Sam Neill as Sidney Reilly on Reilly: Ace of Spies, Episode 10: “The Trust”.

Vitals

Sam Neill as Sidney Reilly, Russian-born British Secret Service agent and anti-Bolshevik

New York City to Berlin, Fall 1924

Series: Reilly: Ace of Spies
Episode: “The Trust” (Episode 10)
Air Date: November 2, 1983
Director: Martin Campbell
Costume Designer: Elizabeth Waller

Background

Ninety years ago today, Sidney Reilly was executed in a forest outside Moscow by a Soviet firing squad overseen by OGPU officer Grigory Feduleev. Reilly had been earlier tried to death in absentia after a failed coup of the Bolshevik government in 1918. Seven years later, he was lured back into the Soviet Union by undercover OGPU agents who had formed The Trust, ostensibly a secret organization raising funds to remove the Bolsheviks from power. Reilly was arrested as soon as he had crossed the Finnish border in late September 1925. Although he would be questioned for more than a month before his execution on November 5, the Soviets almost immediately issued a statement that he had been killed during a border skirmish.

Due to his own self-promotion and tall tales, Reilly developed a legendary status in his own lifetime as one of the greatest spies of his day. Several books and the 1983 miniseries Reilly: Ace of Spies have perpetuated this myth, but the truth is that Reilly was, in fact, a shady opportunist who crossed the globe as he swindled and killed to achieve his means. He was indeed recruited by MI6 during World War I and had been sent to Russia to spy for them, but his true motives were quickly made apparent as he ignored his directive and began working to actively displace the Bolshevik government. Disowned by the British government and nearly broke from relentless attempts to finance a coup, Reilly was quite vulnerable by the time The Trust came calling.

The miniseries flashes forward six years in its tenth episode, “The Trust.” Sam Neill’s Reilly is living in New York, independently raising funds for his coup with financiers ranging from the swaggering but addiction-laden Boris Savinkov to Henry Ford. The episode also incorporates the controversial “Zinoviev Letter,” which was published in the Daily Mail on October 25, 1924 a few days before the British general election as a severe embarrassment for the British Labour Party as Anglo-Soviet treaties are demolished. Historians now believe that the letter, which called for a rise of communist activity in England, was a forgery; some historians still believe that Reilly may have been involved to some extent.

At any rate, the episode provides an introduction to Reilly’s final act. Set in the fall of 1924, Reilly is shown to be suspicious of The Trust and surrounded by betrayals, notably in the form of his new secretary Eugenie. He maintains a healthy (perhaps too healthy) relationship with his now ex-wife Nadia, and it is while traveling in Berlin during the episode’s finale that he meets his final wife, the vivacious actress Nelly “Pepita” Bobadilla.

What’d He Wear?

Andrew Cook’s 2004 biography, Ace of Spies: The True Story of Sidney Reilly, includes OGPU agent Alexander Yakushev’s first impressions of meeting Sidney Reilly when he made his final journey across the Finnish border:

[Reilly’s] dark eyes expressed something biting and cruel; his lower lip drooped deeply and was too slick—the neat black hair, the demonstratively elegant suit.

Yakushev’s mention of a “demostratively elegant suit” jibes with one of the more accurate aspects of the miniseries; Reilly was a fashionable dresser. Through most of “The Trust,” when not sporting a dinner jacket or black stroller, Sam Neill wears a sharp Glen check double-breasted, three-piece suit. The suiting is black and white Glen plaid with a muted red windowpane accent check.

The classic black and white Glen plaid check with a subtle red overcheck.

The double-breasted suit jacket has a high 6-on-2 button stance that he almost always wears closed.

Both of the sharp peak lapels have a long buttonhole stitched into them. The welted breast pocket slants slightly down toward the center of the chest, where it meets the top left button.

The breast pocket collides with the top left button of Reilly’s suit jacket!

Reilly’s suit jacket also has flapped hip pockets straight across his waist. It is ventless with slightly padded shoulders and roped sleeveheads.

Reilly and Savinkov enjoy a few celebratory glasses of Moët.

The suit has a matching vest – or waistcoat – with four welt pockets. The front is single-breasted with a six high-fastening buttons closing over a notched bottom. The back is brown silk with an adjustable strap.

Reilly suspiciously enters the bathroom of his Berlin hotel room.

Reilly’s reverse-pleated suit trousers have a long rise that is covered by the waistcoat but likely worn with suspenders. They have no back pockets, but Reilly often places his hands in the on-seam side pockets. The bottoms are cuffed with turn-ups.

Reilly wears a plain white dress shirt with a large point collar, front placket, and double cuffs – typically fastened with gold links.

In New York, Reilly wears a brown necktie with a pattern of tan diamonds with navy centers and borders. With this tie, he wears a silver collar bar secured under the tie knot.

Reilly listens to Eugenie’s story.

When he travels to Berlin at the episode’s conclusion, he wears a solid brown butterfly-shaped bow tie and no collar bar. The choice to give Reilly a bow tie may have come from a photo of the actual agent in 1924, sporting an equally large butterfly bow tie.

Neill as Reilly and the agent himself in 1924.

Including both neckwear options, Reilly wears primarily brown accessories and outerwear with this suit. His shoes are dark brown leather split-toe oxfords, worn with dark brown dress socks.

Reilly doesn’t remember ordering extra towels.

In both “The Trust” and the following episode – “The Last Journey” – Reilly wears an elegant camelhair overcoat with raglan sleeves. Like his suit jacket, it is double-breasted with a 6-on-2 button stance, although it also has a belt that fits through a loop on each side of his waist and fastens through a brass buckle in the front. Edge swelling is present throughout the coat, including on the large lapels, single-button cuff straps, and the patch hip pockets’ flaps. A single vent splits the back of the jacket halfway up to the belt.

The overcoat combines

Reilly had been wearing fedoras on the series since the second episode, set in 1904 Manchuria, but it wasn’t until this time – the early 1920s – that they truly began to become popular among gents. In this episode, he wears a light gray felt fedora with a wide, dark brown grosgrain ribbon.

Reilly gives his Berlin outerwear an extra luxurious touch with a silk paisley scarf.

Evidently the weather has gotten chillier by the time Reilly arrives in Berlin by the end of the episode; he has taken to wearing a printed paisley silk scarf in various shades of light brown with red fringe on the ends.

Perhaps as a nod to Fleming’s James Bond, Reilly wears a compact Beretta .25 semi-automatic pistol in a brown leather shoulder rig, secured in a holster under his left arm.

Ever the gentleman, Reilly takes off his shoulder holster before going to the bathroom he shares with Pepita.

How to Get the Look

Reilly was a shrewd businessman who knew could influence and manipulate people as needed. His sharp Glen plaid suit that took him from New York to Berlin in 1924 indicated the fashionable and powerful man wearing it.

• Black-and-white Glen plaid wool suit with muted red windowpane overcheck, consisting of
  • Double-breasted 6-on-2 jacket with peak lapels, welted breast pocket, straight flapped hip pockets, 4-button cuffs, and ventless back
  • Single-breasted 6-button vest with four welt pockets, notched bottom, and adjustable rear strap
  • Single reverse-pleated high-rise trousers with straight side pockets and turn-ups/cuffed bottoms
• White dress shirt with large point collar, front placket, and double/French cuffs
• Brown diamond-printed necktie
• Dark brown leather split-toe bluchers
• Dark brown dress socks
• Camelhair double-breasted belted overcoat with double-breasted 6-on-2 front, raglan sleeves with 1-button cuff straps, and single rear vent
• Light gray felt fedora with dark brown grosgrain ribbon
• Light brown printed paisley silk scarf with red fringe
• Brown leather shoulder holster

Feeling a bit daring or just retro? Swap out the brown patterned necktie for a solid brown bow tie.

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Buy the series.

Al Pacino as Tony Montana in Scarface (1983).

Vitals

Al Pacino as Tony Montana, impulsive and hotheaded cocaine kingpin

New York City to Miami, Fall 1983

Film: Scarface
Release Date: December 9, 1983
Director: Brian De Palma
Costume Designer: Patricia Norris
Tailor: Tommy Velasco

Background

Even if you’re one of the 0.5% of the population who hasn’t seen Scarface, you’ve seen this suit and you know this scene. You’ve seen it on t-shirts, dorm room posters, memes, and anywhere that pop culture will allow it. The scene has become legendary over the last three decades as one of the greatest movie gunfights in history for many reasons: an unhinged Al Pacino who may or may not have been pretending to be high, an endless mob of cartel gunmen each meeting their fate at the end of his AR-15, and – of course:

Say hello to my little friend!

What’d He Wear?

After sporting a variety of white suits, bold silks, and pastels through his rise to power over the course of the movie, Tony Montana is surprisingly subtle in a dark chalkstripe three-piece suit when he goes out the proverbial blaze of glory. Of course, he’s just returned from New York City after an aborted hit with the late Alberto (an always excellent Mark Margolis), so he was wisely outfitted in a more conservative business suit to fit in among the Gordon Gekko crowd of ’80s Manhattan.

Tony’s suit is dark navy wool with a chalkstripe that alternates between a thick double stripe and a thin single stripe. It was custom-made for Pacino by Paramount Studios tailor Tommy Velasco and was featured a few years ago on The Golden Closet.

Tony and his mountains of yeyo.

The single-breasted suit jacket has a 2-button front that Tony always wears open, as he tends to do with his single-breasted jackets. It has peak lapels with a buttonhole on the left lapel. Tony wears a white silk pocket square poking out of his welted breast pocket. The suitcoat also has jetted rear-slanting hip pockets, 3-button cuffs, and double side vents.

Pulling back a bit, we get a better look at Tony’s jacket and vest. Inset photo: Pacino’s actual suit, as featured at The Golden Closet.

Tony’s suit has a matching single-breasted vest (waistcoat) that he tends to wear buttoned except while taking off his tie during a less cocaine-fueled moment in his office. It closes down the front with six buttons, with the lowest button left open over the notched bottom. The back of the vest is lined in dark silk – possibly black or midnight blue – with an adjustable strap.

Tony briefly opts for a Dillinger-esque look around the office. Inset production photo shows us the extremely long tie… I know I took issue with the short pink tie in Diamonds are Forever, but this is no healthy alternative either.

Tony’s flat front suit trousers have a medium rise with side pockets. The bottoms are cuffed with a full break. He wears a thin brown leather belt with a small gold square single-claw buckle.

Tony’s white dress shirt doesn’t stay white for long once the bullets start flying. It has a slim collar that he wears unbuttoned – even with a tie – and French cuffs fastened by a set of flat gold rectangular links.

Tony slips on a tie for business time.

It’s interesting to note – although likely just a coincidence – that Tony’s outfit consists primarily of red, white, and blue. Not only are these the colors of his adopted United States, but they also appear on the Cuban flag. In fact, one could argue that the blue and white stripes on the flag are reflected in Tony’s blue chalkstripe suit… but that’s a bit of a stretch. (The blood and the cocaine also add extra splashes of red and white to his suit, so that’s fun.)

The red in Tony’s outfit comes from his slim silk patterned tie that is quickly abandoned after he returns to his Miami headquarters. The tie is comprised of many gold spots with a navy square center, all on a red ground. The tie is worn long, with the blade extending well past the waistband.

Another garment missing for the famous final showdown is a navy wool single-breasted overcoat worn in New York. Not much of the coat is seen, but it has padded shoulders, notch lapels, and a long rear vent.

Tony sports an overcoat in New York City, but he doesn’t need it when he ventures back to the warmer Miami climate. Not sure where I found the autographed inset photo; that’d been floating around on my computer for more than ten years so I can’t properly source it.

Tony wears a pair of black leather slip-on ankle boots with raised heels that are fittingly known as “Cuban boots”, given Tony’s heritage. He wears them with a pair of black dress socks.

If anyone should be wearing Cuban boots…

Tony wears both of his handguns in holsters, removing both before the final gunfight actually begins. He wears his Beretta Cheetah 81 in an IWB at the small of his back, and he carries the Smith & Wesson Model 36 snubnose .38 Special – likely the same one that Gina picks up – under his left arm in a brown leather shoulder holster.

Unaware that he’s minutes away from a major gunfight, Tony actually removes both of his holsters.

With this more conservative suit, Tony also slims down his usually expansive array of jewelry and accessories. Around his neck, he only wears a thick gold link necklace rather than his usual two.

He still wears the gold Omega La Magique watch – with a small black dial – on his left wrist, but he now appears to be wearing no bracelet on his right wrist.

From Tony Montana’s AR-15 to James Bond’s trusty Walther, Omega has always been the watch of choice for firearm-proficient film protagonists.

For most of his “successful” career, Tony can be seen wearing two rings on his right hand. In the preceding scene meeting with Sosa and this final sequence, he is down to wearing just the large gold diamond ring on his third finger.

