We were delighted to welcome Avril Graham, the Executive Fashion and Beauty Editor of Harper's Bazaar, during her recent visit to London. She kindly recorded the event for part of her 2012 Olympic Style Report:
Sunday, 19 August 2012
Sunday, 29 July 2012
The ties that Bond us
To coincide with the launch of our necktie collection we have invited New York based writer Matt Spaiser to create a guest blog to consider the neckwear choices made during Sean Connery's tenure as 007. Matt is one of the world's foremost experts on Bond style and regularly shares his encyclopaedic knowledge of the subject on his own wildly popular blog "The Suits of James Bond".
A staple of the Sean Connery Bond wardrobe is the dark solid tie. In Dr. No and From Russia With Love that tie is always a dark navy grenadine tie from Turnbull & Asser. But do not confuse that with the silk knit ties that he wears throughout Goldfinger. Whilst the grenadine might look similar in texture to the knit tie, they are completely unrelated. Most people are familiar with the knit tie, which somewhat resembles a sock. It’s a tube of knit silk with a straight hem at the bottom, though some can be found with triangular bottoms. Some have a seam in the back whilst others do not. Though most knit ties are made of silk, cotton and wool knit ties are not uncommon. It’s a casual tie, which might seem like an oxymoron these days, but Ian Fleming did like to wear other more casual items with his suits like slip-on shoes and short-sleeve shirts. The silk knit tie is was worn by the literary Bond and makes it to a few films as well.
Moonraker is the first of Ian Fleming's novels to mention a "black knitted silk tie," and in From Russia With Love it completes the picture of Bond:
"It was a dark, clean-cut face, with a three-inch scar showing whitely down the sunburned skin of the right cheek. The eyes were wide and level under straight, rather long black brows. The hair was black, parted on the left, and carelessly brushed so that a thick black comma fell down over the right eyebrow. The longish straight nose ran down to a short upper lip below which was a wide and finely drawn but cruel mouth. The line of jaw was straight and firm. A section of dark suit, white shirt and black knitted tie completed the picture."
In The Spy Who Loved Me and The Man with the Golden Gun, Fleming elaborates on the tie calling it a "thin black knitted silk tie."
And that is the tie that Sean Connery wears with a number of outfits in Goldfinger. He also wears a navy silk knit tie with the famous Prince of Wales check suit and a light brown knit tie with his tweed hacking jacket. We only see Connery wear a knit tie again in You Only Live Twice, in navy blue. George Lazenby continued with knit ties throughout On Her Majesty's Secret Service in navy and red. Later, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan all wore a knit tie once.
Though it has a passing resemblance to the knit tie, the grenadine tie has nothing in common. Grenadine silk is woven, not knit, and the tie is constructed like any normal tie: it has folds, an interlining and, of course, a triangular tip. It’s a luxurious silk, very delicate and much more formal than a knit tie. Grenadine ties are almost always appropriate when a tie is called for. Since they are typically found in solid colours they are very easy to match, but the interesting texture sets them apart from other solid ties. In black it makes an excellent funeral tie, and this is exactly what James Bond wears to the funeral at the beginning of Thunderball. Connery wears grenadine ties in all his Bond films except Goldfinger, in black, dark and light navy blues, brown and grey.
All grenadine silk is woven in Italy. There are two different types of grenadine silk: garza grossa and garza fina, the former being the type that James Bond wore. Turnbull & Asser still makes garza grossa grenadine ties, and their silk is heavier than the typical garza grossa grenadine. Anthony Sinclair's new grenadine ties use the same exact silk as Turnbull & Asser, but in a narrower width closer to what Connery used to wear. Some prefer garza fina grenadine and insist that it's the only real type of grenadine. It's not as delicate as garza grossa grenadine, and the weave has a much smaller repeat that resembles a honeycomb. Grenadine ties are a staple of high end shops in London, though in the States garza grossa grenadine ties are becoming more difficult to find.
Knit and grenadine ties have a place in every man's wardrobe. They complement shirts with bold stripes and sports coats with loud checks just as well as they complement solid suits and shirts. They are always easy to match and travel well. Connery's Bond shows that having knit and grenadine ties in each of navy, black and brown can easily cover all tie-wearing needs.
Anthony Sinclair Limited would like to thank Matt Spaiser for his kind contribution of a most interesting and informative guest blog. To view the Anthony Sinclair necktie collection click here.
 |
| Sean Connery pairs a dark solid tie with his Anthony Sinclair suit |
A staple of the Sean Connery Bond wardrobe is the dark solid tie. In Dr. No and From Russia With Love that tie is always a dark navy grenadine tie from Turnbull & Asser. But do not confuse that with the silk knit ties that he wears throughout Goldfinger. Whilst the grenadine might look similar in texture to the knit tie, they are completely unrelated. Most people are familiar with the knit tie, which somewhat resembles a sock. It’s a tube of knit silk with a straight hem at the bottom, though some can be found with triangular bottoms. Some have a seam in the back whilst others do not. Though most knit ties are made of silk, cotton and wool knit ties are not uncommon. It’s a casual tie, which might seem like an oxymoron these days, but Ian Fleming did like to wear other more casual items with his suits like slip-on shoes and short-sleeve shirts. The silk knit tie is was worn by the literary Bond and makes it to a few films as well.
 |
| The classic "blunt-end" knitted necktie |
Moonraker is the first of Ian Fleming's novels to mention a "black knitted silk tie," and in From Russia With Love it completes the picture of Bond:
"It was a dark, clean-cut face, with a three-inch scar showing whitely down the sunburned skin of the right cheek. The eyes were wide and level under straight, rather long black brows. The hair was black, parted on the left, and carelessly brushed so that a thick black comma fell down over the right eyebrow. The longish straight nose ran down to a short upper lip below which was a wide and finely drawn but cruel mouth. The line of jaw was straight and firm. A section of dark suit, white shirt and black knitted tie completed the picture."
In The Spy Who Loved Me and The Man with the Golden Gun, Fleming elaborates on the tie calling it a "thin black knitted silk tie."
 |
| The "casual" silk knit tie combined with formal three-piece suit |
Though it has a passing resemblance to the knit tie, the grenadine tie has nothing in common. Grenadine silk is woven, not knit, and the tie is constructed like any normal tie: it has folds, an interlining and, of course, a triangular tip. It’s a luxurious silk, very delicate and much more formal than a knit tie. Grenadine ties are almost always appropriate when a tie is called for. Since they are typically found in solid colours they are very easy to match, but the interesting texture sets them apart from other solid ties. In black it makes an excellent funeral tie, and this is exactly what James Bond wears to the funeral at the beginning of Thunderball. Connery wears grenadine ties in all his Bond films except Goldfinger, in black, dark and light navy blues, brown and grey.
 |
| The Grenadine (garza grossa) |
All grenadine silk is woven in Italy. There are two different types of grenadine silk: garza grossa and garza fina, the former being the type that James Bond wore. Turnbull & Asser still makes garza grossa grenadine ties, and their silk is heavier than the typical garza grossa grenadine. Anthony Sinclair's new grenadine ties use the same exact silk as Turnbull & Asser, but in a narrower width closer to what Connery used to wear. Some prefer garza fina grenadine and insist that it's the only real type of grenadine. It's not as delicate as garza grossa grenadine, and the weave has a much smaller repeat that resembles a honeycomb. Grenadine ties are a staple of high end shops in London, though in the States garza grossa grenadine ties are becoming more difficult to find.
