Roger Moore is known for wearing blazers, particularly of the double-breasted variety. The first double-breasted blazer he wears on screen is in the sixth and final series of The Saint, which effectively replaced the single-breasted navy blazers that he frequently wore in the show’s first four black-and-white series. This blazer follows Moore’s more adventurous wardrobe in the final season of The Saint, and this blazer in particular foreshadows the striped blazer Moore wears in The Persuaders! just three years later. The blazer in The Persuaders! is similar to this one but with wider stripes and wider lapels.
Moore wears this striped blazer in a number of episodes during the sixth series of The Saint, but this post will be focusing on the unique swinging sixties manner he wears it in the 1968 episode ‘Where the Money Is’.
The blazer’s worsted wool cloth has an unusual pattern of thick rust-coloured stripes bordered by wider green stripes on a navy ground. The cloth is woven in a herringbone weave with the direction changing each rust or green stripe, making the full pattern repeat six stripes wide. These are not the pinstripes or chalk stripes one typically finds on a suit. These are bolder and more colourful, in the tradition of boating blazers but more restrained. This pattern has the perfect balance—it avoids the overly bold, old-fashioned look of boating blazer stripes but it has more excitement and interest than the typical navy blazer. The cloth appears to be a medium-heavy weight around 13-14 ounces, as it drapes well and has a lot of body without looking to be extremely heavy.
The blazer has the standard 6×2 buttoning. Like Cyril Castle’s usual double-breasted jackets, this one has a narrow wrap—the overlap—for a slimming effect on Moore. The top row of vestigial buttons is almost aligned with the buttons below it rather than spaced much further apart. The buttons are classic gold blazer buttons—they’re shanked and have a domed shape emblazoned with an unidentifiable motif.
Cyril Castle made this blazer in his dramatic signature style that didn’t shy away from London trends. Castle tailored most of Moore clothes throughout The Saint and was Moore’s regular tailor through 1974. The blazer is cut with a full chest with drape and suppressed waist to give Moore a strong look. The shoulders are soft with a subtle roping at the sleeve heads. The peaked lapels are narrow and have a very straight shape with no belly. The narrow peaked lapels are less narrow and a little more flattering than the ultra-narrow notched lapels that Moore wears in The Saint, but Moore looks better with a wider lapel. These lapels have a small notch between the collar and the peak.
The blazer is detailed with single-button gauntlet—or turnback—cuffs, double vents and slanted hip pockets with narrow flaps. The breast pocket has a flap rather than a welt, an Edwardian style that was later popular with British tailoring in the 1950s and 1960s and a detail that can be found on a number of Moore’s suits and jackets from the late 1960s through the late 1970s. It’s not a style for those who always like to wear a pocket square, but it provides interest without a pocket square.
The trousers are mid grey worsted fresco with a crisp but dry finish. The grey colour coordinates especially well with this blazer because it stays out of the way of the blazer’s colours without competing with them. Little of the trousers are seen, but they likely match the style of Moore’s usual trousers at the time with a darted front, cross pockets and belt loops. They have a narrow, straight leg that contours to the shape of the leg.
The silk turtleneck shirt is the star of this outfit, and yet it does not compete with the rather complicated blazer. Unlike a typical turtleneck, it’s a woven shirt rather than a piece of knitwear. This type of shirt was originally developed at Turnbull & Asser, where they called it ‘Turnbull’s Turtle’.
According to the book Turnbull & Asser: Made in England 130 Years by James Sherwood, the idea for the shirt came about for Erica Crome’s Queen magazine Christmas 1966 shoot when she was shooting dinner jackets and wanted a new interpretation of the traditional dress shirt. A model arrived for a fitting wearing a turtleneck, which inspired this new kind of shirt. In 1968, David Frost and Anthony Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon, were refused entry to New York’s Running Footman club wearing these silk turtleneck shirts. Within ten days of the New York Post reporting the incident, Turnbull & Asser had 2000 orders for these shirts and sold 10,000 within a year. In 1968, Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor ordered five pairs of his-and-hers silk turtleneck shirts. The book also notes Diana Rigg, Richard Harris and David Hemmings wore the turtleneck shirt from Turnbull & Asser. After it was established to be a trend amongst the British elite, it was a natural choice for Simon Templar to wear the silk turtleneck too.