Tony “comforting” Gina gives us another good look at his big diamond ring and the chalkstripes of his suiting.

How to Get the Look

Tony Montana’s death suit is an interesting interpretation of what an ’80s drug kingpin would wear if plucked from his Miami Vice world and dropped somewhere between Hill Street Blues and Wall Street.

• Navy blue alternating-chalkstripe wool custom-tailored suit, consisting of:
  • Single-breasted 2-button suit jacket with peak lapels, welted breast pocket, rear-slanted jetted hip pockets, 3-button cuffs, and double rear vents
  • Single-breasted 6-button vest with notched bottom and lower welt pockets
  • Flat front medium-rise trousers with belt loops, side pockets, and turn-ups/cuffed bottoms
• White dress shirt with slim collar, front placket, and double/French cuffs
• Red silk spot-patterned necktie
• Gold flat rectangle cuff links
• Black leather slip-on “Cuban boot” ankle boots with raised heels
• Black dress socks
• Thin brown leather belt with square gold single-claw buckle
• Navy blue wool single-breasted overcoat with notch lapels, padded shoulders, and long single rear vent
• Omega La Magique wristwatch on left wrist with gold expanding bracelet, gold rectangular case, and round black dial
• Gold ring with diamond, worn on right ring finger
• Yellow gold link chain necklace

By the time he gets back to Miami and is introducing Sosa’s henchmen to his “little friend”, Tony’s already ditched his tie and overcoat. The white silk pocket square stays in his breast pocket, though it certainly isn’t white by the end of the battle.

The Gun

Ah, Tony’s “little friend”… the Colt AR-15 used by Al Pacino has become one of the most infamous firearms in cinematic history. He uses it to great effect during the gun battle, but alas, even when fitted with a “fake” M203 grenade launcher, it can only do so much against a team of killers and one particularly sneaky shotgun-wielding hitman.

If you haven’t seen this image before, where have you been for the last 33 years?

The AR-15 was first introduced by ArmaLite in 1959 as a battle rifle for the U.S. military. It would eventually be redesigned and adopted as various incarnations of the M16 rifle, but it was a civilian market Colt AR-15 – first marketed as a semi-automatic option in 1963 – that found its way into Tony Montana’s arsenal. According to IMFDB and The Golden Closet:

Originally an M16A1 was used with the grenade launcher and the AR-15 was substituted after cinematographer John Alonzo determined that the AR-15’s firing sequence could be timed to synchronize with the Arriflex cameras, which would result in elongating the duration of muzzle flashes seen on film.

Tony’s AR-15 would’ve likely been illegally modified to fire fully automatic with items such as a “Drop In Auto Sear” or “lightning-link”. Tony cycles through two jungle-taped STANAG magazines, each containing 30 rounds of 5.56×45 mm NATO ammunition. Of course, it’s not just rifle rounds that give Tony his edge against the assassins.

Check out those jungle-taped mags. Tony was obviously ready for something like this.

The Golden Closet currently features the “fake” 39mm smoothbore grenade launcher that was fixed to Tony’s AR-15 to resemble the standard M203 under-barrel grenade launcher used by the U.S. military. In reality, the M203 fires a single 40mm grenade. Eventually, the movie industry adopted the Cobray CM203 flare launcher as a stand-in for the M203 but for earlier ’80s action flicks like Scarface and Predator produced before the CM203 was developed, the “fake” M203 was the best option. (Fun fact: The exact same fake M203 prop that was used in Scarface would later by used by Arnold Schwarzenegger as Dutch in Predator.)

Tony slips a grenade into his fake M203 launcher.

Check out IMFDB for a photo of the actual AR-15 with jungle-taped magazines and grenade launcher that was used in Scarface!

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Buy the deluxe DVD gift set… which also comes with a copy of the original Scarface from 1932!

The Quote

You wanna fuck with me? You fucking with the best! You wanna fuck with me? Okay. You little cockroaches… come on. You wanna play games? Okay, I play with you… come on. Okay. You wanna play rough? Okay. Say hello to my little friend!

Footnote

A photo of Pacino wearing this suit is used for the film’s now iconic poster but with the colors inverted to create the effect of a white suit and black shirt. He does wear a white three-piece suit and black shirt earlier in the film, but promo photography definitely divulge that the poster was used from photos of this dark striped finale suit.

This was my Halloween costume in 2010! Keep this in mind if you’re looking for a costume 11 months from now.

Robert De Niro as Sam “Ace” Rothstein in Casino (1995).

Vitals

Robert De Niro as Sam “Ace” Rothstein, Vegas casino executive and mob associate

Las Vegas, Fall 1980

Film: Casino
Release Date: November 22, 1995
Director: Martin Scorsese
Costume Design: John A. Dunn & Rita Ryack

Background

I could probably dedicate an entire blog to the stellar wardrobe of Sam “Ace” Rothstein. It’s no coincidence either; clothes were very important to the real life Frank “Lefty” Rosenthal, and Martin Scorsese invested at least $1 million of the film’s budget into costuming alone. Robert De Niro wore a staggering 70 different costumes over the course of the nearly three hour movie, and Casino fans know that very little of Ace’s attire can be easily found out in the real world.

In fact, De Niro’s costuming from Casino merited enough attention that Boston designer Ibraheem Youssef created a very eye-catching poster that reflects most of Ace’s suits and sport coats from the prologue through the final car bombing. Today’s entry looks at the third from final entry of that poster, set late in the film as Ace finally confronts his unfaithful wife, Ginger (Sharon Stone, who had around 40 costumes herself in Casino).

What’d He Wear?

This look is about as close to a seasonally appropriate fall outfit as Sam Rothstein will wear. Forget those comfy sweaters and flannel shirts you start rolling out in September, Ace just incorporates fall colors into his loud silk and polyester numbers. In fact, this outfit only features two colors: orange and brown.

The most prominent – and inimitable – part of the outfit is Ace’s burnt orange single-breasted jacket constructed from a shiny, textured polyester. The jacket has two brown horn buttons and a matching single button on each sleeve cuff. The padded shoulders have roped sleeveheads, and the two side vents rise high as was popular in the late 1970s.

Ace goes through the stages of marital grief: stomach-turning worry followed by vengeful anger. At least he’s handling it better than Jake LaMotta did.

One of the most distinctive aspects of Ace’s jacket are the angled lapel notches known as cran necker, fishmouth, or Parisian lapels. The latter two names make the most sense – the notches resemble the gaping mouth of a fish, and the design is Parisian in origin – but I have yet to discover the true meaning of “cran necker”. This type of lapel was featured several times on Ace’s jackets in Casino, but most notably on Don Corleone’s dinner jacket in The Godfather.

Ace’s jacket has three square patch pockets – one on each hip and one on his left chest, where he wears a carefully and rakishly tri-folded orange silk handkerchief that perfectly matches his shirt and tie.

Ace wears a shirt and tie only a shade lighter than his jacket that can best be described as “orange gold”. The silk shirt has a long point collar and the distinctive single-button tab cuffs developed by Ted Lapidus, the French fashion designer who popularized the “safari” look during the decade. Roger Moore had even worn Lapidus cuffs as James Bond in the late 1970s.

I bet The De Niro Look even scares people over the phone.

Ace’s orange silk necktie perfectly matches his shirt. The cinematic Ace – if not also the real-life Lefty – was a strong proponent of matching his colored shirts and ties exactly, a trend that would be revived in the early 2000s by Regis Philbin on Who Wants to be a Millionaire?

With such an eye-popping upper half, Ace keeps it relatively subtle below the belt. Or below the beltless waistband, more accurately. Although we can’t see much of his dark brown trousers, they likely have the same tab-front waistband and flat front as the rest of his pants. The straight-leg trousers have plain-hemmed bottoms.

De Niro keeps it simple: orange on top, brown on bottom. Where it gets complicated is in the super ’70s details.

Ace avoids an incorporation of orange into his footwear, sporting a pair of dark brown laced shoes with dark brown dress socks. The shoes are only briefly seen in one shot, but some color correction shows that they may actually be suede desert boots, which would fit the informality of the outfit as well as the setting and season of autumn in the Mojave Desert.

Ace’s penchant for gold jewelry serves him well when keeping his color limited. His flat gold wristwatch has a square orange dial, which leads me to wonder if he really has a watch to match every outfit… and I wouldn’t put it past him, either. Ace wears a gold pinky ring – also on his right hand, like the watch – with an amber stone. I’m unsure if either of this jewelry came from Bvlgari, which certainly provided all of Ginger’s jewelry during the production.

Ace and Ginger have an unpleasant fireside chat.

For a better look at the costume itself, it was photographed here by Pete Smith (and featured below) at the Harry Ransom Center at The University of Texas at Austin.

Go Big or Go Home

Ace often complains of stomach ulcers during the film, and his behavior during this scene makes it no surprise. Although he clearly works to combat his heartburn and digestive issues with Mylanta, his habit of continually chain-smoking Dunhill cigarettes can’t be doing him any favors, either.

Cigarettes and antacids… Ace snacks like a champion.

How to Get the Look

Ace’s costume, as photographed at the Harry Ransom Center at UT Austin.

This is one of Ace’s outfits that probably wouldn’t work anywhere outside the context of 1970s Las Vegas.

• Burnt orange polyester single-breasted 2-button sport coat with fishmouth lapels, patch breast pocket, patch hip pocket, 1-button cuffs, and long double side vents
• Dark brown flat front trousers with plain-hemmed bottoms
• Orange silk dress shirt with large point collar, front placket, and “Lapidus” single button-tab cuffs
• Orange silk necktie
• Dark brown sueded leather desert boots
• Dark brown dress socks
• Gold wristwatch with rectangular case, square orange dial, and flat bracelet
• Gold pinky ring with amber stone

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Buy the movie.

The Quote

And this… this is how she backed him off.

A few weeks ago, I called for the esteemed readers of this blog to Show Us Your BAMF! I received many excellent submissions from around the world, and I’m honored to present each gentleman’s look – along with a short bit written by them – in person. The submissions received prove that BAMF Style has some of the snazziest fans out there.

So, in the spirit of the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, I’d like to thank all of my wonderful readers, followers, and commenters. It’s hard to believe I’ve been at this for more than three years, but you’ve all kept me going!

All photos and statements below (except for the captions by me) were provided by the BAMFs mentioned by name. Thanks again to the gentlemen featured below!

(If anyone who submitted sees any errors or would like information removed, please let me know! Also – if you submitted information but don’t see anything here, let me know. It likely got caught somewhere in the world of my email!)

John Sorrentino

Brioni tux with Versace shirt. Omega Seamaster watch on holiday off the Bahamas. Very Casino Royale Bond!

John Sorrentino channels Bond in his Brioni dinner suit, Versace shirt, and Omega watch… naturally vacationing off the Bahamas.

Ryan Gregory

I had my grey suit made by Montagio Custom Tailors using your entry on the suits worn by Jimmy Darmody as a guide. The navy suit I purchased during my trip to NYC last year, it was custom made in the 1930s (very Boardwalk season 5) and happened to be a perfect fit! Both are three-piece and are worn with button braces (or suspenders if you like) for maximum suffering in the Aussie sun.

Ryan Gregory’s vintage (and vintage-inspired!) suits nicely channel classic Boardwalk Empire-style looks.

I would also like to give a shout out to my gorgeous girlfriend Kristina, whom I love more than my suits!

Ryan Hall

The outfit I’m most proud that I have worn has to be the French Navy, black shawl collared dinner suit I wore on my wedding day March 7th this year. I wear suits to work everyday, charcoal pinstripe, navy, midnight blue business suits. But for my wedding day I had to have something special. I based my wedding suit on Daniel Craig’s famous midnight blue dinner suit from Skyfall, the first thing I did was find a good tailor and I found that with Briggins of Melbourne who customized one of there dinner suits for me. My tailor suggested going to a French Navy rather then Craig’s midnight blue and it was a good choice and only a shade back from traditional navy and not as light as powder blue. The suit jacket and pants with tailor fitted with a very slim fit like Daniel Craig wore on all his suits in Skyfall. I was working out 5-6 times a week to keep in shape for the suit as I couldn’t afford to put on a pound due to the razor slim fit. Instead of a traditional white shirt I wore a cream dress shirt with french cuffs, instead of a regular satin bow tie I wore a trendier black velvet bow tie. I know most people match the material of there jacket collar to there bow tie but in the end it was a little different and unique going for the velvet material.

Ryan Hall’s wedding tuxedo would’ve made 007 proud.