Knit and grenadine ties have a place in every man's wardrobe. They complement shirts with bold stripes and sports coats with loud checks just as well as they complement solid suits and shirts. They are always easy to match and travel well. Connery's Bond shows that having knit and grenadine ties in each of navy, black and brown can easily cover all tie-wearing needs.
Anthony Sinclair Limited would like to thank Matt Spaiser for his kind contribution of a most interesting and informative guest blog. To view the Anthony Sinclair necktie collection click here.
Saturday, 7 July 2012
Recreating a Masterpiece (Part 007) The Show
 |
| The "Goldfinger Suit" at the Barbican |
The response so far has been satisfying:
"Sean Connery, looking devilishly dapper in his period Anthony Sinclair suit leaning on the DB5 at the show's entrance" Daily Telegraph
"The Dr. No evening suit is the most important suit in cinematic history" GQ
"The Conduit Cut by Anthony Sinclair is the men's equivalent of a Chanel suit" Vogue
"Designing 007: Fifty Years of Bond Style" opened yesterday and runs until 5th September 2012.
Sunday, 1 July 2012
Recreating a Masterpiece (Part 006) The Make
Precis of previous blogs:
To help celebrate the Golden Anniversary of the Bond films, the Barbican in London is hosting an exhibition entitled, "Designing 007: Fifty Years of Bond Style". However, most of the clothes made for the first actor, Sean Connery, have long disappeared, and so EON, the film's producers, have approached Anthony Sinclair to request faithful reproductions of some of the pieces originally made by the company. These include the famous evening suit worn by Connery in his first appearance as James Bond in the 1962 film, "Dr. No", along with everyone's favourite - the grey Prince of Wales three-piece "Goldfinger Suit". The records of production of these suits have also vanished from Sinclair's archives, and so, with the help of the exhibition's curators, the specifications for the remakes have been put together piece by piece. The cloth has been chosen, the design determined, the measurements and dimensions established; a paper pattern has been created and the cloth has been cut. Now the skills of a highly experienced tailor are required to craft the component pieces into beautifully finished garments - just the way Sinclair would have expected them to have been made 50 years ago.
Savile Row and its Mayfair environs have been synonymous with style, quality and taste for over two centuries, with the bespoke tailors of the district setting the international standard for gentleman's dress throughout that time.
During the 18th century, Paris had been the dominant cultural force in Europe, with the decadently flamboyant court dress of silk stockings, delicately embroidered coats and powdered wigs influencing men's style across the Continent.
King Louis XVI succeeded to the French throne in 1774 when he was only 19 years of age. The government was deeply in debt at the time and he oversaw a period of economic decline that together with growing discontent of the country's population towards absolute monarchy were contributing factors to the French Revolution in 1789. The King and his Queen, Marie Antoinette, were removed from the Palace of Versailles and imprisoned in Paris pending their death by guillotine in 1793.
The French Revolution marked the end of the ancien regime and the influence of Parisian courtiers on the world of male fashion. The responsibility of instructing gentlemen how to dress now fell into the hands of another royal confidant, the English dandy, George Bryan Brummell, commonly known as "Beau" Brummell.
Brummell was an iconic figure in Regency England. An arbiter of men's style and taste, he was a close friend and sartorial advisor to the Prince Regent the future King George IV. He established the modern way of dressing, rejecting the overly ornate look popularised by the French in favour of understated, but perfectly fitted, tailored clothing.
Brightly coloured silken robes, knee breeches and stockings were replaced with dark coats and full length trousers worn over immaculate shirt linen and elaborately knotted cravats. It is claimed that he took five hours to dress and often had a coterie of admirers present to witness the marvel. To complete his pristine appearance he would demand that his boots be polished with Champagne.
In the late 18th century an Austrian tailor, Jonathan Meyer, established a tailoring business at 36 Conduit Street. By 1800, Meyer was making clothes for both Brummell and the Prince Regent. It is believed that around this time Meyer and Brummell collaborated to produce what was to become the contemporary trouser - a garment that Beau Brummell subsequently introduced to London society and something that has remained standard gentleman's attire ever since.
In the 1830s the Meyer family joined forces with Edinburgh tailor John Mortimer to establish a new company Meyer & Mortimer. The company was bombed out of it's Conduit Street premises during the Second World War and relocated to nearby Sackville Street to share headquarters with another tailoring firm, Jones, Chalk & Dawson. The practice of sharing premises is common amongst West End tailors, and that custom continues today as indeed the Anthony Sinclair business currently resides with these two historic firms at no.6, Sackville Street.
In the years after the Second World War, bespoke tailoring businesses began to return to Conduit Street, and by the 1950's Cyril Castle and Anthony Sinclair were in residence. Following the prolonged Post War period of rationing and austerity, demand for tailored suits had begun to increase, and in turn there was a need for skilled hands to produce the work. They arrived in good number from a former British colony, Cyprus - a small island country renowned for the tailoring skills of its inhabitants.
At the beginning of the Second World War there were around 8,000 Cypriots in London. Immigration began to increase as a result of inter-communal violence on the island during the National Organisation of Cypriot Fighters campaign for independence from Britain which started in 1955. Migration peaked following independence in 1960, with around 25,000 Cypriots migrating in the year that followed. Amongst them was a young tailor called Peter Meliniotis whose talent was spotted by Anthony Sinclair who immediately recruited him as a coat maker.
Peter worked for Sinclair both during, and subsequent to, the Bond years, going on to make work cut by Richard Paine when he took over the business from his former master in 1986. He continues to produce a limited number of superlative garments for the company today, and was naturally the only craftsman considered when the time came to reconstruct the classic pieces that had originally been made for Sean Connery during those early days.
Experience and expertise are the defining characteristics of a skilled artisan, and Peter has an abundance of both. He is one of a significant number of tailors who have arrived in London from other parts of the world eager to employ and develop their talents alongside fellow craftsman who have spent a lifetime honing their skills.
The historic tailoring houses of Mayfair are supported by coat, vest and trouser makers representing a host of nationalities, from Greek Cypriots, Italians and East Europeans to Chinese, Indian and African citizens, each benefitting from the knowledge that has been handed down from one generation to the next throughout the extraordinary 200 year history of the home of British tailoring - from Brummell to Bond and beyond.
