford’s signature style with five buttons where the last buttonhole is longer than the rest, and as designed Craig leaves the last button open. Leaving a buttonhole open is a conspicuous practice that is made more ostentatious by the last buttonhole being longer than the rest, but with five buttons on the cuff leaving the last one open makes the cuff look less crowded.
The trousers have a flat front with a medium-low rise and a straight and narrow—but not too slim—leg. The bottoms of the trousers have turn-ups (cuffs), and contrary to popular belief, turn-ups are fine with flat front trousers. Turn-ups and pleats are independent of each other and it all comes down to personal preference. Both Daniel Craig and Pierce Brosnan wore flat front trousers with turn-ups in their Bond films. The trousers have a wide waistband that has a hook-and-bar closure with an extension. They are detailed with slide-buckle side-adjusters, placed on the waistband seam above the side on-seam pockets that curve forward.
The style of the suit is predominantly British, and the silhouette follows the style that was popular in London during the aughts, but it is improved with a slightly lower button stance than what was trendy. A too-snug waist and too-long sleeves is the only issue with the fit. Due to the lower trouser rise and the jacket’s open quarters, an unsightly triangle of shirt and tie shows between the jacket’s button and the top of the trousers. Apart from these issues, the suit overall has a distinctive but mostly timeless style.
The white poplin shirt from Tom Ford appropriately follows the suit’s formality and is the classic choice for a dressy evening event. The shirt has a stiff semi-spread collar in a classic English shape but with noticeably more length to the points. The longer points add drama to the shirt while balancing both the width of the lapels and the wide shoulders. The shirt is detailed with a front placket, double cuffs, rear darts and no front pocket. Bond’s cufflinks are the S.T. Dupont 5172, which have a square shape with their iconic diamond head pattern and a T-bar back. Read more about these cufflinks at Bond Lifestyle.
The Tom Ford tie is a fine dark blue and silver basketweave-pattern silk and is 9 cm wide. The fine pattern makes for a shimmery and formal tie. Bond ties it in a Windsor knot, and it’s tied tightly to form a Y-shaped knot that doesn’t look too bulky or overpower the face or shirt collar. Bond’s tie demonstrates how the high quality of the silk and wool interlining of a Tom Ford tie allows it to both knot and dimple perfectly. A straight-folded white cotton pocket square matches the shirt and adds a sophisticated touch that doesn’t distract from the rest of the outfit.
Bond’s black calf shoes are the Church’s ‘Philip’ quarter-brouge oxford with a perforated cap toe and a leather sole. If black shoes weren’t already Bond’s default choice, they were certainly be a must with such a dark suit and at a fancy evening affair. This shoe is a classic English style that is perfect with the smartest of suits.
After Bond leaves the party, his luck takes a turn for the worse. He ends up out all night on an adventure without a change of clothes and removes his tie because he has no longer has a need to be dressed up. Discarding his tie means discarding his need for style—he would never put on such a smart suit (Licence to Kill excepted) and not wear a tie. His suit is still able to serve him practically with the protection of a soldier’s uniform. Bond chivalrously lends his suit jacket to a chilly Camille because her dress lacks any sleeves to keep her warm. By the time Bond returns to his hotel, his suit and shirt have been thoroughly dirtied. It’s a shame this happened to his beautiful clothes, but they served him well at the Greene Planet party and beyond.
Now Pay Attention
| SUIT | |
| Tailor | Tom Ford |
| Fabric | Midnight blue mohair |
| JACKET | |
| Front buttons | 3 roll 2, medium stance |
| Lapels | Medium notch |
| Shoulder | Pagoda with roped sleeve heads |
| Breast pocket | Barchetta welt |
| Hip pockets | Straight, flapped with ticket pocket |
| Vents | 2 |
| Cuff buttons | 5 |
| TROUSERS | |
| Front | Flat front |
| Support | Slide-buckle side-adjusters |
| Front/side pockets | Curved on-seam side pockets |
| Rise | Medium-low |
| Leg | Straight and narrow |
| Hem | Turn-ups |
| SHIRT | |
| Shirtmaker | Tom Ford |
| Fabric | White poplin |
| Collar | Semi-spread |
| Cuff | Double |
| Front | Placket |
| TIE | |
| Brand | Tom Ford |
| Fabric | Dark blue and white basketweave silk |
| Knot | Windsor |
| SHOES | |
| Shoemaker | Church’s |
| Style | Black quarter-brogue oxford |
I thought that Bond also wears a black suit during the climax of Goldfinger at Fort Knox, as he was basically going to his own funeral. I could be wrong, but that's what I always believed.
