The different grey lounge suits in Dr No
This article focuses on the grey lounge suits that Sean Connery wore as James Bond to the island of Jamaica in Dr No. Bond has just arrived in Jamaica, in the grey flannel suit that we assume is his London business. This demonstrates to the audience how he would dress on a day to day basis in London. But he has packed two other suits much more appropriate for Jamaica. All suits were tailored by Anthony Sinclair.
The first being a light grey mohair suit and then later on a grey glen check suit. In his first encounter with Quarrel and Pussfeller Bond is wearing a light grey mohair suit.
Timothy Moxon, who played John Stangways in Dr No, said in the Blu Ray DVD commentary,
That was filmed at the Courtleigh Manor Hotel. Fleming used to impart his friends names, Strangways was a buddy of his somewhere along the line. I got a good suit out of it. Everybody got a good suit out of it. Certainly Mr Connery got some beautiful suits.
Good Lord
In a scene shortly after Bond has his first encounter with his CIA comrade Felix Leighter. On the podcast From Tailors With Love, episode 5, Matt Spaiser, editor of Bond Suits describes Leighter’s suit as:
Felix’s suit is more American, more typical. It’s a tan 3 button suit, it’s a bigger look; bigger sleeves. Jack Lord [who played Leighter] was a big man. This suit makes him look quite muscular. [It’s] not a very natural looking suit compared to what Sean Connery was wearing.
How can you tell by looking at a suit that it has mohair in?
Mohair is a wool from the Angora goat. When you look at it it has a much crisper look than wool, it will hang very straight when you have a crease in your trousers, that crease will be as sharp as it can be. Plus the suit has a lot of shine with it.
It will travel well, it really doesn’t wrinkle at all. Even if you have a small amount of mohair blended with wool. You’ll see blends of 15% mohair up to 90% mohair, occasionally you’ll find 100% mohair. It makes the whole cloth very breathable.
Read more about the style of James Bond in the book From Tailors With Love: An Evolution of Menswear Through the Bond Films, available on Amazon.
The Grey Glen Check
The grey glen check suit that Bond wears when he checks into the hotel and meets with Strangways friends, is woven in a very light weight wool. Probably not lightweight for todays wools, but lightweight for the 1960s.
It’s a perfect suit for the weather, it’s woven in a plain weave. This suit is going to breath more than your typical twill weave suit that you wear in London. There are three suits in Dr No but they are all grey. But they are all different.
The last tailored garment in Dr No
There is also the blue blazer that Bond wears that when he visits Professor Dent in his office and when he goes up to Miss Taro’s home to meet her. The blue blazer is a very versatile garment. James Bond is wearing it because he wants to be a bit more relaxed than what he would be if he wore a suit. It has the same cut as the suit, sportier, not as business like.
Listen to the podcast
You can hear Matt Spasier and I talk more in depth about these grey lounge suits from Dr No and also a bonus interview with Savile Row tailor Richard Anderson on episode 5 of the podcast. Download the podcast on iTunes, Stitcher or Spotify. Or listen in the player above.
Extra Reading on the Suits of James Bond
As every you can find out more on Matt’s site, Bond Suits. He has done a very detailed analysis on the light grey mohair suit in this article here.