Sean Connery’s Bond’s wardrobe had a well-defined identity, with a certain consistency across his six EON Bond films. Though he had new suits and jackets from Anthony Sinclair and new shirts from Turnbull & Asser, Frank Foster or Lanvin from each film, there were many repeats of styles that helped us believe that Connery’s Bond had a realistic wardrobe.
This cohesive look across Connery’s wardrobe is one reason why the style of his James Bond has been so memorable and influential. Yet the man himself is ultimately what made these clothes look so cool. Here are seven outfits that defined the look of Connery’s Bond.
1. Midnight Blue Shawl-Collar Dinner Suit
The first outfit that James Bond wears on screen when he announces his name, ‘Bond, James Bond’, in the first Bond film Dr. No is without question the most important outfit he’s worn in the series. It is why the dinner jacket is the outfit most associated with James Bond, and this suit from Anthony Sinclair set the standard for Connery’s iconic black tie style throughout the Bond series. The detail of the silk satin gauntlet cuffs set him apart as a man of refined tastes while the narrow pointed bow tie he wears with it stands out as a uniquely sophisticated choice.
Sean Connery again wears similar dinner suits in From Russia with Love and Thunderball.
2. Peak-Lapel Ivory Dinner Jacket
The world’s hero of black tie can’t live in black and midnight dinner suits alone. Goldfinger‘s opening scene establishes another classically Bondian look for the evening when Connery unzips his dry suit to reveal an immaculate ivory dinner jacket. The finishing touch of a red carnation boutonniere adds a memorable pop of colour. Though the boutonniere is never a necessary accessory, this outfit would look incomplete without it.
He again wears similar ivory dinner jacket in Diamonds Are Forever, updated with wider peaked lapels for the 1970s.
3. Glen Check Three-Piece Suit
The most iconic suit of the entire series is the grey glen check suit in Goldfinger. Though Connery wears other grey glen check suits and other three-piece suits as Bond, none are as memorable as this one. Perhaps it’s because we watch him unpack it that we are set up to expect this suit to be something special. But details like the ticket pocket, the forward trouser pleats or the waistcoat’s lapels set it apart from any average suit. It’s Bond’s first three-piece suit of the series, and none since have matched its unique elegance.
4. Blue Cocktail-Cuff Shirt
A staple item of all of Sean Connery’s Bond films except Goldfinger, the Turnbull & Asser shirt in blue (or occasionally in cream or white) Sea Island cotton with a wide English spread collar and elegantly rounded cocktail cuffs is a truly unique shirt that started a trend in the 1960s. It may not stand out in the way that Connery’s suits or beachwear do, but it’s a key part of his wardrobe because its such a consistent part of it. This shirt stands the test of time and has inspired the shirts of Moore’s and Craig’s Bonds. The cuff may be a little gimmicky, but it’s never out of place.
5. Navy Grenadine Tie
Like the blue cocktail-cuff shirt, the dark navy grenadine necktie from Turnbull & Asser also follows Connery through five of his Bond films. Its solid colour and lacy gauze weave represent the simple but sophisticated elegance of his character. The tie pairs well with every suit and blazer he wears and is an essential wardrobe piece for any Bond fan.
6. Tweed Hacking Jacket and Cavalry Twill Trousers
The brown barleycorn tweed hacking jacket and fawn cavalry twill trousers that Connery pairs with it follow him through two Bond films, Goldfinger and Thunderball. It’s the quintessential Bond outfit for the quintessential Bond car, the Aston Martin DB5. The car and Swiss scenery in Goldfinger played a role in how iconic this outfit is, but the low colour contrast and high texture contrast of the jacket and trousers makes the look interesting in its own right.
Connery also shows the versatility of the cavalry twill trousers by dressing them down with a black polo sweater in Thunderball.
7. Slazenger Sweater
Though Connery wears many pieces of elegant resortwear throughout Thunderball and a memorable blue-on-blue outfit on the Crab Key beach in Dr. No, his top casual look has to go to the burgundy Slazenger sweater in Goldfinger. Goldfinger is the Bond film the set the standard for Bond in so many ways, including fashion. More than half the items on this list are from Goldfinger! The sweater is such an easy piece to wear, and it’s something that allows every man to picture himself dressed as Sean Connery’s Bond. Not all of Connery’s style has to be so out of reach.
What’s your favourite outfit that Sean Connery wears in the Bond series? Comment below with you pick!