I also accessorized with a square folded pocket handkerchief in cream to match my shirt, gold square mother of pearl cuff links given to my grandfather in 1953 and to make a statement an Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean on a expanding metal bracelet as worn by Daniel Craig in Skyfall. My shoes were a classic patent leather black and high shined point toed dress shoe made by Louis Vutton.

I wanted the feeling of being James Bond on my wedding day and with my slim fitting french navy dinner suit I very much felt like Bond. My tips to fellow bamf’s to draw inspirations from only the best sources ie. Bond, James Bond and give your outfits a personal twist.

“Teeritz”

“Much to do. Serious household admin tasks to be dealt with. I had to get the kids to school by eight-thirty-five am, then I had to get back home, shave, shower and breakfast before heading to the bank. I wore a pair of dark blue Gap cotton jeans, a Uniqlo SlimFit white cotton shirt, a blue silk cross-patterned tie by Industrie, and a black Pure New Wool V-neck jumper by John Smedley. It looked like it might rain, so I busted out the H&M beige twill cotton trench coat. Just in case. On my right wrist was the vintage sterling silver curb-link bracelet. On my left wrist went the circa 1969 Omega Seamaster Chronometer with black leather strap. I was all set. I looked sharp enough for what I was about to do. I was going to pay for a house.” – originally posted on The Teeritz Agenda, Aug. 21, 2015.

Teeritz brilliantly evokes Raymond Chandler and Ian Fleming in his writing, attitude, and style.

John C.

John C. kicks back with a very cool, refreshing look.

“The Raven”

Well, while I haven’t got a photo (I don’t like taking pictures of myself), I can describe my style. It’s kinda of a classic and simple style, with some rock-music elements – Gazette Adidas Sneakers (usually blue, but right now – turquoise), blue of black jeans (or black chinos), a belt (not that anyone sees it under my un-tucked shirt), a red squared casual shirt. Of accessories I have a wide leather armband on my left arm, a watch facing down on the right arm (I’m a lefty!) (rarely wear them together), and a string of malas in-hand (or in-pocket, depending on the situation); sunglasses are a pair of black tee-shades. I’m also thinking of getting something for my neck, maybe a coin, or some religious symbol (since I became interested in paganism recently), but I’m still thinking about it. When it’s colder, I also put on a t-shirt under the shirt, or a vest, or a sweater. Nothing extravagant really.

David Duchovny and Natascha McElhone filming “Love Song”, Episode 5.06 of Californication, in June 2011.

Vitals

David Duchovny as Hank Moody, rising novelist and family man

Venice Beach, circa summer 2003

Series: Californication
Episode: “Love Song” (Epiosde 5.06)
Air Date: February 12, 2012
Director: Eric Stoltz
Costumer: Alison Cole Godachy

Background

“Love Song” was a welcome break during Californication‘s relatively uneven fifth season, providing a bright spot in a season that arguably marked the end of what had once been a reliably mature Showtime dramedy.

Many fans’ hopes were answered as we finally got to see Hank and Karen when they were a strong couple, both eagerly facing the prospect of their new life in L.A. Based on context clues like Becca’s implied young age and the fact that the film in question had wrapped about a year before the first season began, we can assume that we’re seeing the couple about four years prior to the pilot episode. Both are still basking in the warm promise, and it’s heartbreaking to know what’s ahead of them.

Karen: L.A. changes people.
Hank: Cities don’t change people, people don’t even change people. We are who we are.

Luckily, we’re treated to this glimpse into the past as part of Hank’s songwriting process with Kali, an alluring singer he first encountered on a red-eye from JFK to LAX. The flashback gives us some cool weekend looks to channel a dressed-down Hank Moody without always resorting to the usual black t-shirt and jeans.

What’d He Wear?

Hank has always been an anachronism – “an analog guy in a digital world” he is called in the first season – so it makes sense that he would still be sporting some grunge-inspired duds by the early 2000s when he and Karen finally make their fateful move to the left coast.

(Due to much of the actual on-screen action being black and white, behind-the-scenes photos provided much needed help in nailing down the details.)

Arriving in Venice

Our first look at Hank and Karen at their happiest shows us that he hasn’t strayed far from his original style by the time the show’s storyline begins. Hank strolls with Karen into Venice Beach wearing a brown corduroy jacket, t-shirt, and jeans.

The t-shirt is the most un-Moody part of the outfit, as we’re pretty used to seeing solid dark shirts after multiple seasons of the show. In the “Love Song” flashback, Hank wears a cream yellow short-sleeve cotton crew neck t-shirt with the ornate logo for “PETER TAT-2 ASSOC.” printed in black on the front.

Hank wears his finest dinner duds for a double date with Charlie and Marcy. (Inset: Duchovny behind the scenes, wearing his own pair of sunglasses.)

A Google search reveals that this is most likely from a tattoo parlor in Denver. I had initially run a search in 2011 to find out more, and I was able to secure the art for the logo actually used on the shirt. Four years later, however, it appears that the shop has changed its own art and the logo found on Hank’s t-shirt is no more.

Over the shirt, Hank wears a brown corduroy trucker jacket that appears to be one size too large. The jacket has two patch pockets on the chest that button through pointed flaps as well as two lower welted hand pockets. Hank keeps all six brass-finished metal buttons down the front unbuttoned as well as the single button on each cuff, further emphasizing the length of the oversized jacket’s sleeves. The back is split into three panels, and there is a single 2-button tab on each side of the jacket’s waistline to adjust the fit. The corduroy trucker jacket is likely an original Levi’s model, as the tag on the left pocket would imply.

A production photo of Hank and Karen in “Love Song”.

An ardent advocate of denim, it’s no surprise to see Hank wearing a pair of medium-blue wash jeans, worn low around his waist, as he walks the streets. Hank’s jeans have a standard five-pocket layout and a tan back patch above the right rear pocket.

Hank’s accessories are all his usuals. He wears a pair of tan suede Timberland Torrance slip-on Chelsea boots with black elastic side gussets. His sunglasses are the oft-seen Izod 725 with slim frames and brown lenses. The same simple black leather braid adorns his left wrist… sans the black studded leather bracelet and his silver ring, interestingly enough.

Hank’s reliable old Izods in action. Also note the tag on the left pocket of his jacket… possibly Levi’s?

On the Beach

Hank channels his inner grunge fandom as he hits the beach with Karen, wearing yet another surprisingly vibrant shirt (although the grayscale-filmed flashback doesn’t quite make this evident at first). The red lightweight cotton shirt has a large white double-stripe grid check, accented by a navy shadow check. Hank buttons a few of the 7 white plastic buttons down the front. The roomy shirt has a large collar, two patch pockets on the chest, and unbuttoned cuffs that Hank wears rolled up to his elbow.

Hank and Karen, on and off camera.

T.C.B.

For a business meeting to discuss the eventual production of God Hates Us All Crazy Little Thing Called Love, the show nicely nods to Hank’s earlier style by returning the familiar olive brown thin-waled corduroy smoking jacket from the early seasons. This single-breasted 2-button jacket has padded shoulders with roped sleeveheads, single vent, welted breast pocket, flapped hip pockets, and 3-button cuffs. The left lapel of the edge-swollen notch lapels has a buttonhole stitched into it.

A behind-the-scenes shot of Dave and Natascha filming on the beach.

While the jacket makes a familiar return, the rest of the outfit is all new… and very off-brand for our hero. Hank wears a blue chambray cotton shirt, a fine choice for a newly-ordained beach-dweller, with large white plastic buttons down the edge-stitched front placket and on the square button cuffs. The shirt also has two open patch pockets on the chest.

Hank wearing… khakis? The inset photo helps nail down the color, proving that maybe he wasn’t always so obsessed with his jeans…

To save the most surprising part of Hank’s attire for last, he actually abstains from wearing his beloved jeans in favor of a pair of flat front khaki chinos!

How to Get the Look

My favorite look from the “Love Song” flashbacks includes the distinctive “PETER TAT-2” shirt under the corded trucker jacket. It is very true to Hank’s character without being as obvious as just another solid t-shirt.

• Brown corduroy Levi’s trucker jacket with 6 brass-finished buttons, 2 chest pockets with button-down pointed flaps, 2 welted hand pockets, unbuttoned cuffs, and double side 2-button adjuster tabs
• Yellow cream cotton “PETER TAT-2 ASSOC.” graphic t-shirt with crew neck and short sleeves
• Medium blue low-rise denim jeans
• Light brown sueded leather Timberland “Torrance” slip-on Chelsea boots with black elastic side gussets
• Thin black braided leather bracelet, worn alone on the left wrist
• Izod 725 sunglasses with dark brown lenses

It’s also interesting which accessories (the ring, bracelet, etc.) were left out for the “earlier” scenes.

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Catch up with Hank and the gang by watching the full series of Californication. Many fans (myself included) will argue that the show’s first few years were its best, but this episode was a solid entry from the polarizing fifth season.

The Quote

Come on back to bed. Let’s californicate.

James Gandolfini as Tony Soprano in “The Happy Wanderer”, Episode 2.06 of The Sopranos (2000).

Vitals

James Gandolfini as Tony Soprano, Jersey mob boss and conflicted family man

New Jersey, Fall 2001

Series: The Sopranos
Episodes:
– “The Happy Wanderer” (Episode 2.06), dir. John Patterson, aired February 20, 2000
– “Another Toothpick” (Episode 3.05), dir. Jack Bender, aired March 25, 2001
– “The Telltale Moozadell” (Episode 3.09), dir. Dan Attias, aired April 22, 2001
– “Where’s Johnny?” (Episode 5.03), dir. John Patterson, aired March 21, 2004
Creator: David Chase
Costume Designer: Juliet Polcsa

Background

Take some style cues for the upcoming family holiday from the ultimate “family” man himself, Tony Soprano.

The following looks are found in various episodes across the show’s timeline, so if you find yourself at a mob-run poker game, a therapy session, a parent-teacher conference, or a late-night meeting in a parking lot, you’ll have just the right outfit in mind for channeling the boss of North Jersey.

Happy Thanksgiving Week, BAMFs!

What’d He Wear?

The Sopranos maintained a nice consistency with its characters’ wardrobes, with characters realistically mixing and matching as the series went on. Unlike some shows that try too hard to make their characters look hip and stylish, viewers get the impression that these are real characters with closets full of clothing on seasonal and laundry-driven rotations. It’s a small detail but not one that goes unnoticed.

In several episodes set in the fall from the second through fifth seasons of the show, Tony Soprano wears a comfortable tan flannel sport coat that combines powerful styling with the warmth needed for a character navigating his way through a chilly New Jersey autumn. He often wears the sport coat when facing issues within his own family, making it especially apropos for a post this time of year.

Tony’s single-breasted jacket is tan flannel with a low 2-button stance. The jacket has notch lapels with a buttonhole stitched into the left lapel. The shoulders are well-padded, making the large-framed James Gandolfini look even more imposing when looming over his mob underlings. The sleeves are roped at the heads with 3-button cuffs. The jacket has jetted hip pockets and a welted breast pocket, in which Tony almost always wears a colored silk pocket square.

Tony gives Matt, one of Christopher’s newbies, some advice in “The Happy Wanderer” (Episode 2.06). Three episodes later, he would be much less friendly to the lad.

“The Happy Wanderer” (Episode 2.06)

The first appearance of Tony’s tan flannel sport coat is during the “executive game” in “The Happy Wanderer” when family friend and degenerate gambler Davey Scatino shows up and pisses away the money he owes Richie Aprile. Tony wears a light gray dress shirt with a spread collar, breast pocket, and front placket. The shirt has rear side pleats and French cuffs with a buttoned gauntlet. The cuffs are fastened with a pair of gold oval cuff links.

The role of overseeing the executive game is far more complex than you’d think.

Tony’s printed silk tie is a series of broken diagonal stripes in various shades of red and brown running down from his left shoulder toward the right hip. It is held in place with a gold tie bar.

His taupe trousers have double reverse pleats and four pockets: two on-seam side pockets and two jetted rear pockets that close with a button. The bottoms are cuffed, and he wears a black leather belt – with a gold half-oval single-claw buckle – through the belt loops.

Even in rumpled clothing from an overnight poker game, Tony knows his style gives him an edge over Richie Aprile’s old Havana shirts.

Tony matches his belt to his shoes, a pair of black leather cap-toe bluchers with black laces. The close-up we get of a sleeping Tony’s shoes also show us that he is wearing a pair of dark dress socks, probably black.

At most parties, falling asleep with your shoes on gives the others carte blanche to draw on your face with Sharpies. Tony’s cronies know better than to even think about it.

Last but not least, Tony’s pocket square is a puff of light red silk.