To help celebrate the Golden Anniversary of the Bond films, the Barbican in London is hosting an exhibition entitled, "Designing 007: Fifty Years of Bond Style". However, most of the clothes made for the first actor, Sean Connery, have long disappeared, and so EON, the film's producers, have approached Anthony Sinclair to request faithful reproductions of some of the pieces originally made by the company. These include the famous evening suit worn by Connery in his first appearance as James Bond in the 1962 film, "Dr. No", along with everyone's favourite - the grey Prince of Wales three-piece "Goldfinger Suit". The records of production of these suits have also vanished from Sinclair's archives, and so, with the help of the exhibition's curators, the specifications for the remakes have been put together piece by piece. The cloth has been chosen, the design determined, the measurements and dimensions established; a paper pattern has been created and the cloth has been cut. Now the skills of a highly experienced tailor are required to craft the component pieces into beautifully finished garments - just the way Sinclair would have expected them to have been made 50 years ago.
 |
| The final stages of the process begin |
Savile Row and its Mayfair environs have been synonymous with style, quality and taste for over two centuries, with the bespoke tailors of the district setting the international standard for gentleman's dress throughout that time.
During the 18th century, Paris had been the dominant cultural force in Europe, with the decadently flamboyant court dress of silk stockings, delicately embroidered coats and powdered wigs influencing men's style across the Continent.
King Louis XVI succeeded to the French throne in 1774 when he was only 19 years of age. The government was deeply in debt at the time and he oversaw a period of economic decline that together with growing discontent of the country's population towards absolute monarchy were contributing factors to the French Revolution in 1789. The King and his Queen, Marie Antoinette, were removed from the Palace of Versailles and imprisoned in Paris pending their death by guillotine in 1793.
 |
| King Louis XVI in full court attire |
The French Revolution marked the end of the ancien regime and the influence of Parisian courtiers on the world of male fashion. The responsibility of instructing gentlemen how to dress now fell into the hands of another royal confidant, the English dandy, George Bryan Brummell, commonly known as "Beau" Brummell.
Brummell was an iconic figure in Regency England. An arbiter of men's style and taste, he was a close friend and sartorial advisor to the Prince Regent the future King George IV. He established the modern way of dressing, rejecting the overly ornate look popularised by the French in favour of understated, but perfectly fitted, tailored clothing.
Brightly coloured silken robes, knee breeches and stockings were replaced with dark coats and full length trousers worn over immaculate shirt linen and elaborately knotted cravats. It is claimed that he took five hours to dress and often had a coterie of admirers present to witness the marvel. To complete his pristine appearance he would demand that his boots be polished with Champagne.
 |
| "Beau" Brummell - the original dandy |
In the late 18th century an Austrian tailor, Jonathan Meyer, established a tailoring business at 36 Conduit Street. By 1800, Meyer was making clothes for both Brummell and the Prince Regent. It is believed that around this time Meyer and Brummell collaborated to produce what was to become the contemporary trouser - a garment that Beau Brummell subsequently introduced to London society and something that has remained standard gentleman's attire ever since.
In the 1830s the Meyer family joined forces with Edinburgh tailor John Mortimer to establish a new company Meyer & Mortimer. The company was bombed out of it's Conduit Street premises during the Second World War and relocated to nearby Sackville Street to share headquarters with another tailoring firm, Jones, Chalk & Dawson. The practice of sharing premises is common amongst West End tailors, and that custom continues today as indeed the Anthony Sinclair business currently resides with these two historic firms at no.6, Sackville Street.
In the years after the Second World War, bespoke tailoring businesses began to return to Conduit Street, and by the 1950's Cyril Castle and Anthony Sinclair were in residence. Following the prolonged Post War period of rationing and austerity, demand for tailored suits had begun to increase, and in turn there was a need for skilled hands to produce the work. They arrived in good number from a former British colony, Cyprus - a small island country renowned for the tailoring skills of its inhabitants.
At the beginning of the Second World War there were around 8,000 Cypriots in London. Immigration began to increase as a result of inter-communal violence on the island during the National Organisation of Cypriot Fighters campaign for independence from Britain which started in 1955. Migration peaked following independence in 1960, with around 25,000 Cypriots migrating in the year that followed. Amongst them was a young tailor called Peter Meliniotis whose talent was spotted by Anthony Sinclair who immediately recruited him as a coat maker.
 |
| Peter Meliniotis at his "board" |
Peter worked for Sinclair both during, and subsequent to, the Bond years, going on to make work cut by Richard Paine when he took over the business from his former master in 1986. He continues to produce a limited number of superlative garments for the company today, and was naturally the only craftsman considered when the time came to reconstruct the classic pieces that had originally been made for Sean Connery during those early days.
Experience and expertise are the defining characteristics of a skilled artisan, and Peter has an abundance of both. He is one of a significant number of tailors who have arrived in London from other parts of the world eager to employ and develop their talents alongside fellow craftsman who have spent a lifetime honing their skills.
The historic tailoring houses of Mayfair are supported by coat, vest and trouser makers representing a host of nationalities, from Greek Cypriots, Italians and East Europeans to Chinese, Indian and African citizens, each benefitting from the knowledge that has been handed down from one generation to the next throughout the extraordinary 200 year history of the home of British tailoring - from Brummell to Bond and beyond.
Sunday, 17 June 2012
Recreating a Masterpiece (Part 005) The Cut
Precis of previous blogs:
To help celebrate the Golden Anniversary of the Bond films, the Barbican in London is hosting an exhibition entitled, "Designing 007: Fifty Years of Bond Style". However, most of the clothes made for the first actor, Sean Connery, have long disappeared, and so EON, the film's producers, have approached Anthony Sinclair to request faithful reproductions of some of the pieces originally made by the company. These include the famous evening suit worn by Connery in his first appearance as James Bond in the 1962 film "Dr. No" along with everyone's favourite - the grey Prince of Wales three-piece "Goldfinger suit". The records of production of these suits have also vanished from Sinclair's archives, and so, with the help of the exhibition's curators, the specifications for the remakes are being put together piece by piece. The cloth has been chosen, the design determined, the measurements and dimensions established. The next step of the process is to cut paper patterns for the new suits and in turn cut the cloth.
Former Sinclair apprentice Richard W Paine is the man charged with the job of cutting the patterns for the recreation of Connery's original suits. He is unquestionably the most qualified person alive to execute the task.
As a schoolboy, Richard worked as many hours as possible for a busy tailor's shop in the East End of London, learning how to prepare bastes (first fittings) which were often made from canvas or calico to produce a toile which the customer would try on before his actual cloth was cut.
His enthusiasm and aptitude for tailoring saw him secure a formal apprenticeship at the age of 16, not with Anthony Sinclair, but with a close friend and Conduit Street neighbour, Cyril Castle.
