As a part of his disguise as Sir Hilary Bray in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, Bond wears a copy of Sir Hilary’s tweed three-piece suit. This suit is made of brown tweed wool with a cream tick pattern and a rust windowpane. With the same softly-padded shoulder and clean, fitted cut as George Lazenby’s other suits, this suit was also made by the same tailor, Dimi Major. The suit coat has a button two front with classic hacking details, such as a deep single vent and angled, flapped pockets, but the jacket length is shorter than a typical hacking jacket. This coat has three cuff button like in the rest of the suits in the film, and all the buttons are made of dark brown horn.
This suit’s waistcoat has a button six front, worn with the bottom button open. The trousers have double forward pleats with a narrow tapered leg and turn-ups, similar to Connery’s suit trousers.
The shirt from Frank Foster is a cotton twill with a tattersall pattern in tan, brown, navy and olive on an ecru ground. It has a spread collar, plain front and single-button cuffs. Bond later wears this shirt, these trousers and these shoes casually with a cardigan.
The narrow tie is a navy repp with a large crest under the Windsor knot. I know nothing about heraldry, but the crest would have a special meaning to Bray. If anyone knows this meaning please feel free to share. Bond also wears Sir Hilary’s round tortoise-shell glasses.
His shoes are mid brown full-brogue, wing-tip, three-eyelet derby shoes with thick black crepe soles
In the previous scene, Bond wears an Ulster coat and more over his suit to stay warm outdoors.
Excellent country suit. I like Lazenby’s suits a lot, they’re overshadowed by Connery’s and Moore’s, of course but Lazenby wears his clothes well too. After all, he was a model.
I once read on some online forum that I do not remember, that Dimi Major also made the cream suit from Never Say Never Again that I like. Don’t know if this is true or not.
Also of interest is that Major was one a partner of Doug Hayward, and if the story is true regarding Connery’s cream suit in Never Say Never, that would explain the remarkable similarity to Moore’s cream suits in Octopussy and For Your Eyes Only.
I don’t think the suits in OHMSS are by the same tailor as the suits in Never Say Never Again. The shoulder in Never Say Never Again is natural with a roped sleevehead, very much like Hayward’s cut. The shoulder here is padded and there is no roping.
This is one of my favorite suits in the entire series because it makes a point I have held for a long time, namely, that the “tweedy professor” look doesn’t have to be nerdy and can actually be sexy if (a) the tweed suit is well cut and (b) the professor in question is halfway fit and wears his clothes well.
Matt, sorry to clog up your comments but TND is missing from your dropdown menu entitled “The Movies”. Also Pierce Brosnan is missing from “The Actors”
Thank you for pointing that out Stuart. I did something to those two categories and I didn’t realise they disappeared from the menu. They are back in again.
No problem at all
Lazenby’s Bond also has a small mole on his left cheek, just like Sir Hilary Bray. It’s a small detail but it would mean anyone’s description of him would make Bond’s disguise even more watertight.
Very observant of you! Great spot (pun intended).
What’s your take Matt on the checked shirt worn by Sir Hillary Bray, is it outdated or can still be used today, because I have a similar checked shirt to what Sir Hillary Bray and Bond in disguise is wearing and I’m wondering if I can wear it with a suit, maybe even a 3 piece suit like as shown above? Thanks.
Also could this type of shirt work with a sporty 3-piece light grey suit with a navy or black tie?
Checked shirts have been very popular with suits for a while. I wouldn’t wear a sporty checked shirt with a dark worsted suit, but I think they are best with sporty suits such as the way Sir Hilary wears his.
Can they work for sports coats or blazers or perhaps a light grey sporty suit?
It should work with all of these.
Hi Matt
Though I can’t confirm it from any official source, from deduction I believe the glasses are C.W Dixie.
C.W dixie is an old English eyeglasses brand since 1777. They have been making glasses for the royal family, as well as, being the proprietor for many other prestigious patrons. Such as Churchill and Ian Fleming.
The Glasses Lazenby is wearing seem to be model Chartwell #1 in tortoise.
Considering bonds many habits come from Fleming and the would be the believable choice for Sir Hillary, I think it is a safe choice to assume.
I came across C.W. Dixey when trying to identify these glasses, but the Chartwell 01 are different. Lazenby’s lenses are slightly oval, whereas the Chartwell 01’s lenses are round. The screws at the temples are arranged differently. It could be a different model from them that was available at the time. There were also many makers of eyeglasses in London at the time that are no longer trading.
Bond’s habits in the books comes from Fleming, but they weren’t looking to Fleming in that way for the films. If Lazenby’s glasses were from C.W. Dixey, it would be because it’s an old English brand, not because of Fleming.