In some shots it does appear black but it's a dark brown, very dark but not black. When Bond stands next to Oddjob who is wearing black, Bond's suit is noticeably lighter.
Wow, I'll have to take another look at that.
I don't like any of the Tom Ford suits on DC…something just does not seem right and seems a bit too flashy for a secret agent. Also due to DCs over muscled physique his arms don't fall straight, making the shoulders look odd.
Over muscled physique? DC was in excellent shape in QoS, but he was hardly Ronnie Coleman.
I agree. Whilst Tom Ford suits can be very nice they are not appropriate for James Bond, especially not in mohair tonic.
Please, he looks exactly as he needs to look for his work. The clothes, like the man and his mission, should evolve to fit modern and situational interpretation otherwise the franchise risks becoming a period piece. As Vespa said in Casino Royale when presenting the Brioni tuxedo to Bond. "I need you looking like a man who belongs at that table." That's what this is. Yes, perhaps he's walking a fine line between dandy and functional and yet do we not study Bond because some part of us wants to be as effective and stylish in our day-to-day living?
Anon 2, the mohair tonic brings Bond back to the 60s, not to the present. And it just looks flashy. Bond should dress elegantly, and perhaps expensively to fit in with his crowd, but the extra flash is unnecessary for a secret agent. I don't have a problem with Tom Ford's cut, and his more recent clothing resembles English suits from the 70s more than most other modern fashions.
I found it interesting the information on how to determine a midnight blue suit as opposed to a black.
I just bought a Douglas Hayward suit (vintage 1981) in the "Bond" style of the time, low button stance and the seller advertised it as "dark grey". It was darker and appeared almost black but when viewed in light appeared to have more of a dark, dark blue hint to it. Midnight Blue I assume?
Can you tell me how many times Bond has worn a Midnight Blue colour lounge suit and in which films?
Quantum of Solace is the only time Bond wears a midnight blue lounge suit. I consider midnight blue to be in the black category more than in the blue. It's like a richer and deeper black that only looks blue in a bright light. It's better for a dinner suit than a lounge suit. But in the way that Bond wears it here, it's more like a substitute for black tie. The formality of this event is just short of black tie.
Great Blog, Matthew, but there are a number of factual inaccuracies of which your reference to this suit being a dark midnight blue is one.
In 'Quantum of Solace' the lounge suit Daniel Craig as Bond wears to the Green Planet cocktail party in La Paz (and which is then gradually destroyed during the remainder of the evening and the following day over, in and under the Bolivian desert) is a dark charcol grey – almost black. Presumably it is the same suit worn in early scenes with M at Michell's apartment and MI6 headquarters.
Following the film's theatrical release in late 2008, a number of official Danjaq licensed collector's costume cards were released, each containing swatches of the original clothing worn by Craig and other cast members. The costume card range includes swatches of all three suits worn by Craig and I purchased a number of these in order to ensure that fabrics used when tailoring replicas of all three suits matched the original fabrics as closely as possible.
Costume card 'QC02' contains two swatches: one of the suit worn by Bond in the Green Planet / Bolivian desert scenes and one of the black dress worn by Olga Kurylenko as Camille in the same scenes. You will find these cards still for sale on eBay. If you take a look there you'll see that Camille's dress is practically black and Bond's very dark charcol grey suit matches it. See –
http://cgi.ebay.com/James-Bond-Archives-QC02-costume-card-083-875-/300502162588?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item45f7531c9c
You are quite right about there being three suits in Quantum of Solace, however. The other two suits are of course the navy blue suit with light blue pin stripe worn during the opening chase scenes in Italy and a very interesting brown suit, worn during Bond's Virgin Atlantic flight and arrival in La Paz with Rene Mathis. These are costume cards 'QC13' and 'QC17' respectively and can be viewed at –
http://cgi.ebay.com/James-Bond-Archives-QC13-costume-card-361-775-/290542324506?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item43a5ac0b1a
and
http://cgi.ebay.com/James-Bond-Archives-jacket-pants-costume-card-QC17-/300547094131?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item45fa00b673
Ben, I have the costume cards and I'm sorry, but this suit is indeed midnight blue. The blue shows up quite clearly in contrast to the black on the eBay link too. The swatch matches up closely to my own midnight blue clothes. The guys over at AJB007 also take the swatch to be midnight blue. Is your swatch one of the dirty ones? That could make it look grey. On my card of the blue pinstripe suit one is clean and one is dirty, and the dirty one looks grey.