“Another Toothpick” (Episode 3.05)

Tony again dons his tan flannel sportcoat for his first joint therapy session with Carmela. Here, he establishes a pattern of wearing earth tones with the jacket with his UPS-style brown shirt and pants. His dark brown pleated trousers have cuffed bottoms. Tony’s olive brown silk shirt is a shade greener than the trousers and has a point collar. Under the collar, he wears a silk tie with a pattern that loosely connects a series of large tan four-square grids and small yellow dots on a brown ground.

Tony sits through an uncomfortable session with Carmela and Dr. Melfi.

Since this outfit is browner than we saw in “The Happy Wanderer”, Tony sports a pair of dark brown leather cap-toe bluchers and dark brown dress socks. And, in case Tom Haverford asks, he is indeed wearing a light brown silk pocket square.

“The Telltale Moozadell” (Episode 3.09)

Later that season, A.J. is called to task for vandalizing his school’s swimming pool (in a scene featuring a very young Lady Gaga, actually), and Tony and Carmela are called into the school principal’s office. His attire for this family meeting is a simplified version of what we saw at Dr. Melfi’s office four episodes earlier.

A subtle, warm look for Tony, perhaps subconsciously inviting A.J,.’s school principal to take it easy.

Tony again wears dark brown trousers and a brown shirt, this time in poplin and with a spread collar, with his simplest tie yet – a Macclesfield silk tie with a repeating geometric pattern of brown and tan that nicely incorporates both the shirt and jacket colors. No pocket square; Tony isn’t trying to be too flashy when it comes to his son’s future.

The next episode is set during Christmas, so we know the weather must be getting pretty brisk around the time of “The Telltale Moozadell”. Tony combats the cold with a single-breasted khaki raincoat. This simple, clean-looking coat has 5 buttons down the front with a shirt-style collar, single-button tab cuffs, and a single rear vent.

It’s not raining yet, but Tony would be better prepared for it than Carmela.

“Where’s Johnny?” (Episode 5.03)

The last time we see this tan flannel sport coat is for Tony’s contemptuous meeting with Johnny Sack in the Shea Stadium parking lot. This is the most casual look of the four, perhaps to show subtle disrespect for his frenemy or just because the jacket is now one of his older ones. Again he wears brown trousers with turn-ups, but – instead of a dress shirt and tie – he wears a tan acrylic polo with a zip collar and chevron striping. His dark brown silk handkerchief is folded into several points that poke out of his jacket breast pocket.

Tony lays down the law for Johnny Sack. Of course, Johnny Sack probably thinks he’s the one laying it down.

Tony’s Accessories

Already not a small guy, poor James Gandolfini must have felt very heavy in all of Tony’s gold jewelry. Around his neck, Tony always wears a gold open-link chain necklace with a pendant of St. Jerome. On his right wrist, he wears a wider gold chain bracelet.

Poor Tony is ganged-up on during his therapy session. And it’s normally such a happy place for him too.

In case people didn’t already know he was a mobster, Tony also wears a gold pinky ring with a ruby and diamond on his right hand. On the ring finger of his left hand, he wears his plain gold wedding band.

Tony wears a Rolex President Day-Date in 18-karat yellow gold on his left wrist. Tony’s Rolex has a 36 mm case, a “champagne” dial, and a flat three-piece link bracelet with a concealed clasp. Rolex continues to advertise this particular watch on its site as “the most prestigious Rolex model since 1956”.

Tony attempts to win over the heart of a civil servant by flashing his own $10,000 watch.

How to Get the Look

Tony never wears the same look twice with this tan flannel jacket, but he does have a preference for the mobster-esque look of a darker shirt and pants with a lighter silk tie popping out.

• Tan flannel single-breasted 2-button sport coat with notch lapels, welted breast pocket, jetted hip pockets, 3-button cuffs, and ventless back
• Dark brown dress shirt with breast pocket
• Earth-tone printed silk tie
• Brown double reverse-pleated trousers with on-seam side pockets, jetted rear pockets, and turn-ups/cuffs
• Dark brown leather belt
• Dark brown leather bluchers
• Dark brown dress socks
• White ribbed cotton sleeveless undershirt
• Khaki single-breasted 5-button raincoat with shirt-style collar, 1-button tab cuffs, and single rear vent
• Rolex President Day-Date 118238 yellow gold wristwatch
• Gold open-link chain bracelet
• Gold pinky ring with ruby and diamond stones
• Plain gold wedding band
• Gold open-link chain necklace with round St. Jerome pendant

Since the details always vary, keep Tony’s preference for gold accessories in mind if you opt for cuff links or a tie bar.

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Buy the entire series.

The Quote

Tensions are sure to run high at many family gatherings, so a dose of Tony’s sarcasm won’t hurt.

Dr. Melfi: You’re both very angry.
Tony: Yeah? You must have been at the top of your fuckin’ class.

Daniel Craig as James Bond in Skyfall (2012).

Vitals

Daniel Craig as James Bond, rogue British government agent

Scotland, Spring 2012

Film: Skyfall
Release Date: November 9, 2012
Director: Sam Mendes
Costume Designer: Jany Temime

Background

After a relentless cross-continental game of cat and mouse (or, more accurately, rat and rat), James Bond and Raoul Silva finally come to a head at Bond’s childhood home of Skyfall Manor in the Scottish Highlands. The stakes have been raised by the appearance of M, a rare sight in a Bond action scene and here a gun-toting queen in Bond and Silva’s chess game.

Bond, M, and the estate’s old gamekeeper Kincaide (Albert Finney) prepare for the inevitable assault with a charmingly dark twist on Kevin McCallister’s booby-trapping exploits, with an armor-plated Aston Martin DB5 replacing a train-hopping Michael Jordan cutout. With the stage set, all the three armed stalwarts can do is wait.

What’d He Wear?

A nice thing about the latest entries in the James Bond series is that brand tie-ins are so heavily promoted that it’s very easy for a fan to replicate 007’s style… given that said fan has enough money and advance notice.

One of the most popular outfits worn by Daniel Craig in Skyfall was his casual attire while facing off against Silva’s baddies, and it’s been nicely covered by both James Bond Lifestyle and The Suits of James Bond. The olive Barbour jacket worn in these scenes has become especially sought after.

Daniel Craig takes some direction from director Sam Mendes on location.

Bond’s jacket is a Barbour “X To Ki To”, a limited edition designed by Tokihito Yoshida for the brand’s Beacon Heritage line. Constructed from 6 oz. Sylkoil waxed cotton, the sports jacket is olive brown – the only color available for this particular jacket – with Barbour’s distinctive tartan lining. The front of the jacket is single-breasted with two buttons closely placed near the lower torso, where a jacket is traditionally buttoned. A third button is further up at mid-chest. There is also a button at the top which Bond leaves unbuttoned.

Bond stands ready for action in front of Skyfall Manor.

The Barbour “X To Ki To” has a button-flapped breast pocket and bellowed hip pockets that also close with a single-button flap. The ventless back of the jacket features two zip “poacher pockets”, which originated as a sneaky way for poachers to hide their ill-gotten game on their person. With Bond in a combat situation with no central base, it’s smart for him to have as many pockets as possible for ammunition and other accessories.

The Barbour’s “poacher pockets” are seen on the back of the jacket.

The jacket was designed to protect its wearer in inclement weather with a weather flap under the lapels and a leather, triangle-shaped throat latch, as well as a large hood that was removed by the Skyfall costume team for Daniel Craig. It’s not unreasonable to assume that Bond would modify his jacket like this for an action-packed showdown when a hood flapping around may just slow him down. The same soft olive leather is also present on the jacket’s shoulder patches, elbow patches, and cuff edges.

Bond’s in for a long night…

This timeless – and very British – jacket is a nice nod to Skyfall‘s consistent message to the values of “[doing] things the old-fashioned way”. It’s also a functional garment for its place and context. More details about the X To Ki To can be found at James Bond Lifestyle.

The Barbour “X To Ki To” quickly sold out due to its association with Skyfall (and the fact that it’s a damn nice jacket) so Barbour rolled out its Dept. B Commander jacket in July 2013 to meet the growing demand. James Bond Lifestyle nicely compared the Commander jacket – which JBL notes was renamed “Beacon Sports Jacket” in December of that year – to the original X To Ki To. The Commander appears to be a simplified version of the X To Ki To without the hood that had been removed for Skyfall. Rob Delaney would wear this later Barbour jacket on his show Catastrophe.

Scotland has a famously cool, wet climate with a mean that doesn’t exceed 55°F even in its warmest summer months. Bond wisely layers beneath his jacket to keep himself warm but not too bundled as he hops between DB5, manor estate, secret passageway, swamp, and chapel.

Bond’s layers keep him warm but mobile.

The most luxurious piece of clothing that Bond wears in this scene is the blue N.Peal “Oxford Round Neck” sweater made from single-ply Inner Mongolian cashmere. N.Peal delivered 25 of these crew neck jumpers – in a color that they dubbed “Blue Wave” – to the production. James Bond Lifestyle has more information about the N.Peal jumper used in Skyfall as well as an interview with N.Peal’s managing director where the origins of the color are further explored:

For the 2012 season we developed a color named “Blue Wave”. It was one of a series of colors that was intended to evoke the spirit of the Scottish Highlands – vibrant colors but in muted tones that reflect the harshness and beauty of both the landscape and weather of a Scottish winter… The “Blue Wave” was not therefore designed specifically for Bond – but its conception and intention fitted perfectly with both the “Blue” theme of Skyfall and the Scotland Highlands where the sweater was to be worn. By sheer chance we have designed and developed a shade that was perfect for the movie.

Skyfall begat a collaboration with both Daniel Craig and the James Bond franchise. When Spectre was announced to the press in December, Dan wore the same Oxford Round Neck sweater, although it was technically in “Imperial Blue” rather than the more vibrant “Blue Wave”. 007 also sported three N.Peal roll neck sweaters in Spectre in blue, charcoal, and gray.

Tied and tucked into the sweater is a dark brown wool scarf that I have heard was provided by John Varvatos. Between the sweater and his skin, Bond wears a white long-sleeve henley that is best seen when preparing dynamite in the Home Alone-like sequence and later when he disappears into the manor’s priest hole.

The Hoarders team halted their work at Skyfall Manor after finding random sticks of dynamite in every nook and cranny of the house.

Bond’s trousers are a pair of dark brown corduroys that are styled like jeans with a standard five-pocket layout, metal rivets, and a button fly. They are likely the All Saints “Corduane Iggy” in 14-wale cord cotton. He may wear them with a belt, but his waistband is never clearly seen. (Not by me, anyway.)

While £425 might sound steep for a pair of leather boots that would just get inevitably ruined by tromping around in the Highlands, Bond requires the best. He wears a pair of dark brown Crockett & Jones “Islay” full-brogue derby boots constructed from scotch country calf. The wing-tip boots have, as James Bond Lifestyle describes, “bold punching detail” and Dainite rubber soles with storm welts. They are laced through four eyelets with five metal hooks up the front shaft.

I wouldn’t exactly expect these boots to be very efficient water shoes…

Not only do the boots look good with the outfit, but they’re regionally appropriate given the Scotch country grain calf leather and the evocative “Islay” model name; coincidentally, Islay is also my favorite region for Scotch whisky.

Bond continues to wear the same Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra Mid Size Chronometer, reference number 231.10.39.21.03.001, in a stainless steel 38.5 mm case on a stainless bracelet. The watch’s blue dial is decorated with the Teak Concept pattern with a 3:00 date window.

Scratch-resistant or not, that crystal’s gonna be shattered if the dynamite goes off with the watch right there!

Bond finds himself in some heavy combat situations, both in and out of the water, so the scratch-resistant sapphire crystal and 500-foot water resistance come in handy!

How to Get the Look

Bond’s Barbour jacket is interestingly a microcosm for Skyfall itself – timeless, rugged, and definitively British. With the rest of the outfit, he looks ready for battle… or at least a comfortable cool day in the highlands.

• Barbour “X To Ki To” Beacon Heritage Limited Edition single-breasted 3-button sport jacket in olive waxed cotton with button-flapped breast pocket, button-flapped hip bellows pockets, vertical-zip rear poacher pockets, and leather accents on patches and cuffs
• Blue cashmere N.Peal “Oxford Round Neck” crew neck sweater
• Off-white long-sleeve henley
• Dark brown corduroy All Saints “Corduane Iggy” slim fit trousers with jeans-style pockets, button fly, and plain-hemmed bottoms
• Dark brown scotch country grain calf leather Crockett & Jones “Islay” full brogue wingtip derby boots with 4 eyelets & 5 hooks and Dainite rubber soles
• Dark brown wool scarf
• Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra Mid Size Chronometer 231.10.39.21.03.001 in stainless steel case with blue dial on stainless steel bracelet

Rather than modifying a Barbour “X To Ki To” with a removed hood and tabs, you could pick up the Commander and/or Beacon Sports Jacket developed to honor Commander Bond’s popular jacket from Skyfall.