In 1962, whilst Sinclair was creating the suits for Sean Connery's first appearance as James Bond, Castle undertook a similar exercise for another unknown actor, Roger Moore, who had been cast as Simon Templar in The Saint (a television adaptation of the Leslie Charteris novels). Moore had jokingly suggested that the role was meant to have been played by Sean Connery ... but he was otherwise engaged.
The Saint brought worldwide fame to Roger Moore. The series ran from 1962 for six years with 118 episodes, making it the longest running series of its kind on British television. Towards the end of the decade, Moore began to tire of the role, just as Connery was becoming weary of playing Bond.
Keen to branch out, Moore made two films soon after The Saint series ended: Crossplot (1969), a lightweight spy-caper, and the more challenging The Man Who Haunted Himself (1970). The films didn't receive particularly good reviews and were not a box office success, but they provided an opportunity for the actor to demonstrate a wider versatility than the television series had allowed.
As Sean Connery made his return to the role of James Bond in 1971, Roger Moore was lured back to television, starring as Brett Sinclair (no relation) alongside Tony Curtis in what was to become another cult series, The Persuaders, which tracked the adventures of two millionaire playboys around Europe. Moore reportedly received £1million for the first series, making him the highest paid television actor in the world at the time. For the wardrobe, he retained the services of his tailor Cyril Castle, ably assisted by his young apprentice Richard Paine.
In late 1971, after serving five years of his apprenticeship with Cyril Castle, Richard joined Anthony Sinclair to complete his training, but Sinclair had already tailored the last of the suits he was to make for Sean Connery. The Bond film Diamonds Are Forever was released in December 1971, and it was to be Connery's last appearance in an EON production.
The following year, the search had begun for Connery's replacement. The film's producers, Harry Saltzman and Cubby Broccoli, had dismissed the idea of casting Roger Moore as 007 both before and immediately after his role in The Saint, although Connery had predicted that Moore would make an ideal James Bond. They reconsidered the actor early in 1972 but he was contracted to Lew Grade's ITC for a further series of The Persuaders.
The ratings for the crime-busting television series had not been quite as successful as hoped, and Roger Moore was released from his contract, enabling him to accept the offer of a three-picture deal from United Artists in August 1972. The job of tailoring suits for the new James Bond was assigned, not surprisingly, to Cyril Castle.
In an extraordinary incident of unfortunate timing, Richard Paine had arrived at Anthony Sinclair just after Anthony had completed the last of Connery's Bond suits, and departed from Cyril Castle not long before Cyril was to cut the first 007 outfit for Roger Moore, and so, Richard hadn't actually had a direct hand in creating a James Bond suit ... until now.
It was with great relish that Richard set about the the most critical part of the adventurous challenge of attempting to recreate some of the most iconic clothes ever made. The build was about to start and Richard was the architect who would be relied upon to deliver the blueprint.
Richard often talks proudly of how, as a young schoolboy, he was consistently top of his Technical Drawing class - clearly an early indication of his innate ability. He also fondly recalls his later teenage years when he learnt his practical tailoring skills in the workshops, together with the theoretical knowledge gained from four years of night-school at the long defunct Tailor and Cutter Academy (paid for by himself from his meagre apprenticeship earnings). Richard was dedicated and determined to achieve his dream of becoming a West End cutter.
By the time Richard joined Anthony Sinclair he had received his Academy Diploma and gained sufficient experience from his time with Cyril Castle to qualify for the privilege of being taught the discipline of cutting by one of the great masters of the sartorial art.
With a set of rudimentary tools - tape measure, rule, square, curve and pencil - together with a sheet of plain brown paper, Richard begins to draft the pattern. He marks the lines and curves - some are guided precisely by the tools, with others by eye and a swift flourish of the hand. He performs mental arithmetic aloud (in halves, quarters and eighths), scribbling notes as he goes along and muttering to himself, "Yes ... that's how Tony would have done it".
The outlines of the forepart, back, side-body and sleeve start to appear. Richard picks up his paper shears (a gift presented to him by garment technologist he had helped in Japan in the 1980's). Piece by piece the pattern parts are neatly cut and set aside. There are two separate forepart patterns - one for the notch lapel Goldfinger suit, and another for the elegant shawl-collared evening suit. The trouser and waistcoat patterns are cut, and the template is complete.
Richard elects to strike the pattern (mark out and cut the cloth) of the evening suit first. It is a plain, midnight-blue Barathea with a slight texture. It won't slide around on the cutting board, and the white chalk-marks will be clearly visible against the dark cloth. It is a straightforward job for him as a warm-up for his cutting shears (handed down to him by his former master, Anthony Sinclair).
The Goldfinger suit represents a greater challenge. It is a very subtle Prince of Wales check created from two similar shades of grey yarn. In some planes of light the check is barely visible, but Richard must ensure that it is cut in such a way that the checks match perfectly on the suit when it is made. The maestro performs his magic, and the cloth is soon cut and rolled into a bundle ready to be trimmed (matched with all of the other material components required to make the suit) before being sent to a very special tailor who anxiously awaits it's arrival.
To help celebrate the Golden Anniversary of the Bond films, the Barbican in London is hosting an exhibition entitled, "Designing 007: Fifty Years of Bond Style". However, most of the clothes made for the first actor, Sean Connery, have long disappeared, and so EON, the film's producers, have approached Anthony Sinclair to request faithful reproductions of some of the pieces originally made by the company. These include the famous evening suit worn by Connery in his first appearance as James Bond in the 1962 film "Dr. No" along with everyone's favourite - the grey Prince of Wales three-piece "Goldfinger suit". The records of production of these suits have also vanished from Sinclair's archives, and so, with the help of the exhibition's curators, the specifications for the remakes are being put together piece by piece. The cloth has been chosen, the design determined, the measurements and dimensions established. The next step of the process is to cut paper patterns for the new suits and in turn cut the cloth.
 |
| The most critical part of the process begins |
Former Sinclair apprentice Richard W Paine is the man charged with the job of cutting the patterns for the recreation of Connery's original suits. He is unquestionably the most qualified person alive to execute the task.
As a schoolboy, Richard worked as many hours as possible for a busy tailor's shop in the East End of London, learning how to prepare bastes (first fittings) which were often made from canvas or calico to produce a toile which the customer would try on before his actual cloth was cut.
His enthusiasm and aptitude for tailoring saw him secure a formal apprenticeship at the age of 16, not with Anthony Sinclair, but with a close friend and Conduit Street neighbour, Cyril Castle.
In 1962, whilst Sinclair was creating the suits for Sean Connery's first appearance as James Bond, Castle undertook a similar exercise for another unknown actor, Roger Moore, who had been cast as Simon Templar in The Saint (a television adaptation of the Leslie Charteris novels). Moore had jokingly suggested that the role was meant to have been played by Sean Connery ... but he was otherwise engaged.
 | |
| Roger Moore as Simon Templar in "The Saint" |
The Saint brought worldwide fame to Roger Moore. The series ran from 1962 for six years with 118 episodes, making it the longest running series of its kind on British television. Towards the end of the decade, Moore began to tire of the role, just as Connery was becoming weary of playing Bond.