What is the color of the suit in the Mitchell appartment scene… anyone?
Is it proper to roll the lapel down? Another Question: If the event was just short of black tie why doesn't bond wear a midnight blue, peaked lapel, one button suit?
The lapel is not just rolled down, it is cut that way. Because of where the collar meets the lapel, this suit cannot close at the top button. A 3-roll-2 cut is the tailor's responsibility and has little to do with the way the suit is pressed. But the lapels cannot be pressed flat. Bond's suit is perfectly acceptable for the event. Just because it is a more formal event doesn't mean his suit jacket needs to be cut like a dinner jacket.
I agree with the comment by Ben. The suit is a dark charcoal grey, check this out:
http://screenmusings.org/QuantumOfSolace/pages/QoS_1623.htm
In that picture, because the suit is covered in dirt the blue is hard to see. Bond's shirt was originally white, so that says how much dirt is on Bond's clothes. I have the costume card that Ben mentions, and even in the picture on eBay I can see that it is dark blue, not charcoal. The blue tie further brings out the blue in the suit. The suit Bond wears in London is charcoal.
Screenmusings.org actually has another screenshot of this suit and it shows clearly under sunlight that it has a subtle blue sheen. It confirms that it is midnight blue.
http://screenmusings.org/movie/blu-ray/Quantum-of-Solace/images/Quantum-of-Solace-1421.jpg
Can a shawl collar loumge suit be worn for slightly more formality?
A shawl collar lounge suit best be avoided for all situations.
Matt, I have a question about the shirt collar and the tie knot. On AJB, there have been some recent discussions on this topic, and it has been put it there that the collar is a “Duke of York” collar and the tie knot is a pratt knot. What is your take on this?
The “Duke of York” is what T.M. Lewin calls it’s semi-spread collar. The knot is not a Pratt knot as in one scene when Bond unties the tie it is not inside out. Because the knot is not totally symmetrical it is a four-in-hand. The heavier silk and interlining makes the knot look cleaner.
Matt, could all the QoS tie knots be the “Old Bertie Knot” instead? I have just learned about it this yesterday and tying it for work today, I notice my 3″ necktie made pretty much exactly the same shape as in the film, even down to the dimple and drape under the knot.
https://parisiangentleman.co.uk/academy/the-perfect-knot/
Yes, it could be that. It looks very similar.
I think it’s a more likely candidate for Bond’s tie knot in Casino Royale.
Bond’s suit is still very good in the last image, but it’s extremely dirty. How often should I clean my suits? Regards
It depends on how often you wear it, but if a suit is in regular rotation you should clean it once or twice a year. Any stains should try to be removed first by brushing and spot cleaning. Smells should be aired out. Only dry clean when necessary.
I was wondering about the shirt. In the lighting for the film it looks plain white, but in this wallpaper I found, the shirt clearly has a self stripe to it.
http://th06.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/f/2011/205/f/3/quantum_of_solace_wallpaper_by_guardofazkaban-d41gxp3.jpg
Now I know this is a fan-made wallpaper, but they had to get the picture of bond from somewhere. Based on the color of the tie I assume that he’s wearing the Blue suit combo, but then why would his shirt be striped unless it was that way in the film?
They did get that picture from somewhere, but it’s from Casino Royale. See here: The Charcoal Blue Suit
Im having a good laugh on people who doesn’t appreciate the great tom ford clothing
I think that daniel craig since quantum of solace is the best suited bond ever
In an event like this, would you prefer to wear a deep charcoal suit, midnight blue, or maybe even black suit? Howcome Bond doesn’t wear a deep charcoal? Do you think that midnight blue would be o.k to wear as a business suit? Also because this is a late night event, howcome this suit wasn’t made with a peak lapel? I always think that peak lapels look amazing on nightime suits, and this is one? I think people have become too afraid to wear peak lapels on suits, maybe because it gives an aggressive and mean feel that some people do not want. However, that is a feature that is absolutely essential to Bond, so he should portray himself like that. Esepcially because Craig has played a more serious and meaner Bond than any of the other actors. If I were the costume designer, almost all of his suits would be with peak lapels. And they look good on 3-roll-2 suits and especially because this is a Tom Ford suit.