The collar appears to have a soft, lightweight interlining so it can fold over neatly without being too stiff. It is cut on the bias to help it drape better and to give it some natural stretch. In Sherwood’s book, Turnbull & Asser cutter Paul Cuss credits John Jago for being the first cutter to make the turtleneck shirt that buttoned down the back so the shirt could be pulled over the head like a popover. The collar has a little give, but as the cloth is woven it cannot stretch to fit over the head. Most of these shirts zipped down the back to the widest part of the upper back, with the zip hidden under a fly. The zip would be easier to fasten without assistance. An example of a turtleneck shirt from Mr Fish that was on display at the ‘Fashion City’ exhibition at London Museum Docklands in 2023-2024 had an additional side zip, which allowed the pullover shirt to be fitted through the body.
Moore’s shirt is made of blue silk satin, an unusual material for a men’s shirt. While soft, a silk satin shirt is likely to feel stifling, especially as a turtleneck. Off-white silk satin is the original material for Turnbull’s Turtle, but they made it in other colours and in other cloths like silk crêpe de chine and cotton. Others in London, like Mr Fish and some fashionable clothiers in Carnaby Street, also made shirts in this style. It’s possible that Roger Moore’s usual shirtmaker Frank Foster made this shirt, but the double cuff does not resemble Foster’s double cuff nor does the fit appear to be bespoke. This shirt could be a ready-to-wear piece, as it was not an uncommon shirt in London in 1968.
The shirt has squared double cuffs that are worn with chunky jeweled cufflinks that wrap around the edge of the cuff, a popular mid century style. Double cuffs are a stylish choice for this shirt because they mimic the folded collar.
Though this silk turtleneck shirt was originally designed to be paired with a dinner jacket, it can be worn for a variety of fancy evening occasions. Silk satin means that it’s best worn in the evening. It needs other pieces that match its swinging sixties vibe. For black tie it would not pair well with a traditional wool barathea dinner suit, but it would elegantly complement a mohair dinner suit or a silk or velvet dinner jacket. It would pair well with a flashy suit, like one in mohair or silk. It could pair well with a wool suit that has a fancy stripe or check, but it would be at odds with a traditional business suit. Moore’s fancy blazer is an excellent match for this shirt, but a standard navy blazer could work well with it too as its shiny buttons complement the shiny shirt. A turtleneck shirt in cotton would likewise pair well with a blazer as well as other kinds of less dressy jackets.
I’m afraid the blazer is just not my bag in terms of fabric, much like the one from The Persuaders. But I still learned about something I didn’t know before now.
An example of this shirt sold on Etsy recently: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1839378981/the-original-turnbulls-turtle-mr-fish?show_sold_out_detail=1&ref=nla_listing_details
I’m not averse to a turtleneck jumper. I have two in merino wool, one charcoal and the other burgundy. They’re very warm, very light, and very comfortable. And yet, I think I wear them maybe once each per year since they’re already so much of a statement.
I say all this because a silk turtleneck dress shirt is far too much of a statement for me in any capacity. For the character? Yeah okay, if it’s what the British elite were wearing then it makes sense for this dandy to purchase one. You’ll never find one in my wardrobe, however.
I feel relieved this turtleneck didn’t made it in any Bond movie.
“In 1968, David Frost and Anthony Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon, were refused entry to New York’s Running Footman club wearing these silk turtleneck shirts.”
That is a spirit that is sadly lacking nowadays. Every time the Oscars or other high-profile events happen and the usual fashion tabloids compete to name various hideous outfits as “best-dressed man”, I find myself wishing the black tie dress code was actually enforced at these events. Black tie is, despite its apparent uniformity, such a versatile standard; I really wish a lot of these celebrities had a decent tailor who could open their eyes to the possibilites.
I understand wanting to stand out and individualise outfits, but there’s much better ways to do that than garish, clashing clothes. Single- or double-breasted, turnback cuffs or not, what type of shirt front, pocket squares, the shape of the bow tie, all that and more. Hell, for all I care, give me proper smoking jackets; that counts in my book.
Not to mention, of course, that half of the people wearing these expensive dinner suits (or, too often, just black suits), which they no doubt spent thousands of dollars on, wear suits that simply don’t fit. Legs that crumple up because they’re too long, sleeves that are too long, collar gaps, vents splaying open, it’s, pardon the language, a dumpster fire.
I really wish the Academy and others would have it in them to turn away celebrity guests who show up in a black suit with a black shirt and black long tie. Or abolish the dress code altogether, spare us the second-hand embarassment, and let the actors dress how they actually want to dress. I’d rather see people in good outfits they’re comfortable in, and be it jeans and a t-shirt, than to see a hundred men who are clearly uncomfortable in suits wear travesties that hardly deserve the name suit any more.