Keen to branch out, Moore made two films soon after The Saint series ended: Crossplot (1969), a lightweight spy-caper, and the more challenging The Man Who Haunted Himself (1970). The films didn't receive particularly good reviews and were not a box office success, but they provided an opportunity for the actor to demonstrate a wider versatility than the television series had allowed.
As Sean Connery made his return to the role of James Bond in 1971, Roger Moore was lured back to television, starring as Brett Sinclair (no relation) alongside Tony Curtis in what was to become another cult series, The Persuaders, which tracked the adventures of two millionaire playboys around Europe. Moore reportedly received £1million for the first series, making him the highest paid television actor in the world at the time. For the wardrobe, he retained the services of his tailor Cyril Castle, ably assisted by his young apprentice Richard Paine.
 |
| Roger Moore as Brett Sinclair in "The Persuaders" |
In late 1971, after serving five years of his apprenticeship with Cyril Castle, Richard joined Anthony Sinclair to complete his training, but Sinclair had already tailored the last of the suits he was to make for Sean Connery. The Bond film Diamonds Are Forever was released in December 1971, and it was to be Connery's last appearance in an EON production.
The following year, the search had begun for Connery's replacement. The film's producers, Harry Saltzman and Cubby Broccoli, had dismissed the idea of casting Roger Moore as 007 both before and immediately after his role in The Saint, although Connery had predicted that Moore would make an ideal James Bond. They reconsidered the actor early in 1972 but he was contracted to Lew Grade's ITC for a further series of The Persuaders.
The ratings for the crime-busting television series had not been quite as successful as hoped, and Roger Moore was released from his contract, enabling him to accept the offer of a three-picture deal from United Artists in August 1972. The job of tailoring suits for the new James Bond was assigned, not surprisingly, to Cyril Castle.
 | |||
| Roger Moore and Sean Connery ... Bonding |
In an extraordinary incident of unfortunate timing, Richard Paine had arrived at Anthony Sinclair just after Anthony had completed the last of Connery's Bond suits, and departed from Cyril Castle not long before Cyril was to cut the first 007 outfit for Roger Moore, and so, Richard hadn't actually had a direct hand in creating a James Bond suit ... until now.
It was with great relish that Richard set about the the most critical part of the adventurous challenge of attempting to recreate some of the most iconic clothes ever made. The build was about to start and Richard was the architect who would be relied upon to deliver the blueprint.
Richard often talks proudly of how, as a young schoolboy, he was consistently top of his Technical Drawing class - clearly an early indication of his innate ability. He also fondly recalls his later teenage years when he learnt his practical tailoring skills in the workshops, together with the theoretical knowledge gained from four years of night-school at the long defunct Tailor and Cutter Academy (paid for by himself from his meagre apprenticeship earnings). Richard was dedicated and determined to achieve his dream of becoming a West End cutter.
By the time Richard joined Anthony Sinclair he had received his Academy Diploma and gained sufficient experience from his time with Cyril Castle to qualify for the privilege of being taught the discipline of cutting by one of the great masters of the sartorial art.
 |
| Richard W Paine cuts the new pattern |
With a set of rudimentary tools - tape measure, rule, square, curve and pencil - together with a sheet of plain brown paper, Richard begins to draft the pattern. He marks the lines and curves - some are guided precisely by the tools, with others by eye and a swift flourish of the hand. He performs mental arithmetic aloud (in halves, quarters and eighths), scribbling notes as he goes along and muttering to himself, "Yes ... that's how Tony would have done it".
The outlines of the forepart, back, side-body and sleeve start to appear. Richard picks up his paper shears (a gift presented to him by garment technologist he had helped in Japan in the 1980's). Piece by piece the pattern parts are neatly cut and set aside. There are two separate forepart patterns - one for the notch lapel Goldfinger suit, and another for the elegant shawl-collared evening suit. The trouser and waistcoat patterns are cut, and the template is complete.
Richard elects to strike the pattern (mark out and cut the cloth) of the evening suit first. It is a plain, midnight-blue Barathea with a slight texture. It won't slide around on the cutting board, and the white chalk-marks will be clearly visible against the dark cloth. It is a straightforward job for him as a warm-up for his cutting shears (handed down to him by his former master, Anthony Sinclair).
The Goldfinger suit represents a greater challenge. It is a very subtle Prince of Wales check created from two similar shades of grey yarn. In some planes of light the check is barely visible, but Richard must ensure that it is cut in such a way that the checks match perfectly on the suit when it is made. The maestro performs his magic, and the cloth is soon cut and rolled into a bundle ready to be trimmed (matched with all of the other material components required to make the suit) before being sent to a very special tailor who anxiously awaits it's arrival.
Saturday, 19 May 2012
Recreating a Masterpiece (Part 004) The Measures
Precis of previous blogs:
To help celebrate the Golden Anniversary of the Bond films, the Barbican in London is hosting an exhibition entitled, "Designing 007: Fifty Years of Bond Style". However, most of the clothes made for the first actor, Sean Connery, have long disappeared, and so EON, the film's producers, have approached Anthony Sinclair to request faithful reproductions of some of the pieces originally made by the company. These include the famous evening suit worn by Connery in his first appearance as James Bond in the 1962 film "Dr. No", along with everyone's favourite - the grey Prince of Wales three-piece "Goldfinger Suit". The records of production of these suits have also vanished from Sinclair's archives, and so, with the help of the exhibition's curators, the specifications for the remakes are being put together piece by piece. The cloth has been chosen and the design determined, the next step is to establish a set of measurements.
Following the release of "You Only Live Twice" in 1967, Sean Connery insisted that he had no intention of renewing his license to kill, and was replaced by Australian actor George Lazenby for the 1969 film "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" (OHMSS). Lazenby had done his best to get into character prior to his audition for the role of James Bond, and actually arrived at the casting wearing an Anthony Sinclair bespoke suit. Whilst this would have ensured that he looked the part for the screen test, it was as close as Sinclair's tailoring got to the film production. The new Bond got a new tailor (Dimi Major of Fulham), the silver Aston DB5 was traded-in for an olive green DBS and to even greater surprise, the hero swapped bachelorhood for marriage.
A new look and fresh ideas were clearly considered to be important factors in trying to keep the James Bond franchise alive. You Only Live Twice had received mixed reviews, with a Variety magazine writer asking of the series, "Can it go on indefinitely?" However, the press did not react well to the changes that transpired, and although OHMSS was by no means a commercial disaster, the worldwide box office figures for this new Bond adventure were approximately half that of the previous film.