Midnight blue suits are the best for the evening. Black suits should only be worn for funerals. Charcoal doesn’t look as rich as midnight blue, particularly under artificial light at night, so Bond usually wears it during the day. He also wears a deep charcoal suit in Quantum of Solace. Bond wears a charcoal suit at night in The Man with the Golden Gun.
Peaked lapels would go nicely on this suit, and they look fine on a button three suit with a rolled lapel. But Bond follows traditional conventions, and single-breasted lapels on a single-breasted suit are what is traditional. Peaked lapels on a single-breasted suit is absolutely not essential to Bond. To Bond they most likely come across as too flashy. I’ve told you this before.
If you are considering peak lapels to be “flashy” on a suit, then why is it not on like that on a tuxedo when they are more formal than suits? Also flashy could also mean like wearing a red suit or wearing Lebrons with his suits or wearing ties with patterns like your school’s logo on it. So I don’t get it why people wear peak lapels on suits if it looks “flashy”, and in that case you might as well wear a red suit with Lebrons nike shoes and a tie with a Monta Vista High School(my school) logo. Why do you say that peak lapels are “flashy” but more formal than notch lapels?
It’s a traditional detail for dinner jackets, but not for single-breasted suits. Peaked lapels are more formal than notched lapels, which is why they’re traditional on dinner jackets but not on single-breasted suits. And dinner jackets are more formal than suits. That’s why peaked lapels are flashy on single-breasted suits. There are different levels of flashiness.
I think ‘flashiness’ here, refers to bad taste. Any traditional dresser ( such as James Bond), would consider peaked lapels on a single breasted jacket to be at the very least odd, and flashy and peculiar at worst. In fact, if you listen to interviews with old Row tailors, they actually refer to peaked lapels as ‘db lapels’, so even they would probably consider them out of place on a single breasted jacket. As for red suits paired with jordans, that’s both flashy and in exceedingly bad taste, just about any way you look at it, in my opinion. Hope it helped!
Hi Matt,
I was wondering whether the suiting here is sharkskin, birdeyes or is it something else completely different?
Thanks in advance.
It’s a plain midnight blue.
I apologize for the lack of understanding on my part, but what exactly enables a suit pattern to be considered plain? I mean every suit fabric up close seem to have some woven pattern to it. What exactly then would enable a suit to be considered plain? Does it have to look so from a particular distance? Or is it the appearance from the general pattern that constitutes the pattern (for example on a herringbone fabric, the pattern runs from the top of the suit to the bottom)? I’d really it if you can enlighten me on this matter.
There are weaves, there are patterns, and there are specific patterns that derive from specific weaves. A pattern needs to be in at least two different colours to be a pattern. Sharkskin is purely a pattern, whilst the weave for sharkskin is a 2×2 twill. Houndstooth, chalk stripe and pinhead are examples of other patterns. Birdseye and herringbone are both weaves and patterns. Most birdseye-woven cloths are made in two different colours to create the birdseye pattern that is unique to the birdseye weave. This midnight blue suit is plain because it is a solid colour in a plain weave. There is no pattern to it.
Thank you Matt. That was very useful.
In the case of tie color, how does Bond do that? Do certain colors of ties have different levels of formalities like suits do? I would think that any tie that is in a loud or really bold color wouldn’t work. The only ties I really have seen him wear are shades of blue and gray. Other than that, the only colors are probably red, brown, and black. When looking at people who wear suits on a regular basis, the colors of ties they wear are in shades of blue and red, sometimes even black and pink. Businessmen almost don’t wear gray or brown ties with their suits. If Bond is a businessmen in his cover, howcome he doesn’t wear ties in muted shades of red and pink even though they are appropriate for him.
Tie formality comes from the pattern, with solid ties being most formal. The smoother and shinier a tie is the more formal it is. Bond has established that he wears subtle ties that don’t stand out. That’s his style. Many businessmen wear the same kinds of ties that Bond wears.