Without any hesitation, it’s the Diamonds are Forever herringbone tweed Half Norfolk jacket. It would scream country if it wasn’t for the thought out subtractions in detail, like no breast pocket and no action pleats. It was the look that brought me into the world of Bond fashion!
A long-term goal of mine is to replicate his entire wardrobe in Diamonds, which has always been my favorite Bond film.
I sincerely believe that sean connery’s dresses are all beautiful and it would be a dream for any bond fan to own them. For the simple fact that they are legendary, they have unique textures and fabrics; they have an apparently simple elegance but rich in details. I noticed that bond’s wardrobe always consists of 7 types of suits: blue, brown, lead gray, anthracite gray, midnight blue tuxedo, white tuxedo and casual suit. If I have to make a list in the first place I would put the three-piece gray by goldfinger, in the second place the three-piece anthracite by thunderball, in the third place I would put the navy blue of from russia with love / goldfinger, in the fourth place I put the brown hacking jacket of goldfinger, in the fifth and sixth the two tuxedos par excellence ivory and midnight blue. In seventh and last place but not least I put the casual suit par excellence that every man should have the navy blue blazer. In conclusion it can be said that Connery’s classic suits are very versatile and in some cases you can dare with modern choices for example: with anthracite gray I can put a black or solid gray knit tie. or in a bold blue suit with a burgundy tie. In short, if you have 4 ties: blue grenadine, black blue and brown knit. Combined with a white and blue shirt you have a unique and versatile wardrobe.
In relation to his sports wear I’d associate Connery’s Bond with the polo shirt and the camp collar summer sports shirt; a look which both Brosnan and Craig have taken inspiration from.
I must say I agree with you there David. Connery’s polo shirt and camp collared shirt examples in Dr. No and Thunderball aged well and are classic summer examples
The grey suit in Goldfinger.
Sorry to be clichéd.
As a golfer I will go with the Slazenger sweater with grey polo. Absolute classic understated style – especially compared with Goldfinger’s plus fours and the artificial fibre horror’s on the current tours!
RIP Sir Sean.
From Russia With Love
Prince of Wales/Glen Urquhart Grey Suit
Blue Shirt
Navy Grenadine Tie
I second that. Emphatically.
Difficult to choose one as Connery-Bond outfits are all great. However, my personal favourite is the complete outfit (grey flannel 3 piece suit, T&A shirt with turn-back cuffs, grenadine tie and the short boots) in Thunderball pre-title sequence.
I personally thought these items were classically Bond and very Sean Connery for sure! From the list my favourite looks are the Goldfinger 3-piece suit, the Brown Tweed Hacking Jacket, the Blue Cocktail cuffed shirt and the Navy Grenadine tie just because Connery wore them with elegance and grace.
I would have added the Navy blazer ensemble he wore in Dr. No (a favourite of mine in the entire series) as well, which returned in a similar manner in Thunderball and Diamonds are Forever. It was simple yet very sophisticated ensemble (in-keeping with Connery’s Bond style) and it flattered Connery physique especially well in Dr. No.
I am inclined to agree with Ivan and was surprised to see that the navy blazer wasn’t included (perhaps because Roger Moore was the “blue blazer king”?) I am still not convinced that a solid navy tie was the best choice to wear with a navy blazer, though.
Love all these choices. The look that I also love from Connery’s wardrobe are the camp shirts in Thunderball.
My absolute favorite suit from the entire series – possibly my favorite suit on film at all – is the gray sharkskin suit he wears as Somerset on the train in From Russia With Love. It’s a timeless cut, weave, and color that works in all situations that don’t specifically call for a particular type of outfit, like black tie. The semisolid weave and pale blue shirt, just a couple shades off white, give some visual interest against what could be a boring outfit if it were a plain gray twill suit and white shirt, and the tie is iconic.
As a tweedy professor I have to go with the hacking jacket outfit.
I’m also going to give my vote to the Thunderball charcoal flannel three piece.
I haven’t worn shoes in over a decade. Out of choice I only ever wear boots, from tall Chelseas to short ankle boots, so this detail from Thunderball makes me love it. I also have a deep appreciation for straight bottom waistcoats. And forward pleats. And turnups, and flannel, and grenadine ties, and just about every detail of the outfit. And that’s not even touching on the iconic, brutal scene in which it’s worn.
Rest in Peace, Sir Connery. Truly the perfect mix of tough, elegant, and witty, even off the screen.