All that said, while I don’t agree with Moore’s wildly striped styles, I gotta applaud him for pulling it off. It takes confidence to wear that, and he clearly feels at home in it, so hats off to the late and great! Certainly an inspiration.
They’re not spending thousands of dollars on them. The reality is that most of these red carpet outfits are not bought, but borrowed or rented from fashion houses. That’s why they can only be minimally altered, that is in a way that’s easily reversed.
Very good review on a fantastic episode of the Saint. Lew Grade Galore. I have a pair of similar cufflinks, original from the 70s, Fresco trousers, a striped jacket from New & Lingwood and a sea island roll neck from John Smedley. I really like the T & A Silk Turtle Neck and DB Striped Blazer, although I like Roger’s Striped Blazer in the Persuaders even more…
A long time ago, I saw some movie where I noticed a character appeared to be wearing a turtleneck shirt with French cuffs, and I wondered how that was even possible.
And now that I know, I can no longer remember the film or the character wearing it.
I love the way Roger wears a blazer and knitted polo neck most of the time, but I can’t imagine wearing a shirt that zips or buttons up at the back! Too impractical.
Yet us gals wear dresses that do just this all the time. ;)
It amuses me to imagine a 1960s 007 being interested in the turtleneck shirt for day wear, but just ENDLESSLY Judgmental when one of his fellow 00-Agents actually wears one to a black tie event.
I’m not sure whether it should actually be 009, but you could derive a good deal of Black Comedy if Bond were to greet a sartorial faux pas from this particular officer with “From the look of things you must be the court jester…”
Mr Spaiser, might I please ask how you would sum up the fundamental difference between the philosophy of THE SAINT and James Bond 007 when it comes to matters sartorial? (Assuming you were only allowed a single sentence for each design philosophy).
The difference between Templar and Bond of the 1960s are in the details. Bond is a minimalist who dresses primarily in the Savile Row tradition and lets the tailors decide what fashion trends are appropriate. Templar dresses with one foot in Savile Row and the other foot in Carnaby Street but is hesitant to adopt the latest fashions. Here’s a comparison of how they dressed in 1963: https://www.bondsuits.com/james-bond-vs-saint-two-1960s-conduit-street-suits/
Thank You most kindly for answering my query – reading your article on the subject, it’s rather amusing to imagine Bond and Templar having a nodding acquaintance from popping into neighbouring tailors.
Thank You for sharing your thoughts twice over Mr Spaiser (Your other article raises the amusing mental image of Mr Bond and Mr Templar striking up a nodding acquaintance after going to their neighbouring tailors).
To Ed: I think Bond and Templar would have definitely known each other casually in the 1960s. Besides bumping into one another at the tailors, I’m sure that they had mutual high society friends who had cocktail parties where both were invited. That’s a small world and it’s not like London was full of casinos or fine restaurants so they would have both been there too.
Your blog has been on the g for so long now, Matt that I actually thought you’d covered this blazer before.
Your eye has also, inevitably, revealed more than I’d noticed. I had always thought the blazer to be navy with a kind of silver pinstripe so I didn’t realise that the jacket was actually closer to the Persuaders version. Anyway, it looks a lot more subtle and potentially wearable in the current era than the Persuaders version.
In every other episodes of this series the blazer was worn with a standard shirt and tie combination. I’d always wondered how this polo necked top with double cuffs hybrid worked so thank you for your research and background information. As for Bond, the outfit is definitely something I could have seen peacock Lazenby wear in OHMSS and in fact, would’ve worked very well especially worn with his blazer for the romance montage with Tracy when he’s falling in love with her!
I touched on this blazer in an article celebrating Moore’s blazers, but I never did a deep dive into it. I completely agree that this shirt would have been perfect for Lazenby’s Bond. The shirt he wears with the hacking jacket isn’t completely far off from it.
I have to admit that it’s intriguing to wonder how Mr Lazenby’s Bond might have dressed between ON HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE and FOR YOUR EYES ONLY (Had he accepted and been able to work through the whole seven picture deal being offered him).
It is, one should admit, generally fascinating to wonder how those Bonds who were either a one-off (Like Mr Barry Nelson in CLIMAX! ‘Casino Royale’, Mr Lazenby or the NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN) or Timothy Dalton (Who at least got two Bond movies to call his own) might have been costumed had they made more films.
The NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN Bond is especially interesting because he has a whole history that we only got a glimpse of (and the CLIMAX! Bond is another interesting case, as an All-American TV Bond, which makes him doubly unique).
Yes. Exactly. I think it was this outfit plus his double breasted blazer worn in the movie that made me think this way. Anyway, great to see this review. A similar double breasted navy blazer was worn in The Persuaders. Plain, without stripes or breast pocket flap, but only in 2 of the later filmed episodes. It always struck me as interesting that this blazer was made for only 2 episodes as well as the brown single breasted blazer worn only fleetingly in 1 episode while the striped blazer and cardigan blazer got a LOT of screen time. But this seems to happen with many TV series’.
I used to wear button up shirts made of four way stretch pique to be more comfortable as a bank teller. They were well made with decent interfacing in the collar and cuffs so they didn’t look very different from say a pinpoint oxford shirt that is more casual than poplin but still wearable with a tie.
All this to say, I wonder if turtleneck shirts made out of such a fabric could create a true hybrid so you could still have a proper cuff or french cuff while eliminating the need for buttons or a zipper on the back someone would have to assist with.
I’m not going to lie having never seen a shirt like this I actually adore the look, I’ve always liked a turtleneck with a blazer or a suit so having the option of wearing one while having french cuffs to make it subtly more classy is appealing, I just wouldn’t want to need assistance with it.
It’s certainly possible to make a cotton jersey turtleneck that has natural stretch and give it proper cuffs. What I like about it having structure and the rear zip is that it’s not going to stretch out like cotton turtlenecks often do.
I could give or take the blazer, but the silk turtleneck is interesting. I’ve never seen, until this article, a turtleneck with double cuffs. Definitely not something that I would wear, but definitely unique.
Picture 4: If ever there was a photo to sum up Roger Moore, that would be it.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/226706603279?_skw=turnbull+turtle&itmmeta=01K3QTRFATASJGGFCGQ97DYA16&hash=item34c8c43d0f:g:8sIAAeSwFXZn~~Iy&itmprp=enc%3AAQAKAAAA8FkggFvd1GGDu0w3yXCmi1fY0V5qq0Xzj%2FcQ96zTi3kIpnYhUFUrWaC3Qort4vdbttH%2B3IsW5z8hKk4kJ9xwWgM33QP24vSZS%2FDyvs13Qn0g3KmbLVBl1nZIqTAGzryytDKlJkGjKFVE0ltpWv0MMsoNAbCce1MBGyo4W8HtBzCEcX23OrWYFiQjrOzEcDLNFOd%2BnrJXrddgqz0diXtuyoGgXbA6n0JN4yfHUKUtqkTvA4aaQp8851FVJx4UHzruT%2FigC2wsScW6W6W%2F3ZmRK3KtSvgQ8EaiM0T5kN5l7bKdjm2oGVPVfKUPVjUpmuU%2BUA%3D%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR8r14fqdZg
Mr Spaiser, I recently watched THE SAINT (1997) starring Mr Val Kilmer and – whilst it’s an acquired taste one feels that I haven’t acquired – I did rather enjoy seeing Mr Kilmer’s character cycle through various guises.
It then struck me that while we see the lead character under various aliases (Each with their own costume, manner, demeanour et al) we never really see him adopt a ‘Simon Templar’ persona.
As you might imagine it then occurred to me that the design for a ‘Simon Templar’ identity would be an excellent excuse to pay tribute to the classic series (With Mr Kilmer wearing a costume updating Sir Roger’s look from the 1960s to the 1990s and even his iconic mole – since Mr Kilmer seems to have been happy to wear quite a few other prosthetics as part of his disguises in the film).
Out of curiosity, may I ask if any fans more well-acquainted with the classic TV series than I can suggest a suitably Iconic look from the classic series that could be updated to suit AD 1997? (No pun intended, but the happy accident did make me chuckle).
Great post! Those 60s TV spies are the men’s fashion gift that keeps on giving…
I recently wanted to listen to Classical Gas by Mason Williams, so I did a video search and a one result was some tv show where he is playing live in 1968. In this video he is wearing a similar, but different, shirt to the one described here. It has French cuffs but unlike the T&A shirts, it has a fly placket in the front. Additionally the turtleneck is a bit different looking. It may not even be one at all and instead be a separate piece of fabric fasted around the neck over a band collar, but the look is similar.
I would have never thought much of Mason William’s shirt had I not read this post. I probably would have assumed it was just some weird costume but it appears it was a niche trend at the time.