The Gun

Although he still has his familiar Walther PPK, Bond chooses to arm himself for the final battle with a fascinatingly different firearm – a stunning Anderson Wheeler double rifle chambered for the powerful .500 Nitro Express round.

According to Skyfall, the rifle had belonged to Bond’s father, Andrew Bond, who had passed away in the early 1980s but left his mark on the weapon in the form of his monogram “A.B.” plated on the stock. This is yet another strongly British item to appear in the sequence as Anderson Wheeler is based in London and the .500 Nitro Express big bore round had been developed in the U.K. sometime in the 1860s.

Bond takes aim with his father’s Anderson Wheeler Double Rifle.

The double rifle is still featured on Anderson Wheeler’s site, and James Bond Lifestyle states that the same rifle seen in Skyfall can be custom ordered from them for around $24,500. JBL also determined the choice of the weapon:

The movie’s armorer acquired the rifle from London based gun and rifle maker Anderson Wheeler. The request was for a gentleman’s big game hunting rifle, also known as a ‘double rifle’. Anderson Wheeler provided a 500 Nitro Box Lock Express Rifle, which loads a .50 calibre round that fires a 570 grain bullet at around 2,200 feet per second.

Anderson Wheeler offers this sidelock ejector double rifle in multiple hunting cartridges from .375 up to .600 Nitro Express. The model seen in the film is .500 Nitro Express, although you’d never know from our tough protagonist’s recoil; IMFDB states: “Bond’s depiction of recoil is akin to that of a nail gun, despite the mammoth cartridge.”

A man’s man doesn’t feel when a .500 Nitro Express cartridge is fired merely two feet away from his face. Or he’s really good at hiding it.

Anderson Wheeler’s double rifle barrels can be fitted to 24 to 26 inches with a 4mm ivory bead moon-sight on the front sight that can be folded over the 2mm silver bead based on shooting conditions, and the stock is manufactured from hand-rubbed, oil-finished Turkish walnut.

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Buy the movie.

The Quote

Some men are coming to kill us. We’re going to kill them first.

Footnotes

As today is Black Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year, a Barbour jacket may be something worth keeping in mind for any well-dressed gents in your life… or perhaps it’s the time you nudge a loved one that you wouldn’t mind one for yourself!

Today is also often commemorated as a major hunting day – at least here in western Pennsylvania – so this would be some very sporting attire for a day out in the woods.

Michael Caine as Charlie Croker in The Italian Job (1969).

Vitals

Michael Caine as Charlie Croker, British career criminal and mob thief

London, Spring 1969

Film: The Italian Job
Release Date: June 2, 1969
Director: Peter Collinson
Wardrobe Supervisor: Dulcie Midwinter

Background

If you’ve seen The Italian Job, you know the moment I’m talking about. Fresh out of prison, Charlie Croker is taken to a a shady garage – run by a surprisingly posh manager – where the elevator doors swing open and he stands, impassive and perfectly-tailored, as he is presented with his shining Aston Martin DB4.

It’s the perfect moment to kick off this installment of BAMF Style’s biannual Car Week, celebrating the greatest intersections of cars, clothes, and cinema.

What’d He Wear?

Take me to my tailor.

Chris Laverty wisely makes the observation at Clothes on Film that “this is Croker’s ‘make an impression’ suit”, and it indeed leaves an impression on both his fellow characters and the audience. The first appearance of this gray suit kicks off one of the coolest combined sartorial and automotive moments in British cinema as Charlie Croker strides out from the elevator to his new DB4.

The gray semi-solid suit was tailored by Douglas Hayward, Caine’s personal tailor at the time, with a contemporary close fit that clearly differentiates it from the baggier fit of the check suit he wore when released from prison. The suit tells us that this is clearly a man keeping up with the times, just as one would expect from a Michael Caine character.

Croker finds himself the guest of honor at a very special welcome party. Luckily, he’s dressed for the occasion… even if the rest of the guests are undressed for the occasion.

Croker’s single-breasted suit jacket has notch lapels – with a buttonhole through the left lapel – that roll to just above the top of the 3-button front. The jacket has a welted breast pocket and flapped pockets that sit straight on his waist. Each of the long double vents extend up to the top of the pocket flaps.

Charlie Croker checks out the Aston Martin’s 3670cc straight-six engine… but more about that later.

The close fit continues through the trousers’ slim legs, though they are a bit wide through the flat-front hips to comfortably accommodate Caine’s physique. The frogmouth-style front pockets – rather than open side pockets – help maintain the suit’s sleek lines. The trousers have a considerably low rise, rising to just below Caine’s belly where they are held up with a black leather belt.

Croker faces the business end of Mrs. Beckermann’s semi-automatic.

Croker’s dress shirt is pale blue with wide blue stripes. The shirt’s tall spread collar has long points that are most noticeable when worn without a tie.

Ain’t he cheeky?

The shirt, which Chris Laverty theorized was made by Turnbull & Asser, has a plain, placket-less front withe second button placed closely to the top. Croker wears a pair of small gold square links through the shirt’s square French cuffs.

Receiving some news.

For more formal occasions, like receiving a stunning Aston Martin convertible, Croker completes the look with a true blue satin silk tie.

Croker regards his new ride much more stoically than I would in the same situation.

A fitting accompaniment for a mod character in swinging London, Charlie Croker wears a pair of black leather slip-on Chelsea boots. A few glimpses further up the leg reveal a pair of dark socks, possibly black.

Croker redresses after a romp in the hay.

This suit also received an excellent analysis on Matt Spaiser’s blog The Suits of James Bond.

How to Get the Look

Michael Caine looks effortlessly cool as he saunters from garage to hotel in his bespoke Hayward suit, providing a silent lesson on how a close-fitting suit can work in a man’s favor.

• Gray semi-solid suit, tailored by Douglas Hayward, consisting of:
  • Single-breasted 3-button jacket with notch lapels, welted breast pocket, straight flapped hip pockets, 3-button cuffs, and long double vents
  • Flat front low-rise trousers with belt loops, frogmouth front pockets, slim legs, and plain-hemmed bottoms
• Pale blue blue-striped dress shirt with large spread collar, plain front, squared double/French cuffs
• Blue satin silk necktie
• Gold square cuff links
• Black leather belt with small gold single-claw buckle
• Black leather Chelsea boots
• Black dress socks

The Car

Although The Italian Job and its 2003 remake would revitalize interest in the Mini Cooper, each film also prominently features an Aston Martin convertible. The recent version finds Jason Statham speeding through L.A. in a 2000 DB7 Vantage Volante, likely a tribute to the gray 1962 Aston Martin DB4 convertible that Charlie Croker gets his hands on in a London underground garage.

*Having ridden in a Mini Cooper for the first time lately, I can definitely see why people were interested!

Charlie Croker gets acquainted with his new ride.

The Aston Martin DB4 came on the heels of the DB Mark III at the time of its introduction in 1958. The DB4 shared many similarities with its predecessor, but it received a completed redesigned body and a larger and more powerful Tadek Marek straight-six engine. It became the first Aston Martin model to be built at the company’s Newport Pagnell works in Buckinghamshire. Like Croker’s suit, it was inspired by Italian design but manufactured in England.

1,210 total DB4 cars were produced during the model’s five-year run from 1958 to 1963. Only 70 of these were convertibles, a design introduced for the DB4 in 1962. The DB4 would ultimately be replaced by the DB5 in 1963, a car that would grow to legendary status thanks to James Bond and Goldfinger. (Interestingly, in the Goldfinger novel that was published in 1958, 007 drove a DB Mark III.)

1962 Aston Martin DB4 Convertible

Body Style: 2+2 drophead coupe

Layout: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive (RWD)

Engine: 223 cu. in. (3.7 L) Tadek Marek I6 with twin SU carburetor

Power: 240 hp (179 kW; 243 PS) @ 5500 rpm

Torque: 269.9 lb·ft (366 N·m) @ 5000 rpm

Transmission: 4-speed manual

Wheelbase: 98 inches (2489 mm)

Length: 177 inches (4496 mm)

Width: 66.1 inches (1676 mm)

Height: 52.5 inches (1334 mm)

A few unsubstantiated stories surround the legend of the DB4 – with registration plates 163 ELT – used in The Italian Job. One theory is that the car caught fire and/or blew up prior to filming the Turin destruction sequence so a Lancia Flaminia had to be dressed up like a DB4 and destroyed for the scene. Another theory states that the DB4 was used for the cliff destruction scene, but that Peter Collinson wasn’t satisfied with the crash and had to use the Lancia. Yet another theory is that the car wasn’t destroyed at all, and the Lancia was simply used to save the expensive Aston from destruction. Either way, at least one Lancia was used – for one reason or another, as one can tell by seeing the car’s hood opening with a hinge at the windshield end – rather than at the headlight end.

No matter what really happened on that Turin cliff in 1969, it’s nice to assume that there’s a stunning Aston Martin DB4 out there somewhere that was saved from destruction almost fifty years ago.

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Buy the movie.

The Quote

Typical, isn’t it? I’ve been out of jail five minutes, and already I’m in a hot car.

George C. Scott as Harry Garmes, next to a BMW 503 convertible in The Last Run (1971).

Vitals

George C. Scott as Harry Garmes, washed-up expatriate getaway driver

Portugal, Spring 1971

Film: The Last Run
Release Date: July 7, 1971
Director: Richard Fleischer
Wardrobe Supervisor: Annalisa Nasalli-Rocca

Background

Car Week continues today with a recommendation from Craig, a great BAMF Style commenter who also was kind enough to send a DVD copy my way this year!

The Last Run finds George C. Scott, freshly awarded for his Oscar-winning performance as General George S. Patton, playing an aging ex-mob driver living in seclusion in Portugal. He is tapped for “one last job” – as so many retired movie criminals are – to drive a fugitive and his young girlfriend into France. What follows is an underrated action piece that was accurately tagged “In the spirit of Hemingway and Bogart”.

What’d He Wear?

Harry wears a well-worn dark brown leather jacket with a four-button front and knit blouson-style waistband around the back. There is a slanted hand pocket on each side of the jacket that starts around the same line as the 2nd button down and slants toward the back.

Ever the gentleman.

The distinctive jacket’s knit cuffs are a lighter shade of brown than the rest of the jacket and are folded back over the wrist. The same brown knit is visible on the inside of the collar, about 1″ from each of the edge, best seen when the collar is folded over.

Underneath, Harry channels Bullitt with a dark mock-neck jumper. This black ribbed wool sweater has long sleeves with ribbed cuffs that poke out from the jacket.

Harry settles himself in a hotel room. Don’t forget the blue jacket and gray polo hanging… you’ll be seeing those later.

For a warmer day – and a visit with Monique – Harry wears a lightweight orange short-sleeve button-down shirt. The shirt has a front placket, button-down collar, and a breast pocket for his Marlboros.

Interesting factoid: George C. Scott’s third wife Colleen Dewhurst played Monique in these scenes. During the making of The Last Run, Scott left Dewhurst to marry his other female co-star Trish Van Devere.

Harry sports a pair of flat front khakis with a black leather belt. The trousers have straight side pockets, jetted rear pockets, and plain-hemmed bottoms.

Harry’s getaway service not only includes driving you across several countries, he’ll also light your cigarette for you!

Harry wears a pair of comfortable brown suede 2-eyelet desert boots with flat tan soles.

Settling in for a comfortable night.

Harry’s underwear is all white with a cotton crew-neck undershirt and a pair of white Jockey briefs with a thin gray stripe around the waistband.

Harry in various states of undress.

We get a few good looks at Harry’s stainless wristwatch, so someone with a better eye for vintage watches than I may be able to identify it. The silver dial is large and round with two sub-dials, and it is worn on a steel bracelet.

Harry gives his BMW’s 3168cc V8 some TLC.

Harry also wears his plain gold wedding band on the third finger of his left hand.

Go Big or Go Home

The film’s tagline mentions the obvious Hemingway and Bogart connections, and it’s not kidding. We’ve got a grizzled, down-on-his-luck American hiding out in an exotic but lonely European locale with copious amounts of whiskey and cigarettes keeping him company… not to mention his trusty pistol.

Harry takes care of his essentials.

Harry Garmes’ pistol is a Star Model B, a Spanish 9mm copy of the 1911. While the Star Model B was often chosen during the era because the 9mm round cycled blanks better than a standard 1911’s .45 ACP round, it also makes sense that Harry would carry a Spanish pistol while hiding out in Portugal and Spain. Of course, being the old school American he is, Harry would still opt for a pistol based off of the classic 1911.

I had always thought Harry’s preferred whiskey was Dewar’s White Label blended Scotch, but closer inspection of the label yields a different result… although I’m not 100% sure what that is. He definitely smokes Marlboros, though.