I agree with David – the Dr. No blue polo and the Thunderball camp shirts for casual. The Slazenger sweater. The Dr. No. dinner suit. But for suits, the Somerset Suit. I concur with jdreyfuss completely on that one.
I was never enamored with the glen check from Goldfinger as just about the rest of the world is. I prefer either of the two from From Russia With Love.
My favorite outfit is the navy blazer, light blue shirt, navy grenadine tie, and charcoal trousers in Dr. No. He made the combination so effortlessly elegant.
Talk about a hard question! I really don’t think I could pick one. For semi formal, I’ll go with the pick at the top of the page, the midnight blue shawl collar dinner suit in Dr. No. Connery wears it better, IMO, than any other dinner jacket in the series worn by anyone. If I had one outfit that would be it.
For regular two piece lounge suits, probably one of his plain weave glen checks from early in the series. Either than black and grey from FRWL or the black and cream from Dr. No.
As an outlier, and personal favorite of mine, I really like the three piece Navy chalk stripe suit in Diamonds are Forever. Despite Connery’s age, it has the all blue look I like and sport on occasion to mix things up from my normal grey suit, blue shirt, and navy tie combo. I also like the high neck of the waistcoat. I see too many waistcoats today cut so low that you can barely tell they are there when the jacket is buttoned. That suit has always been a personal favorite of mine.
Some great choices Matt, well done.
My personal favourite film is Thunderball for a number of reasons. Good action and plot. Great baddie. Five (count ‘em!) beautiful ladies. Great scuba scenes. The return of the refurbished Aston . And in my view the best, most consistent and timeless wardrobe in the entire series. My particular favourites are the midnight blue dinner suit which trumps the Dr. No version, and the silver sharkskin suit he wears to the Junkanoo. Honourable mention to the three camp collar shirts, the Fred Perry polo, the navy blazer, the grey flannel three piece mentioned above, the wayfarer-esque sunglasses, the long sleeve polo at Shrublands, the return of the hacking jacket … the only outfit I’m not so keen on is the inexplicable continuity error brown city suit. Connery himself never looked fitter or healthier.
They’re all excellent choices!
May I also add the wonderful score for Thunderball by the late great John Barry.
If you wanted to pick one film to base a wardrobe from, Thunderball is the choice. It has everything, from the Dinner Suit to the Casuals, and most of it is iconic.
I agree Rod, my choices would be pretty much the same. I also love Thunderball and it’s probably tied with Dr No as my favourite bond movies overall. Both movies feature so many iconic Bond looks and while I slightly prefer the cut of the Douglas Hayward jackets from the 80s Moore films, I prefer the Anthony Sinclair trousers and overall Sean Connery looks fantastic in these suits.
Matt,
What are your thoughts on blue as the choice of shirt colour for the funeral scene in the Thunderball pre title sequence? I would always have associated white or off white as the most suitable for a funeral but Connery looks great with the blue with the flannel suit.
I agree that a white shirt would have been a better choice in the context of the funeral. The blue may have been chosen for how it looks in the scene or on camera, which is a good enough reason.
Matt, I tend to think a lighter shade of blue, or very pale blue, would have made it much better. What do you think? Then again, it might just be me. I have some kind of craving for pale blue shirts as of late.
Pale blue would be better, but a white shirt is the best choice for a funeral.
Going to go in the opposite direction – what I like least about Connery’s Bond outfits are the Windsor knots in Dr No. The mark of a cad, as Ian Fleming would say.
Re: The Cocktail Cuff. It is actually quite a practical choice. It has most of the look of a French Cuff, but without the cuff link to loose (Maxwell Smart), or show up on a metal detector. Can you imagine blocking a punch with a cufflink? (or a tiebar)
It is also cool…
Sean Connery wore all his clothes well, Daniel Craig wears his clothes to tight for my liking
The white on white stripe shirt Connery wears with the ivory dinner jacket: has that ever been identified as to maker and fabric?
Yes, the maker is Frank Foster.
I think it’s interesting that Connery was featured in the one Bond film where he actually wears the LEAST…In Thunderball, he spends so much of the movie in beach wear or scuba gear. And if any actor has to spend most of his time in shorts, Connery was the ideal choice. Unlike most actors, he had legs like the proverbial tree trunks. Often, actors are built the reverse…they tend to take care of their arms, abs, etc…Few have impressive leg muscles…Connery DID. If nothing else, it helped immensely in the underwater battle scenes…you can always spot him, even in the midst of a crowd, because of his unusually strong legs.