In 1971, Sean Connery was coaxed into returning to the role of 007 for another EON production, "Diamonds Are Forever", which also saw the return of his tailor, Anthony Sinclair. The film was a success, reversing the fortunes of the Bond franchise, but the suits produced by Sinclair were to be the last he ever made for Connery ... or James Bond.
Connery's successor, Roger Moore, was to employ the services of Cyril Castle who had produced the tailoring for Moore's television appearances as Simon Templar in "The Saint" and Brett Sinclair in "The Persuaders". James Bond didn't have to travel far to visit his new tailor - Sinclair's address was no.29 Conduit Street, and Castle's premises were located opposite at no.42.
Not only did Anthony Sinclair and Cyril Castle operate their business from the same Mayfair street, the other coincidence was that they had both, at different times, employed and trained a young apprentice tailor called Richard W Paine. Anthony retired in 1986, handing his shears down to Richard who continued to run the Sinclair business until 2005, when sudden illness forced him to cease trading. Thankfully, a recent improvement in health has allowed his return to the cutting room, offering his incomparable technical knowledge, experience and ability to the relaunched company, and there is no man alive more qualified than Richard to cut authentic reproductions of the suits worn by Connery as Bond.
Unfortunately, over forty years have elapsed since the original paper pattern was used, and given that the business has changed location four times during that period, along with several years of dormancy, it is understandable but regrettable that all records of Connery's work, including his pattern, have been lost. Even if Sir Sean were to step back into the fitting room it wouldn't help. Whilst the years have been kind to him, his figure is unlikely to be exactly as it was in the 1960's. Some kind of reference material from the time was desperately needed in order to create a true representation of the famous suits.
In January 2011, the company had received a call from British television producers Channel 4 who were piloting a new series that involved guests bringing interesting collectibles onto the show to be valued and then auctioned. A gentleman had brought an old suit along, and the producers needed to estimate its value. The label inside the in-breast pocket of the jacket showed that the garment was one of five "repeat" orders that had been made by Anthony Sinclair in 1966 for none other than Sean Connery Esq.
The person who was planning to take part in the show had found the suit in the back of his mother's wardrobe. His father had worked at Pinewood Studios in the 1960's and happened to be a similar size to Sean Connery. He'd been involved in the production of You Only Live Twice and was in need of a new suit, so when filming was complete he managed to persuade the wardrobe department to sell him one of the multiple number of identical grey herringbone suits that had been prepared for 007 (the budget for this film, the 5th in the series, had grown and the practice of making several copies of each costume had begun - in the event that one or more could possibly be destroyed by special effects or action scenes).
Bond artefacts do appear at auction from time to time, but items of Sean Connery's wardrobe from his tenure as 007 are extremely rare - and expensive. The costume was limited in the early films, and Connery was fond of Sinclair's tailoring, reportedly keeping hold of many of the suits for his personal use. When EON Productions contacted the company in late 2011 to request reworks of the original suits, it was hoped that the grey herringbone number would still be available, or that perhaps the owner would be kind enough to loan the piece in order to allow measurements to be taken from it. Unfortunately, the company was too late to act and the suit had been sold.
Fearing that the precious item may now be many thousands of miles away it was a great relief to discover that it had been bought by a young man who worked in the City of London, in fact his office is located minutes away from the Barbican - the venue for the upcoming exhibition.
The necessary introductions were made and the new owner kindly offered to loan his prized possession to the company. It would now be possible to take direct measurements from the original outfit and "reverse-engineer" a pattern that could be used as the basis for the re-creations.
On Saturday 19th May, the suit came home to its makers, and there to greet it was the man charged with the job of drafting the replacement pattern, Mr. Richard W Paine. The company now had everything required to begin the process of cutting and making the suits in time for the exhibition.
To help celebrate the Golden Anniversary of the Bond films, the Barbican in London is hosting an exhibition entitled, "Designing 007: Fifty Years of Bond Style". However, most of the clothes made for the first actor, Sean Connery, have long disappeared, and so EON, the film's producers, have approached Anthony Sinclair to request faithful reproductions of some of the pieces originally made by the company. These include the famous evening suit worn by Connery in his first appearance as James Bond in the 1962 film "Dr. No", along with everyone's favourite - the grey Prince of Wales three-piece "Goldfinger Suit". The records of production of these suits have also vanished from Sinclair's archives, and so, with the help of the exhibition's curators, the specifications for the remakes are being put together piece by piece. The cloth has been chosen and the design determined, the next step is to establish a set of measurements.
 | |||
| Sinclair gets the measure of Connery |
Following the release of "You Only Live Twice" in 1967, Sean Connery insisted that he had no intention of renewing his license to kill, and was replaced by Australian actor George Lazenby for the 1969 film "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" (OHMSS). Lazenby had done his best to get into character prior to his audition for the role of James Bond, and actually arrived at the casting wearing an Anthony Sinclair bespoke suit. Whilst this would have ensured that he looked the part for the screen test, it was as close as Sinclair's tailoring got to the film production. The new Bond got a new tailor (Dimi Major of Fulham), the silver Aston DB5 was traded-in for an olive green DBS and to even greater surprise, the hero swapped bachelorhood for marriage.
A new look and fresh ideas were clearly considered to be important factors in trying to keep the James Bond franchise alive. You Only Live Twice had received mixed reviews, with a Variety magazine writer asking of the series, "Can it go on indefinitely?" However, the press did not react well to the changes that transpired, and although OHMSS was by no means a commercial disaster, the worldwide box office figures for this new Bond adventure were approximately half that of the previous film.
 |
| Lazenby wore a Sinclair suit for his casting - it worked. |
In 1971, Sean Connery was coaxed into returning to the role of 007 for another EON production, "Diamonds Are Forever", which also saw the return of his tailor, Anthony Sinclair. The film was a success, reversing the fortunes of the Bond franchise, but the suits produced by Sinclair were to be the last he ever made for Connery ... or James Bond.
Connery's successor, Roger Moore, was to employ the services of Cyril Castle who had produced the tailoring for Moore's television appearances as Simon Templar in "The Saint" and Brett Sinclair in "The Persuaders". James Bond didn't have to travel far to visit his new tailor - Sinclair's address was no.29 Conduit Street, and Castle's premises were located opposite at no.42.
 |
| Roger Moore being fitted by Cyril Castle |
Not only did Anthony Sinclair and Cyril Castle operate their business from the same Mayfair street, the other coincidence was that they had both, at different times, employed and trained a young apprentice tailor called Richard W Paine. Anthony retired in 1986, handing his shears down to Richard who continued to run the Sinclair business until 2005, when sudden illness forced him to cease trading. Thankfully, a recent improvement in health has allowed his return to the cutting room, offering his incomparable technical knowledge, experience and ability to the relaunched company, and there is no man alive more qualified than Richard to cut authentic reproductions of the suits worn by Connery as Bond.