How to Get the Look

Harry rocks a relatively timeless look of brown leather jacket, dark sweater, and khakis for the first stretch of his new gig.

• Dark brown leather 4-button blouson jacket with standing collar, knit cuffs, and slanted hand pockets
• Black ribbed mock-neck sweater
• White cotton crew-neck short-sleeve undershirt
• Khaki flat front trousers with belt loops, on-seam side pockets, jetted back pockets, and plain-hemmed bottoms
• Black leather belt
• Brown suede 2-eyelet desert boots
• White cotton Jockey briefs
• Stainless wristwatch with round silver dial, 2 sub-dials, and steel bracelet
• Gold wedding ring

The Car

After almost ten years retired from the mob, Harry Garmes owed it to himself to get a flashy car for cruising around the scenic European countryside. He opts for a rare 1957 BMW 503 convertible, one of only a few hundred that were manufactured during the 503’s three production years.

Harry enjoys a jaunt through the roads of Portugal.

BMW introduced the 503 in 1956 as its first post-war sports coupe, developed in tandem with the 507 roadster with an eye of breaking into the American luxury car market and directly taking on the country’s response to the Mercedes-Benz 300SL. Industrial designer Albrecht von Goertz was contracted and submitted a clean, modern design that would eventually become the 503. Although the 507 was only a roadster, the 2+2-seater 503 was designed to be a coupe or convertible.

Between May 1956 and March 1959, 412 BMW 503s were built – 139 of them were convertibles and became the first European convertible with an electrically operated top. Much was borrowed from the earlier BMW 502 sedan, including some styling points and a 3.2L eight-cylinder engine, although the 503 was boosted with two carburetors and a chain-driven oil pump.

Attractive though it was, the BMW 503 quickly became noted for its sluggish handling and relatively low acceleration of 13 seconds from 0-60 with a top speed around 115 mph. Neither the 503 nor the more popular 507 sold enough to make a profit by the time production ended in March 1959.

1956 BMW 503 Cabriolet

Body Style: 2+2 cabriolet

Layout: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive (RWD)

Engine: 193 cu. in. (3.2 L) BMW OHV V8

Power: 140 bhp (100 kW; 140 PS) @ 4800 rpm

Torque: 164 lb·ft (222 N·m) @ 3000 rpm

Transmission: 4-speed manual

Wheelbase: 111.6 inches (2835 mm)

Length: 187 inches (4750 mm)

Width: 67 inches (1710 mm)

Height: 57 inches (1440 mm)

Harry’s supercharged BMW 503 is fitted with Portuguese license plates EC-75-32, as well as a secret compartment under the dashboard for his pistol. Harry spends much time focused on tuning his car, leaving no doubt that he’s in the right profession. The Last Run is notable among BMW fans not only for the prominent appearance of the relatively rare 503 but also the authenticity of the driving scenes and sounds.

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Buy the movie.

The Quote

Monique: Are you Catholic?
Harry: In the old days, before the fall, I owned a few shares.

James Dean as Jim Stark in Rebel Without a Cause (1955).

Vitals

James Dean as Jim Stark, confused suburban high school student and loner

Los Angeles, Spring 1956

Film: Rebel Without a Cause
Release Date: October 27, 1955
Director: Nicholas Ray
Costume Designer: Moss Mabry

Background

Car Week concludes with a look at one of the most iconic drivers to ever speed across the silver screen: James Dean.

In Rebel Without a Cause, the second of Dean’s three credited films as an actor, Dean played the archetypical angsty teen Jim Stark. After a drunkenly difficult Easter Sunday that landed him in some hot water with the local fuzz, Jim begins his first day at Dawson High School and finds himself also at odds with most of his fellow students – particularly a bully who is, of course, named Buzz.

During a field trip that day to the Griffith Observatory overlooking the city, Jim further antagonizes his new enemies by… uh… existing? Buzz isn’t a very understanding sort of person.

After slashing the tires of Jim’s ’49 Mercury coupe and trying to get a knife fight going, Buzz challenges him to a “chickie run” at Millertown Bluff, setting the stage for the film’s climactic stolen car race.

It doesn’t help poor Jim that Buzz’s girlfriend is Judy (Natalie Wood) who seems to harbor some affection for this newcomer, despite the fact that she may or may not believe that he’s a yo-yo.

What’d He Wear?

Jim Stark wears some sharp duds for his first day at Dawson High, dressed in a jacket and tie to appease his parents in the morning before losing his tie for the actual day. He’s smart to keep the jacket on though, as it’s pretty damn snappy. Fleck was at its most popular in the mid-1950s, and it’s always refreshing to spot on on screen. Jim wears a dark brown wool fleck windowpane check sport coat with small-notched lapels and a 2-button front.

You’d be hard-pressed to find a teen looking this sharp for school these days… let alone a rebellious one.

Jim’s single-breasted jacket has a patch breast pocket and straight flapped hip pockets. The shoulders are padded, and his sleeves end with 2-button cuffs. The back is split with a single vent in the center.

So what exactly is “fleck”? The white imperfect slubbing on Jim’s jacket – which you’ve doubtlessly seen in other films and shows from the era – creates a “fleck” effect (effleckt?) to give the jacket a certain Space Age appeal. Although the fleck grabs the eye first, it’s worth noticing that Jim is actually wearing a jacket with a rust brown-threaded windowpane check.

Jim rides to school in style.

Jim’s trousers are a slightly lighter and warmer shade of brown with a high rise and single reverse pleats. The trousers have side pockets and widely-played jetted pockets on the back with a single button to close.

He wears the same slim light brown leather belt as he wore with his Easter suit. The belt has wide notches and a wide, slim rectangular gold single-claw buckle.

Now that’s what I call an angsty teen!

Jim may also be wearing the same shirt as he wore with his Easter suit, as it’s also a light ecru cotton dress shirt with a large point collar, plain front, breast pocket, and 1-button cuffs. This shirt also has the same large fit that billows over the trousers when the jacket is removed, also revealing the shirt’s double rear side pleats.

Before school, Jim stands in his parents’ kitchen wearing a dark brown silk tie tucked into his trouser waistband. Behind-the-scenes photos actually show a subtle grid pattern on the tie that blends together in the finished film.

The tie appears solid on screen, but a high-res behind-the-scenes shot of Dean joking around with Natalie Wood reveals the tie’s subtle pattern.

When Jim tosses his tie and opens his shirt collar on the way to school, he also reveals the white crew-neck undershirt he wears beneath it. This is the same short-sleeve “muscle cut” t-shirt that he later wears with his red windbreaker; in the post analyzing that outfit, I share some evidence that Dean was likely wearing a J.C. Penney “Towncraft” undershirt with a 50/50 cotton-polyester blend.

Still so skinny after drinking all that milk!

As we also saw with his Easter suit, Jim wears a pair of dark brown leather split-toe loafers.

Bad move, Jim! That one’s not gonna go over well with the local bullies and their illogically abundant sense of school pride.

Jim wears a very eye-catching pair of ribbed socks with an argyle pattern of cream, tan, and brown that ties in all of the outfit’s colors. Although the socks get their best on-screen exposure when Buzz and his cronies try teaching Jim a lesson in front of the observatory, they’re very clearly seen in the set photo below of Dean sitting with the film’s director, Nicholas Ray.

Probably the most interesting socks I’ve seen on BAMF Style yet!

Jim wears his same gold wristwatch on a black leather strap.

More angst.

How to Get the Look

The fact that Jim Stark – considered a rebel, mind you – put together such a nice outfit for his first day at a new school just helps illustrate how low standards of men’s style have fallen since the 1950s.

• Dark brown wool “fleck” windowpane check single-breasted 2-button sport coat with notch lapels, patch breast pocket, flapped hip pockets, 2-button cuffs, and single rear vent
• Brown single reverse-pleated high-rise trousers with belt loops, side pockets, jetted back pockets with button closure, and turn-ups/cuffs
• Ecru cotton shirt with large point collar, plain front, breast pocket, and 1-button cuffs
• Dark brown grid-patterned silk necktie
• Light brown thin leather belt with wide notches and wide gold buckle
• Dark brown leather split-toe loafers
• Cream/tan/brown argyle ribbed socks
• Gold wristwatch with a round black dial on a black leather strap

Don’t wanna look like a nerd at school? Lose the tie.

The Car

Jim’s classic black coupe, whose tires suffer a sad fate at the hands of Buzz’s knife-wielding crew, is a 1949 Mercury Eight Club Coupe.

Field trip!

The Mercury Eight was the first model produced when Edsel Ford introduced the Mercury brand in the late 1930s to take on the entry-level luxury market dominated at the time by Buick, DeSoto, and Oldsmobile. The all-new design sold nearly 66,000 models in the first year with Ford’s 239 cubic-inch flathead V8 engine producing 95 horsepower.

After several styling and engineering changes during its first decade, the 1949 Mercury Eight was rolled out as the company’s first postwar model with a refreshing “ponton” exterior and a more powerful version of Ford’s flathead V8 – the 255 cubic-inch “BG” now upgraded to an output of 110 horsepower. Instantly popular in a year that broke sales records for both Ford and Mercury, the ’49 Mercury Eight also gained a following among customizers like Sam Barris who established his coupe as the first “lead sled” hot rod and established the 1949-1951 Mercurys and Fords as the definitive “lead sled” cars.

1949 Mercury Eight Club Coupe

The Mercury seen in the film, as now on display at the National Automobile Museum in Reno.

Body Style: 2-door coupe

Layout: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive (RWD)

Engine: 255 cu. in. (4.2 L) Ford flathead “BG” V8 with Holley 2-barrel carburetor

Power: 110 hp (82 kW; 112 PS) @ 3600 rpm

Torque: 200 lb·ft (270 N·m) @ 2000 rpm

Transmission: 3-speed manual

Wheelbase: 118 inches (2997 mm)

Length: 206.8 inches (5253 mm)

Width: 76.4 inches (1941 mm)

Height: 64.8 inches (1646 mm)

It’s fitting that the “rebel” Jim Stark would drive a car with such a reputation for customization and potential for individuality. The original 1949 Mercury used in the movie is now on display at the National Automobile Museum in Reno.

Perhaps out of some latent desire to keep his new enemy somewhat comfortable, Buzz provides another black coupe with a Ford flathead V8 for Jim to drive during the “chickie fun” – a 1946 Ford Super De Luxe.

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Buy the movie.

The Quote

If I had one day when I didn’t have to be all confused and I didn’t have to feel that I was ashamed of everything. If I felt that I belonged someplace. You know?

Although, it’s been a rough week for me so I wouldn’t mind hearing this a few more times either:

Roger Moore as James Bond in The Spy Who Loved Me (1977).

Vitals

Roger Moore as James Bond, sophisticated British MI6 agent

HMS Neptune, Faslane Naval Base, Scotland, Summer 1977

Film: The Spy Who Loved Me
Release Date: July 7, 1977
Director: Lewis Gilbert
Wardrobe Supervisor: Rosemary Burrows
Moore’s Tailor: Cyril Castle

Background

For this chilly 00-7th of December, BAMF Style is taking a look at Bond’s post-credits briefing at Faslane Naval Base, designated on HMS Neptune and stationed on Gare Loch as the headquarters of the Royal Navy in Scotland. The submarine-focused briefing Bond receives is especially apropos to this setting, which serves as home to the United Kingdom’s submarine-based nuclear deterrent and was adapted to house Polaris missiles ten years prior to the movie.

Of the 24 Bond films yet produced, The Spy Who Loved Me most prominently features James Bond’s naval service and finds him sporting Royal Navy elements twice: once, as featured in this post, and during the finale when he sports battle dress against Stromberg’s henchmen.

“Ark Royal, wasn’t it?” Admiral Hargreaves recalls, confirming Bond’s naval service aboard the HMS Ark Royal, a name used for several British Royal Navy aircraft carriers but – due to Moore’s age and service – likely referring to the actual Audacious-class carrier that was commissioned in February 1955 and was still in service at the time of The Spy Who Loved Me, not decommissioned until Valentine’s Day 1979.

What’d He Wear?

For his briefing aboard HMS Neptune, Bond wears his Blue No. 1C dress uniform. As its designation implies, the uniform is constructed from dark navy blue wool. This particular uniform was likely tailored for Roger Moore by his tailor at the time, Cyril Castle, who appears to have given it the appropriate traditional English military cut. The battle dress he wears later was made for the film by Bermans & Nathans, confirmed by a Bonhams auction in March 2007.

