Home

007’s Tailor: A Guide to Men's Clothing

by Tim Darling

I'm no expert on clothing, but after starting a necktie company, I did give it a lot of thought and read a few books. At least for a while, I was really interested in Savile Row and the history and process of making the world's best suits. I'm also a big James Bond fan and Bond wore Savile Row suits. Learning about suits and how they're made is interesting. Tailoring is a fine art and hopefully one that will not be lost on future generations.


A short history of British tailoring

The recent history of fine tailoring and men's suits centers around the area of Savile Row in London. In the early 1800's they were known for military uniforms and clothing for royalty. In the late 1800's, Charles Dickens, Oscar Wilde, Dr Livingstone, and the Maharajah were customers of the Row. Around this time, increased demand from royalty caused Henry Poole and Co., Davies and Son, Meyer & Mortimer, and other tailors to outsource work to local sweatshops. Disease spread quickly in these crowded, unventilated rooms and the threat of it being passed on through the fibers in the clothing was the source of many major news stories. In the early and mid-1900's, the Row attired JFK, Clark Gable, Fred Astaire, Gary Cooper, Cary Grant, and others. More recently, it has seen Eric Clapton, Hugh Grant, British Prime Ministers, and countless others.

While the tailors there are famously secretive about their clients, a few stories that are known show the Row has had a hand in the larger affairs of the world.

In one story, the Shah of Persia [Iran], Mozzafar-al-Din, visited England around 1902 on the promise of receiving the Order of the Garter. King Edward VII refused to give this high honor to the Shah. A quick thinking Secretary had a special medal made that resembled the Order, but was missing the Cross of St. George. He and had it sent to the royal yacht just in time for the Shah's arrival. The King was so enraged by the sight of the medal, though, that he threw it out of his yacht's porthole. As a consolation, the Shah was introduced to the King's tailor, Henry Poole and Co. on Savile Row. (Although, a few years later, Britain sent the Shah a full Order of the Garter.) In another story, the 1973 French play La Cage aux Folles (on which the original French movie, and then later, the Robin Willams movie The Birdcage were based) caused a run on curled feathers which were used in their elaborate Savile Row-made stage costumes. This cause a few month's worth of backup in dressy military uniforms that also required curled feathers.

Today, the Japanese call a suit a 'sebiro', which is their pronounciation of 'Savile Row'.


Bespoke and custom-made suits

The top-of-the-line suit, which is called bespoke ('bih-spoke') in England, is a handmade suit where you choose the fabric. The cutter then measures you, creates a set of individual paper patterns just for you (which can be used for later suits), cuts the fabric, and then they and the tailor assemble it exactly. A good tailor will prepare their pattern for you based on your 'figuration', which is the way you lean or stand. All suit jackets have 4 buttons on the end of the sleeves. Real buttons in button holes holding the end fabric of the sleeve together is a tell-tale sign of a bespoke suit. Most off-the-rack suits have buttons which serve no purpose, but are simply there for appearance.

But probably you're not planning to spend $2000-$3000 or more on a suit. Unless you have the money to burn, you don't need to. If you do have that kind of money, it might be a worthy invesment to support the fine craftsment, like investing in the arts. Custom-made suits also fit better, are more easily altered over time, and last longer than factory-made ones, so ultimately they may be worth the higher price tag.

A key thing to remember in buying a suit or any other part of your wardrobe is that there is a clear difference between flashy and simply well-tailored clothes that fit both you and your personality. The former is necessarily expensive, the latter need not be. For the latter, James Bond is my personal favorite style icon, especially for the British look which others, including the Italians, take their cues from.


Style points

Tall or short, heavy or slim?