Unfortunately, over forty years have elapsed since the original paper pattern was used, and given that the business has changed location four times during that period, along with several years of dormancy, it is understandable but regrettable that all records of Connery's work, including his pattern, have been lost. Even if Sir Sean were to step back into the fitting room it wouldn't help. Whilst the years have been kind to him, his figure is unlikely to be exactly as it was in the 1960's. Some kind of reference material from the time was desperately needed in order to create a true representation of the famous suits.
In January 2011, the company had received a call from British television producers Channel 4 who were piloting a new series that involved guests bringing interesting collectibles onto the show to be valued and then auctioned. A gentleman had brought an old suit along, and the producers needed to estimate its value. The label inside the in-breast pocket of the jacket showed that the garment was one of five "repeat" orders that had been made by Anthony Sinclair in 1966 for none other than Sean Connery Esq.
 |
| The label inside the in-breast pocket proved the provenance of the suit |
The person who was planning to take part in the show had found the suit in the back of his mother's wardrobe. His father had worked at Pinewood Studios in the 1960's and happened to be a similar size to Sean Connery. He'd been involved in the production of You Only Live Twice and was in need of a new suit, so when filming was complete he managed to persuade the wardrobe department to sell him one of the multiple number of identical grey herringbone suits that had been prepared for 007 (the budget for this film, the 5th in the series, had grown and the practice of making several copies of each costume had begun - in the event that one or more could possibly be destroyed by special effects or action scenes).
Bond artefacts do appear at auction from time to time, but items of Sean Connery's wardrobe from his tenure as 007 are extremely rare - and expensive. The costume was limited in the early films, and Connery was fond of Sinclair's tailoring, reportedly keeping hold of many of the suits for his personal use. When EON Productions contacted the company in late 2011 to request reworks of the original suits, it was hoped that the grey herringbone number would still be available, or that perhaps the owner would be kind enough to loan the piece in order to allow measurements to be taken from it. Unfortunately, the company was too late to act and the suit had been sold.
 |
| Connery puts his grey herringbone suit to the test in You Only Live Twice |
Fearing that the precious item may now be many thousands of miles away it was a great relief to discover that it had been bought by a young man who worked in the City of London, in fact his office is located minutes away from the Barbican - the venue for the upcoming exhibition.
The necessary introductions were made and the new owner kindly offered to loan his prized possession to the company. It would now be possible to take direct measurements from the original outfit and "reverse-engineer" a pattern that could be used as the basis for the re-creations.
On Saturday 19th May, the suit came home to its makers, and there to greet it was the man charged with the job of drafting the replacement pattern, Mr. Richard W Paine. The company now had everything required to begin the process of cutting and making the suits in time for the exhibition.
 |
| Richard W Paine examines the original article |
Monday, 7 May 2012
Recreating a Masterpiece (Part 003) POW
In addition to the reproduction of the midnight-blue evening suit worn by Sean Connery in Dr. No, Anthony Sinclair has been commissioned to remake another piece of Bond's original wardrobe for the upcoming exhibition at the Barbican, Designing 007: Fifty Years of Bond Style.
The curators of the exhibition and the tailoring firm agree that an event showcasing Bond style could not be complete without the inclusion of 007's most popular outfit - the three-piece costume often referred to as the "Goldfinger Suit".
Released in 1964, Goldfinger was the third film in the Bond series and the first of the 007 blockbusters, having a budget of over $3 million (the equivalent of the previous two movies combined). It met with both critical acclaim, receiving Academy, Grammy and BAFTA awards, and commercial success, breaking box office records and recouping costs in the first two weeks of distribution.
The increased production expenditure afforded Sean Connery the pleasure of a wardrobe upgrade for his third outing as 007, which included a matching waistcoat for one of the five suits made by Anthony Sinclair for the film. The result was arguably the most famous set of conventional clothes ever worn by a man on screen.
The cloth chosen for the iconic three-piece ensemble is often mistaken for pick & pick or sharkskin, a semi-plain design used to make many of Bond's suits - but not this one. The pattern selected was actually a subtle Glenurquhart check, usually referred to as Glen plaid in the United States or, more universally, Prince of Wales check ... often abbreviated in tailor's notes as "POW".
There is a common misconception that the pattern was named as a result of the Duke of Windsor wearing the design in the early 1900's when he was Prince of Wales but, whilst he did much to popularise it, the story dates much further back in history.
The origin of the classic black and white check actually lies in the valley of Glen Urquhart in the Scottish Highlands. It is a pattern adopted in the 1800's by Caroline, Countess of Seafield, to be worn by her gamekeepers on the Seafield Estate.
It was during a hunting trip to the Estate that another young royal, Edward VII (Queen Victoria's son and grandfather of the Duke of Windsor) became attracted to the design when he was Prince of Wales - a title he held for almost 60 years, being the longest serving heir-apparent.
Edward lived a life of luxury that was often far removed from that of the majority of his subjects. However, his personal charm with people at all levels of society and his strong condemnation of prejudice went some way to assuage republican and racial tensions building during his lifetime.
The Prince was renowned for his elegant, sporting style, and regarded internationally as the most influential male fashion figure of the 19th century. He adapted the Glenurquhart design to his own specifications, creating a larger scale black and white pattern which became known as Prince of Wales check.
The famous cloth design continued to evolve throughout the 20th century, falling in and out of fashion along the way. It was sometimes woven as a large-scale check from widely contrasting shades of yarn to dramatic effect, and conversely in reduced size with similar yarn tones to create the subtlest of patterns.
Prince of Wales cloth was soon produced in a broad range of colours beyond the original monochromatic shades of grey, but the most significant development came with the introduction of a windowpane check that overlaid the basic pattern. This over-check was usually woven with a different colour to the ground design, and the most popular combinations remain today as blue or pink over grey.
The more distinct, large-scale checks incorporating clearly defined windowpanes were prevalent in the 1940's and 1950's, complimenting the square, boxier styles of suits worn during that era. They grew to over-scaled dimensions during the excessive styling period of the 1970's, returning to more original (but still large) proportion in the 1980's, suiting the wide-shouldered look of the time.
By 1964, Sean Connery had established himself in the role of James Bond and even earned the approval of 007's creator, Ian Fleming, who was originally against the choice of actor on the grounds that he was "unrefined". Connery had proved that he could present himself otherwise, aided, by no short measure, with the sublime tailoring skills of Anthony Sinclair, who was again called upon to provide Bond's suits for Goldfinger. On this occasion, Sinclair was to surpass even his own high standards.
The prelude to the unveiling of Sinclair's sartorial masterpiece is a scene in which Bond returns to consciousness aboard Goldfinger's private jet. He is unshaven and somewhat dishevelled after being tranquilised. He retires to the bathroom to refresh himself in preparation for the meeting with his nemesis. The destination is Goldfinger's horse ranch in Kentucky, and by a stroke of remarkable luck, the perfect outfit for the rendezvous had been packed.