The actual specifications for British Royal Navy uniforms can be found online. The Blue No. 1 dress uniform has three different levels – A, B, and C. In this case, Bond wears Blue No. 1c, which is determined by modern guidelines to be worn for:

1. Memorial Services unless ordered to the contrary by the convening authority.
2. Officers of the Day.
3. Other occasions of duty or minor ceremonial. Hosting of VIP visits and certain RNIPE events when ordered.

1A consists of medals and bearing arms;,1B is the same as 1A but without arms, and 1C simply wears medal ribbons. For both men and women, Blue Dress No. 1 – introduced in 1889 – always consists of a double-breasted navy blue “reefer jacket”, matching trousers (or skirts for unarmed women), white shirt and black tie, peaked cap, and black leather shoes. The “reefer jacket” terminology is confusing as the term now typically means a pea coat, which also has naval origins.

Bond meets with fellow naval officers in their Blue No. 1C dress uniforms.

Bond’s tailored uniform jacket is double-breasted with a high-fastening 8×4-button front of eight gilt buttons with the traditional naval crown and anchor symbols. Each peak lapel has a buttonhole stitched through. The shoulders are straight with roped sleeveheads. The jacket has jetted hip pockets and double side vents.

Bond wears his Commander rank on his sleeves, with three gold 13mm lace braids around each cuff.

Commander Bond shows off his rank.

As of 2015, Bond has only worn his naval uniform in three movies: You Only Live Twice, The Spy Who Loved Me, and Tomorrow Never Dies. (Interestingly, each of those three movies came out in a year ending with a 7.) In You Only Live Twice and Tomorrow Never Dies, Bond wears three rows of uniform ribbons with his dress uniform; however, The Spy Who Loved Me only features only row of ribbons.

On that single row, Bond wears two campaign ribbons. The first is a white ribbon with a wide crimson red stripe on each end and two thinner crimson stripes between them on the white ground. This appears to be the Naval General Service Medal (1915 NGSM), which was awarded from 1915 to 1962 to members of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines to recognize their service in minor campaigns. This medal was replaced in 1962 by the General Service Medal (1962 GSM), which combined the naval and marine 1915 NGSM with the Army and RAF award to be awarded to all British and Commonwealth forces engaged in minor campaigns between 1962 and 2007, when it was replaced by the Operational Service Medal.

According to Bond’s campaign ribbons, he’s served in the Royal Navy for at least fifteen years. Interestingly, 1962 was the same year that The Spy Who Loved Me novel was first published.

We see much less of Bond’s uniform trousers, but they match the dark navy jacket and appear to have forward pleats and plain-hemmed bottoms.

As specified, Bond also wears a white shirt and black tie. His white shirt has a moderately spread collar and front placket, but not much else is seen. The cuffs likely close with a button, although a fold on the cuff seen when Bond salutes someone on HMS Neptune seems to reveal the “Lapidus” button-tab cuff he wore with his non-military attire in both The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker. However, since Bond follows military regulations of showing minimal shirt cuff, it can’t be determined from watching the film alone.

Regulations also call for polished black leather dress shoes and black socks, and it can be wisely assumed that Bond is wearing both here.

A publicity photo of Roger Moore in Blue No. 1 dress uniform clearly shows him wearing a stainless Rolex GMT Master 1675 with the red-and-blue “Pepsi” bezel. Although Bond’s producers had arranged for Moore to wear SEIKO watches beginning with this film through the rest of Moore’s tenure, this may have been his personal Rolex that he was known to wear both in real life and other movies at the time.

In addition to his regulation peaked cap, Bond also dresses against the brisk Scottish climate with an officers’ greatcoat and gloves. Uniform regulations call for “optional brown gloves” so Bond wears a pair of brown leather gloves as he walks with the admiral. His peaked cap has a white cotton cover with a Royal Navy gold wire badge. The black cloth peak has a single row of gold oak leaves.

Bond walks with Admiral Hargreaves.

Bond’s greatcoat is constructed from a dark navy wool Melton cloth. The double-breasted front has ten gold crown-and-anchor buttons with the top two just concealed under the coat’s lapels. The coat also has flapped hip pockets and a belted back with a pleated upper back and a long single vent to the bottom. Bond’s rank is indicated by the three gold stripes and loop on his epaulettes/shoulder straps. The coat’s strong waterproof wool Melton construction and design keep out the sea winds and moisture to keep its wearer warm and dry.

How to Get the Look

The publicity photo of Moore that also shows off his Rolex GMT Master.

James Bond maintains his dashing reputation both in and out of uniform.

• Dark navy blue wool tailored British Royal Navy uniform, consisting of:
  • Double-breasted uniform jacket with peak lapels, 8×4 gilt crown-and-anchor button front, jetted hip pockets, Commander rank sleeve insignia, and double side vents
  • Forward-pleated uniform trousers with plain-hemmed bottoms
• White Royal Navy uniform shirt with spread collar, front placket, and button cuffs
• Black four-in-hand necktie
• Peaked officers’ cap with white cotton cover, Royal Navy gold wire badge, and black cloth peak with gold oakleaf row
• Dark navy blue wool Melton double-breasted Royal Navy greatcoat with 10×5 gilt crown-and-anchor button front, flapped hip pockets, Commander epaulette rank insignia, and belted back with single vent
• Black polished leather oxfords
• Black socks
• Brown leather gloves
• Rolex GMT Master 1675 with “Pepsi” bezel, black dial, and stainless bracelet

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Buy the movie.

Sam Neill as Sidney Reilly in “Dreadnaughts and Crosses”, Episode 5 of Reilly: Ace of Spies (1983).

Vitals

Sam Neill as Sidney Reilly, Russian-born adventurer and British secret agent

Russia, Spring 1910

Series: Reilly: Ace of Spies
Episode: “Dreadnoughts and Crosses” (Episode 5)
Air Date: September 28, 1983
Director: Jim Goddard
Costume Designer: Elizabeth Waller

Background

St. Petersburg is a hotbed of intrigue in the years leading up to World War I and the Russian Revolution. The English and the Germans are among those vying for inevitably valuable warship contracts from the Russian Ministry of Marine.

Ever the shrewd opportunist, Sidney Reilly finds himself in the right place at the right time and decides to forego the usual channels of submitting battleship plans. Instead, he slyly gambles against a brutish shipping executive who finds himself indebted to Reilly, thus handing a controlling stake in his firm to our hero. At the same time, Reilly has busied himself in a romance with the Minister of Marine’s lovely wife Nadia (Celia Gregory).

The events of the spring culminate in a pig hunting trip where Reilly joins the Minister, Nadia, and his cheeky pal Sasha Gramaticoff for an afternoon of angry swine and loaded revolvers.

What’d He Wear?

For the hunting expedition, Reilly wears a tan flannel shooting jacket, similar to a contemporary military tunic, that would keep him warm in the chilly St. Petersburg spring climate while allowing him a relatively wide range of movement for the demands of the sport.

Reilly swaggers into the killing grounds.

Reilly’s hunting jacket closes with five brown leather cluster buttons down the front and an unattached belt that fits around his waist. The edge-swelled belt buckles in the front – between the lowest two buttons – and is held to his waist through two loops, one of each side of his waistline.

The jacket has four large patch pockets – two on the chest, two on the hips below the belt – that close with a small brown leather button through the flap.

Reilly stands triumphant after not getting shot by a jealous husband.

In addition to the buttons, Reilly’s jacket is accented by plenty of brown leather trim. The shirt-style collar is faced with brown leather, and the cuffs of each sleeve are finished with matching brown leather binding. Above the 2 small leather buttons on each cuff is a line of stitching around the sleeve. The jacket also has brown suede elbow patches.

Reilly nonchalantly chooses his revolver.

Not much is seen of the tan cavalry twill trousers that Reilly wears tucked into his boots, but they are possibly – and very likely – a pair of hunting breeches. The closed jacket makes other details difficult to determine, but they certainly have side pockets where Reilly tucks his hands.

Reilly, in various stages of the hunt.

Reilly’s footwear is simple and practical for the purpose – a pair of brown leather boots with knee-high shafts. When he bends down to help Nadia, his olive-colored legwarmers are spotted poking out from the top of his boots.

He also wears a pair of dark brown leather gloves.

Nadia’s sense of decorum forces her to remove Reilly’s glove before placing it inside her jacket on her breast.

Reilly’s wide-brimmed fedora is a very dark brown with a brown triple-pleated grosgrain ribbon and a large white feather poking out from the left side.

Reilly’s feather sends a nice subliminal message to the pigs he’s going up against.

Reilly never takes off his hunting jacket during the scene, so it’s anyone’s guess how he’s layering underneath. The only thing visible is a brown paisley silk scarf tied around his neck.

How to Get the Look

As one would expect, Reilly has a classy approach to hunting attire.

• Tan flannel shooting jacket with brown leather shirt-style collar, belted waist, 5 leather buttons, 4 patch pockets with button-down flaps, 2-button cuffs with brown leather edges, and single rear vent
• Brown paisley silk scarf
• Tan cavalry twill hunting breeches with side pockets
• Tall brown leather boots
• Olive legwarmers
• Brown leather gloves
• Dark brown felt fedora with brown triple-pleated grosgrain ribbon and white feather

The Gun

Count Massino, the prickly Minister of Marine whose wife has fallen under Reilly’s spell, provides the revolvers for the hunt. “Pistols? Against wild pig?” asks a shocked Sasha. “It appeals to my sense of fair play,” responds Massino, despite the fact that he’d later be aiming his own rifle at Reilly.

In addition to the Chamelot-Delvigne MAS 1873 that Massino arms himself with, Reilly’s pal Sasha takes a blued Webley .455 service revolver and Nadia takes a nickel Colt New Service revolver that has been interestingly modified with a semi-shrouded ejector rod to give it the appearance of the older Colt Single Action Army.

Reilly chooses Massino’s blued Colt Model 1878 Double Action revolver for the hunt.

Massino reveals his revolvers – Top to bottom: the Chamelot-Delvigne, the Webley .455, and the Colt Model 1878. Nadia’s modified Colt sits along the side.

Colt’s Model 1878 Double Action “Frontier” revolver was considered to be an improvement over the smaller-framed Model 1877, which included smaller-caliber models like the .38 Lightning and .41 Thunderer and was the preferred weapon of legendary Western gunfighters like “Doc” Holliday, John Wesley Hardin, and Billy the Kid.

Double-action revolvers had been in various experimental states since Colt’s patent ran out in 1857. Samuel Colt himself had previously considered the design unreliable, but the advances made in those two decades turned Colt’s attention back to a double-action design. The Model 1877 design was mostly borrowed from the Single Action Army, and the design influence still showed when the larger-framed Model 1878 was introduced the next year from a design by William Mason and Charles Brinckerhoff Richards.

Reilly wields a Colt Model 1878 Double Action while hunting for pigs.

The Model 1878, also known as the “Frontier”, was a marked improvement over the less reliable Model 1877 and its larger frame and more robust construction allowed it to fire more powerful rounds like the venerable .45 Long Colt and .44-40 Winchester Centerfire. Models were even available for large British rounds like .455 Webley and .476 Eley. Like the smaller Model 1877, it could also carry smaller rounds like the .38 Long Colt and .41 Long Colt; the smallest round available for the Model 1878 was the .32-20, which was developed for Winchester lever-action rifles in 1882 and made famous by Robert Johnson’s 1936 Delta blues song “32-20 Blues”.

One frustrating aspect of the scene finds all four hunters approaching the woods. Count Massino had already told his three companions that he would give a signal for “the safety catches to be taken off the weapons”; indeed, before entering, he calls out “Safety catches off!” and we see each hunter make an adjustment to his or her weapon with a sound resembling a hammer being pulled back. Of course, revolvers do not have any external safety mechanism – especially these older models.

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Buy the series. This particular scene is from “Dreadnoughts and Crosses”, the fifth episode.

Frank Sinatra as Mike Connor in High Society (1956).

Vitals

Frank Sinatra as Macauley “Mike” Connor, swaggering tabloid reporter

Newport, Rhode Island, Summer 1956

Film: High Society
Release Date: July 17, 1956
Director: Charles Walters
Costume Designer: Helen Rose

Background

100 years ago today, on December 12, 1915, two Italian immigrants welcomed the birth of their son, Francis Albert Sinatra, in a Hoboken tenement. A century later, their legendary blue-eyed son has left an indelible legacy on our culture that can never be replicated. Sinatra’s style, stubbornness, and swagger complemented his natural skill and hard work to make him a living icon and one of the greatest singers of the 20th century.

After enjoying a decade of early success singing with the Harry James and Tommy Dorsey orchestras before his personal appeal allowed him to sign with Columbia as a solo artist, Sinatra’s popularity began to decline. The death of his publicist George Evans, his tumultuous public affair with Ava Gardner, and his own throat issues nearly meant the end of Sinatra’s career by the early 1950s.