Maybe I’m missing something, but what makes this suit ‘flashy,’ as numerous commenters have remarked?
The sheen of the mohair can make a suit look flashy, though since writing this article many years ago I’ve come to think that this suit is perfectly fine for Bond in this context.
Probably my favorite Craig suit.
But are the sleeves too long, since it looks like they completely cover up the shirt cuffs?
Sadly they are. I didn’t notice the first few times I watched the film because it moves along so quickly, but that’s really the only thing I dislike about these suits. Craig never looked so good before or since. It only seems common knowledge in the last decade that one should show some cuff.
HI Matt,
Do we know the exact fabric composition and weight of the cloth?
Thanks!
I understand it to be 45% cashmere, 55% mohair and 280g.
This is my favourite of Craig’s suits. The midnight blue mohair blend looks fantastic at night and the tie choice is great.
I feel like the 3-roll-2 buttoning doesn’t really work with Tom Ford’s heavily structured style though. That style looks at home with soft Ivy and Neapolitan tailoring, where the roll of the lapels looks more natural. I think a two button or even a single button would look better here and be more in keeping with the British style Ford is imitating.
That’s an excellent point, and I completely agree. The only time I’ve seen this kind of structured suit in a 3-roll-2 is on Cary Grant’s suits in the late 1950s, including the North By Northwest suit. Though Kilgour claim to have made that suit, it would be an unusual style for a more structured English tailor. It is a match for Quintino’s Hollywood style.
Grant was a very style conscious man, so I believe every detail in his outfits was intentional. The 3-roll-2 on a more structured English cut (which was uncommon but not unheard of in English tailoring – I have seen vintage examples) may have been intended to create a more Anglo-American style. I think it still works because his suits are not as stiff and heavily structured as Tom Ford‘s.
Funny, I personally see it as no more odd than the non-functional buttons and vestigial lapel holes on a heavily structured double breasted jacket.
If peak lapels on a coat with a single breasted business suit are considered “flashy”, “odd” and “peculiar”, then what is the proper lapel style for a double breasted waistcoat with a business suit, peak or shawl?
Either style can work.
Personally, I think that a single breasted suit with peak lapels on a coat is the polar opposite of “flashy”, “odd” or “peculiar” only if it’s made out the following fabrics:
Solid cotton fine twill weave
Solid linen fine plain weave
Solid woolen and worsted flannels in a fine plain or fine twill weave and these same fabrics in a vertical white chalk stripe with 1/4, 3/8 or 1/2 inch spacing
Solid worsted wool in a fine plain or fine twill weave and these same fabrics in a vertical continuous thin self or white stripe with 3/16, 5/16 or 7/16 inch spacing
Otherwise, yes, I agree, any single breasted coat with peak lapels is “flashy”, “odd” or “peculiar”.
And the single breasted suit with peak lapels also has to have a low cut coat with one button or two buttons to be the polar opposite of “flashy”, “odd” or “peculiar”.
I think a single-breasted suit with peaked lapels works best when it’s of the most formal variety, so dark solid worsteds or mohair. With stripes and checks it looks flashier. Cotton or linen are especially casual for such a formal jacket style, and those I find the most odd.
Thanks for the update!
I’m a little surprised at the ticket pocket. I know it’s come and gone into and out of fashion over time, but I always thought it was a country detail not befitting a city suit, at least not such a formal one. Am I wrong here?
Ticket pockets were originally a country style, but for a long time now they’ve been considered a British quirk more than specifically a country detail. James Bond started wearing them on less formal city suits in Diamonds Are Forever, but he started wearing them much more often in the 1990s on more formal suits.
Fantastic article Matt!
Hi Matt,
Any opinions on whole pearl tuxedo studs as opposed to mother of pearl? The pearl ball look is cool but is it considered inelegant?
I think a whole pearl would be too bulky and thus inelegant. The nicest studs are small and slim.
Is there a reason why this midnight blue looks darker in daylight than the dinner suit in SF? Is it just the different colour grading (though I notice it looks just as dark in the promo shots), or maybe something to do with the mohair fabric?
Colour grading is a big part of it. Skyfall leans very blue, so the midnight blue appears more blue. However, there’s very little difference between these two as they appear on screen.