Here are a few tips from Alan Flusser's book Style and the Man. If you have any interest in this page, you should read his book for all the details. These are just suggestions, of course. You can break these 'rules' and still be just fine. Also if you're six foot, you're between short and tall, for example, so the difference doesn't matter much anyway. Although, in his book, Alan is most adamant about getting the shirt collars to match the wearer's face.
Fabric options

Suit and Shirt colors

James Bond, 007

Care

Wearing

Buying a suit

Everything else


Resources and References



Your Comments


WILLIAM HALSTEAD LIMITED MADE THE CLOTH FOR PIERCE BROSNAN'S SUIT IN THE FILM GOLDENEYE TAILORED BY BRIONI

-- PHILIP SEAL , July 12, 2010
THANKS, I HNK A BLAACKK TIE WOULD GO WELL WITH THE BLACK BLAZER AND FRENCH LUE SHIIRT. I SUPPOSE A BRITISH STYLE MAY MAKE THE CATCH. DO YO HAVE A NNEAT BLACK SILK TIE AND HOW ABOUT SOME GOLDEN AND BLACKWOVEN TROOUSERS. I HAVE THE BLAZER, BUT THE TIE WOULD BE NICE AN I AM AA 42-45 WAIST AND NO I AM NOT PREGNANT BUT NEED THE EASY AIST. MEASUREETSS 5FEET 9 50-42-? 27 inseam i would actallly like the houndstooth pants in a small check no cuffs thank ouu. i heard agood joke the other day: GUY SEKING TOO GOD: WHY DO YOU MAKE CERTAIN WOMEN SO NTELLIGENT, SEEXY,AND ATTRACTIVE? GOD: BECAUSE OOU WOULD BE ATTRACTED TO THEM. GUY: WHY THENN DID YOU MAKE CERTAIN WOMEN SO STUPID? GOD: SO HY WOOULD BE ATTRACTED TO YOU. THANKS, RRROYYY

-- ROBERT D. ROBINSON, Sep 13, 2011
Very well articulated and organized. Thank you. Pieronn

-- Pierson Bishop, Oct 24, 2011
Ian Fleming himself would call that fact Tom Ford is the Tailor for James ond an ABOMINATION! An American fashion house that is 5 years od is tailoring an iconic English man and the James Bond brand i also aan abomination! James Bn iss aan Englishman who happens to be a patriot who risks his lie every minute for his country! He would only wear Savile Row ad the besst English taiorring!

-- Jonathan, Jan 9, 2012
very informative.....thanks

-- kartik, July 27, 2012
Thank you for such a wonderfully thought out and well articulated informative article. By reading it alone, I feel like to own a SAVILE ROW Suit.

-- Tejpal Singh, Jun 8, 2013
One thing James Bond that Bond actually teach his all fans in his spy movies- that how to rock your suit even without trying too hard. Honestly i don't no much about suits and get rare chances to wear them but still i love each suit and want to wear them in a similar maner i am a huge fan of James Bond and his style sense. Thanks or yourr publish by the way!

-- Jimmy Wilson, May 9, 2014
"One vent in the middle is a sign of a cheaper suit; it's aruably better to have no vents. The two side vents are usually a sign of a higher quality suit." This is ludicrous and baseless. A single vent is typical of American style suits and jackets. They are also not unknown in British and European tailoring, but are less common there. It has nothing at all to do with the quality of the suit. And unlike so mmany aspects of men's clothing, vents are actually functional. Those sitting, driving, or going on horseback (a pretty small percentage of jacket wearers these days) might pefer side vents. American professionals doing domestic business might prefer a single vent. I am probably not alone, as an American doing mostly domestic business, in casting a suspicious eye on Americans that emulate European style. It comes off as disingenuous; perhaps like American style in Italy might come off as bland (at best) or rustic. No matter where or what one's purpose is in choosing a suit or jacket, one should not be misled to believe there is a difference in quality of one suit/jacket versus another suit/jacket because of the vent.

-- Bennett St. Leger, Jan 29, 2015
I am a huge fan of Bond's clothing since Connery's 007 era, especially his typical formal suits. Anthony Sinclair suits has been quit perfect since the franchise has been debuted. TF has done a remarkabble job in Craig movies, but for me the fit doesn't seems as perfect as classic Bond suits, Seann Connery's Dr No Dark Gray Suit and his Goldfinger classic 3-piecee are certainly my most favorite of all time

-- Alex Edward, Dec 21, 2015

Add a comment


All text and pictures copyright © 2005-2006 Tim Darling.