Connery emerges clean-shaven and immaculately attired, illustrating pride in himself and due respect for his adversary, albeit someone who has just recently spared him his life. As he prepares to step back into another dangerous situation, his psychological body-armour is reinforced by another layer - a breastplate in the form of a beautifully tailored waistcoat. It is tastefully adorned with a slim lapel; a fine tailoring detail reminiscent of the turn-back cuff applied to the Dr. No evening suit, adding a note of elegance and touch of class. Bond's new look is invincible ... and irresistible (witnessed by the eventual succumbing of the sapphically inclined Pussy).
The perfect choice of cloth had been made; suitably light in weight for the warm conditions, and appropriately light in colour given the informal setting. The pattern selection, Prince of Wales check, is exactly right for the sporting environment of Goldfinger's stud farm. Small in scale and devoid of windowpane or colour, the cloth was woven from the subtlest of yarn combinations to produce a design so delicate it is barely visible - fitting and apt given Anthony Sinclair's philosophy that, "less is more".
FOOTNOTE:
The cloth selected for the recreation of the Goldfinger suit is to be provided by another of Anthony Sinclair's earliest suppliers, Holland & Sherry. Their reference number 749/016 is a 10 ounce Super 120's worsted and a perfect match to the original in terms of colour and design.
The curators of the exhibition and the tailoring firm agree that an event showcasing Bond style could not be complete without the inclusion of 007's most popular outfit - the three-piece costume often referred to as the "Goldfinger Suit".
 |
| Sean Connery (007), Honor Blackman (Pussy) and the Goldfinger Suit |
Released in 1964, Goldfinger was the third film in the Bond series and the first of the 007 blockbusters, having a budget of over $3 million (the equivalent of the previous two movies combined). It met with both critical acclaim, receiving Academy, Grammy and BAFTA awards, and commercial success, breaking box office records and recouping costs in the first two weeks of distribution.
The increased production expenditure afforded Sean Connery the pleasure of a wardrobe upgrade for his third outing as 007, which included a matching waistcoat for one of the five suits made by Anthony Sinclair for the film. The result was arguably the most famous set of conventional clothes ever worn by a man on screen.
The cloth chosen for the iconic three-piece ensemble is often mistaken for pick & pick or sharkskin, a semi-plain design used to make many of Bond's suits - but not this one. The pattern selected was actually a subtle Glenurquhart check, usually referred to as Glen plaid in the United States or, more universally, Prince of Wales check ... often abbreviated in tailor's notes as "POW".
There is a common misconception that the pattern was named as a result of the Duke of Windsor wearing the design in the early 1900's when he was Prince of Wales but, whilst he did much to popularise it, the story dates much further back in history.
 | |
| The Duke of Windsor in Prince of Wales check |
The origin of the classic black and white check actually lies in the valley of Glen Urquhart in the Scottish Highlands. It is a pattern adopted in the 1800's by Caroline, Countess of Seafield, to be worn by her gamekeepers on the Seafield Estate.
It was during a hunting trip to the Estate that another young royal, Edward VII (Queen Victoria's son and grandfather of the Duke of Windsor) became attracted to the design when he was Prince of Wales - a title he held for almost 60 years, being the longest serving heir-apparent.
Edward lived a life of luxury that was often far removed from that of the majority of his subjects. However, his personal charm with people at all levels of society and his strong condemnation of prejudice went some way to assuage republican and racial tensions building during his lifetime.
The Prince was renowned for his elegant, sporting style, and regarded internationally as the most influential male fashion figure of the 19th century. He adapted the Glenurquhart design to his own specifications, creating a larger scale black and white pattern which became known as Prince of Wales check.
 | |
| Edward, Prince of Wales, wearing the eponymous pattern |
The famous cloth design continued to evolve throughout the 20th century, falling in and out of fashion along the way. It was sometimes woven as a large-scale check from widely contrasting shades of yarn to dramatic effect, and conversely in reduced size with similar yarn tones to create the subtlest of patterns.
Prince of Wales cloth was soon produced in a broad range of colours beyond the original monochromatic shades of grey, but the most significant development came with the introduction of a windowpane check that overlaid the basic pattern. This over-check was usually woven with a different colour to the ground design, and the most popular combinations remain today as blue or pink over grey.
The more distinct, large-scale checks incorporating clearly defined windowpanes were prevalent in the 1940's and 1950's, complimenting the square, boxier styles of suits worn during that era. They grew to over-scaled dimensions during the excessive styling period of the 1970's, returning to more original (but still large) proportion in the 1980's, suiting the wide-shouldered look of the time.
 |
| Cary Grant (Fleming's choice for Bond) in over-checked POW |
By 1964, Sean Connery had established himself in the role of James Bond and even earned the approval of 007's creator, Ian Fleming, who was originally against the choice of actor on the grounds that he was "unrefined". Connery had proved that he could present himself otherwise, aided, by no short measure, with the sublime tailoring skills of Anthony Sinclair, who was again called upon to provide Bond's suits for Goldfinger. On this occasion, Sinclair was to surpass even his own high standards.
The prelude to the unveiling of Sinclair's sartorial masterpiece is a scene in which Bond returns to consciousness aboard Goldfinger's private jet. He is unshaven and somewhat dishevelled after being tranquilised. He retires to the bathroom to refresh himself in preparation for the meeting with his nemesis. The destination is Goldfinger's horse ranch in Kentucky, and by a stroke of remarkable luck, the perfect outfit for the rendezvous had been packed.
Connery emerges clean-shaven and immaculately attired, illustrating pride in himself and due respect for his adversary, albeit someone who has just recently spared him his life. As he prepares to step back into another dangerous situation, his psychological body-armour is reinforced by another layer - a breastplate in the form of a beautifully tailored waistcoat. It is tastefully adorned with a slim lapel; a fine tailoring detail reminiscent of the turn-back cuff applied to the Dr. No evening suit, adding a note of elegance and touch of class. Bond's new look is invincible ... and irresistible (witnessed by the eventual succumbing of the sapphically inclined Pussy).
The perfect choice of cloth had been made; suitably light in weight for the warm conditions, and appropriately light in colour given the informal setting. The pattern selection, Prince of Wales check, is exactly right for the sporting environment of Goldfinger's stud farm. Small in scale and devoid of windowpane or colour, the cloth was woven from the subtlest of yarn combinations to produce a design so delicate it is barely visible - fitting and apt given Anthony Sinclair's philosophy that, "less is more".
 | |
| How did you manage to make me look so good? |
FOOTNOTE:
The cloth selected for the recreation of the Goldfinger suit is to be provided by another of Anthony Sinclair's earliest suppliers, Holland & Sherry. Their reference number 749/016 is a 10 ounce Super 120's worsted and a perfect match to the original in terms of colour and design.
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