Sinatra persevered. His records weren’t selling, and he was singing to county fairs in Hawaii, but he wasn’t going to give up that easily. His Oscar-winning role in From Here to Eternity (shades of The Godfather!) signified the start of a unprecedentedly booming career revival. 1953 also saw Sinatra signing his seven-year contract with Capitol Records that would produce his groundbreaking “concept albums” and – in my opinion – some of the greatest music ever recorded. Despite his perfectionist tendencies, even Sinatra couldn’t help but to agree. After hearing he and arranger Nelson Riddle’s first cut of “I’ve Got the World on a String”, Sinatra couldn’t help but to exclaim:

I’m back, baby, I’m back!

What’d He Wear?

For Sinatra’s birthday, it only makes sense to explore a look best associated with him: a dark tuxedo and – of course – a drink in his hand. In 1956’s High Society, a musical remake of The Philadelphia Story that also starred Bing Crosby and Grace Kelly, Sinatra plays cheeky tabloid reporter Mike Connor assigned to cover a socialite’s wedding.

Mike wears a midnight blue dinner jacket for a reception the evening before the nuptials. The single-breasted dinner jacket has a full 1950s cut with soft, widely extended shoulders, drape in the chest, and a suppressed waist. Although Sinatra had a famously slender frame, the large cut of the jacket is still tailored to look both flattering and fashionable.

According to Black Tie Guide, Mike’s look is quintessential for the era:

Formalwear worsted became lighter during the decade eventually weighing in at ten ounces to the yard. The visual manifestation of this slightly relaxed formality was a preference for the slimming single-breasted jacket with streamlined shawl collar and understated cummerbund. Add to this a turndown collar shirt and narrow bat wing tie and the result was the quintessential fifties tuxedo.

Mike and his fellow tabloid scribbler Liz Imbrie (Celeste Holm) regard their lavish surroundings.

A few details of Mike’s midnight blue dinner jacket signify that it isn’t quite as formal as others, a reflection of the relaxed formality that permeated American menswear during the postwar years. The single button in the front and 3-button cuffs all appear to be plastic rather than covered in satin or silk. The shawl lapels are also self-faced rather than silk-faced.

The jacket has jetted hip pockets and a welted breast pocket, where Mike wears a white folded pocket square. The back is ventless

Frank finds a very polite way to moon Bing.

Mike’s pleated formal trousers are likely made from the same lightweight midnight blue worsted cloth as his dinner jacket. There is a wide satin stripe down the side of each leg, with the side pocket cut straight just behind the stripe. The trousers are fully cut, like the jacket, with a slight taper at the plain-hemmed bottom of each leg.

Mike wears a white pleated-front formal shirt with mother-of-pearl buttons on the front placket. The shirt has a large turndown point collar and double cuffs, through which he wears a pair of gold rectangle links.

As Frank pours Bing’s champagne (clearly showing who was still who in the hierarchy of the 1950s entertainment world), we also see Bing wears a more formal dinner jacket with satin-faced lapels.

Although his dinner jacket doesn’t have the traditional black satin facings, Mike still sports black satin with his slim batwing-shaped bow tie and cummerbund.

Mike wears a pair of well-polished black patent leather cap-toe balmorals with black dress socks, the ideal footwear for black tie.

Frank and Grace Kelly. ’50s Hollywood royalty.

Not much is seen of Mike’s wristwatch, but it appears to be a gold tank watch on a black leather strap. Despite the wealth of information out there about Sinatra’s personal style, it’s hard to find information about his preference for timepieces.

Singing with a drink in hand: Frank, as he’d want to be remembered.

In The Way You Wear Your Hat: Frank Sinatra and the Lost Art of Livin’, author Bill Zehme includes Sinatra’s personal credo when it comes to black tie:

For me, a tuxedo is a way of life. When an invitation says black tie optional, it is always safer to wear black tie. My basic rules are to have shirt cuffs extended half an inch from the jacket sleeve. Trousers should break just above the shoe. Try not to sit down because it wrinkles the pants. If you have to sit, don’t cross your legs. Pocket handkerchiefs are optional, but I always wear one, usually orange, since orange is my favorite color. Shine your mary janes on the underside of a couch cushion.

Go Big or Go Home

There’s no denying that Frank Sinatra and the rest of his Rat Pack cronies are legendary for their drinking habits. In High Society, we see Frank treating himself and Bing to a few – well, more than a few – glasses of champagne, but the real Frank’s preference was definitely whiskey.

Frank tops off a few glasses for Bing and himself.

… and not just any whiskey. Jack Daniel’s was Sinatra’s elixir of choice, and there was a science to mixing his favorite concoction. Zehme gives us the recipe:

Sinatra enjoys his favorite whiskey with his best pals Dean Martin and Sammy Davis, Jr.

Always three or four ice cubes, two fingers of Jack Daniel’s, the rest water, in a traditional rocks glass.

Most surprisingly, Frank would always say: “I don’t like the taste if it’s too strong.” And why should he? A guy like Sinatra could drink all night (and all day), so he may as well enjoy what he’s drinking and be able to keep himself ready to sing – or throw down – at a moment’s notice.

Ice was also a touchy subject for Frank. It had to be just right – not too little and not too much. Zehme tells a story of Sinatra sitting down at the Boston Four Seasons Hotel bar where a bartender served him a glass of Jack Daniel’s filled with ice. Without a word – but with a dose of passive aggression – Sinatra began “plunking” ice cubes onto the bar. When the bartender asked if there was a problem, Frank retorted: “No, but with all this ice, I figure we’re supposed to go skating here or something. That’s not my sport.” And with that, Frank left himself four ice cubes and was able to enjoy his drink.

Zehme even notes his favorite type of glass: “a traditional squat old-fashioned, or rocks, glass”, often with a leaded base that could be elegantly held from below with a linen cocktail napkin in his right hand.

With all that work, it would certainly be a cautious honor to be able to pour Sinatra a drink. Even the man himself was reluctant to do so, groaning “Yeeesh, that’s a brown mother I made!” if he poured incorrectly.

Frank also enjoyed a far simpler voice; even after his throat hemorrhage that nearly ended his career in the early 1950s, his Camel unfiltered cigarettes became a trademark. If he wasn’t drinking or eating, he was smoking; he even attributed his venerable vocal talents to the constant stream of tobacco smoke and whiskey that were coating his throat on a daily basis. After Sinatra died on May 14, 1998, he was buried with his two most reliable companions – a bottle of Jack Daniel’s and a pack of Camel cigarettes – tucked into his suit.

How to Get the Look

If Frank Sinatra could be honored in any way, I’m sure he would appreciate knowing the generations of men who have been inspired by his style. So pour yourself a Jack Daniel’s over ice, fasten those cuff links, and step out on the town with a beautiful woman on your arm. Just make sure you look the part:

• Midnight blue worsted single-breasted 1-button dinner jacket with self-faced shawl lapels, welted breast pocket, jetted hip pockets, 3-button cuffs, and ventless back
• Midnight blue worsted formal trousers with pleats, on-seam side pockets, satin side stripes, and plain-hemmed bottoms
• White pleated-front formal shirt with turndown point collar, pearl buttons, and double/French cuffs
• Black satin slim “batwing”-style bowtie
• Black satin cummerbund
• Black patent leather cap-toe balmorals
• Black dress socks
• Gold tank-style dress watch on black leather strap

In High Society, Frank neatly folds a white handkerchief into his jacket breast pocket. In real life, Sinatra would often be seen sporting a red or orange pocket square with his formalwear.

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Buy the movie, and – of course – pay tribute to the Chairman of the Board by letting the crooner provide your soundtrack today. While any of his Christmas classics may seem right this time of year, the recently released A Voice On Air (1935-1955) would also make a great stocking stuffer either for you or a loved one who appreciates classic style.

Fans of the man’s style should also look for a copy of Bill Zehme’s The Way You Wear Your Hat: Frank Sinatra and the Lost Art of Livin’; I was very lucky to have received mine from Teeritz last year, and it’s become a constant reference for all things Frank.

Do yourself one more favor and pour out a birthday toast for Frank.

The Quote

You know how I feel about my grandmother but I’d sell her for a drink.

Cary Grant in Charade (1963).

Vitals

Cary Grant as Peter Joshua (maybe), mysterious government agent

Megève, France, Winter 1963

Film: Charade
Release Date: December 5, 1963
Director: Stanley Donen

Background

The first scene of 1963’s Charade finds its two romantic leads – Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn – engaged in a flirtatious tête-à-tête at a ski resort in southeastern France. The tone of the film is excellently set in this first scene with the immediate danger of a Luger aimed at our heroine… and the immediate comedic relief that follows when it turns out to be a boy’s insanely realistic water pistol. Grant then swiftly comes onto the scene to trade barbs with Hepburn, although she nicely deflects each of his charming attempts with a witticism of her own.

What’d He Wear?

For his mountaintop introduction to Reggie Lambert, Cary Grant’s abundantly-named character – here introduced as “Peter Joshua” – is dressed for a day on the slopes… or at least a chilly day very near the slopes.

Grant wears several layers below his simple black padded ski jacket, likely constructed from weatherproof nylon. The padded ski jacket closes with a brass zipper that Grant wears up to the neck. The zipper ends a few inches below the bottom of the jacket, where two ends of a brown leather drawstring cord are loosely tied together.

Luckily for our mysterious co-protagonist, the water-blasting Luger is no match for a waterproof nylon jacket.

The black ski jacket has two jetted pockets that zip closed horizontally on each side of the chest. Grant’s jacket also has short elasticized black cuffs and a short standing “tanker-style” collar, which is mostly enveloped by the shirt collar.

The black and white buffalo check flannel collar that Grant wears outside his jacket appears to be attached to a warm red polo shirt with at least two black buttons. Only the collar is seen in the film, with an image purportedly of Grant on set showing the rest of the shirt (as well as a jacket with a larger, shirt-style collar).

Peter/Alexander/Adam/Brian valiantly perseveres while flirting with Reggie.

An additional layer of protection from the cold comes from the white, green, and yellow printed scarf that Grant wears tied at his collar.

The outfit is completed by a pair of black creased-leg ski trousers, likely worn with a pair of ski boots although Grant’s feet are never seen in the scene.

Peter/Alexander/Adam/Brian reprimands the young gunman by bringing him back to his mother by hand.

Grant also wears a pair of black leather gloves that fasten on the inner cuff with either a button or a snap.

How to Get the Look

Cary Grant shows an easily fashionable way to dress for a day at a winter resort… and you know it must look good if it catches the eye of Audrey Hepburn!

• Black nylon padded ski jacket with tanker-style collar, brass zip front, drawstring bottom, and two zip chest pockets
• Red long-sleeve polo shirt with black-and-white buffalo check flannel collar
• Black ski trousers with creased legs
• White/green/yellow printed scarf
• Ski boots
• Black leather gloves

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Buy the movie.

The Quote

Cary smoothly delivers some of the smoothest pickup lines in history, nicely balanced by the always classy Audrey.

Peter Joshua: Do we know each other?
Reggie Lampert: Why, do you think we’re going to?
Peter Joshua: How would I know?
Reggie Lampert: Because I already know an awful lot of people, so until one of them dies I couldn’t possibly meet anyone else.
Peter Joshua: Well, if anyone goes on the critical list, let me know.

Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) aims John McClane’s own Beretta at him in a production still from Die Hard (1988).

Vitals

Alan Rickman as Hans Gruber, shrewd German terrorist leader and self-described “excellent thief”

Los Angeles, Christmas 1988

Film: Die Hard
Release Date: July 15, 1988
Director: John McTiernan
Costume Designer: Marilyn Vance

Background

Like surprisingly many others, Die Hard is my favorite Christmas movie and no holiday season – no matter how hectic or bleak – is complete without a viewing of what is arguably the greatest action movie ever made.

For the first BAMF Style holiday season in 2012, I broke down the rugged (and eventually very sparse) style of Bruce Willis’ John McClane, but it feels like the time has come to look at what the film’s fashion-driven antagonist wore as he led his European gunslingers into Nakatomi Plaza on Christmas Eve 1988.

Mr. Takagi, I could talk about industrialization and men’s fashion all day, but I’m afraid work must intrude…

What’d He Wear?

Nice suit. John Phillips, London. I have two myself. Rumor has it Arafat buys his there.

Obviously, Hans Gruber knows a thing about clothes as he takes the time to compliment the Nakatomi Corporation’s soon-to-be martyr’s suit. Whether or not the dark suit sported by Hans himself is one of his two from the prestigious (but ultimately fictional) John Phillips.

Hans Gruber’s dark charcoal suit is very contemporary to its 1980s setting, not surprising for a man so interested in fashion and image. The jacket is cut short with a double-breasted 4-on-2 button stance.

Hans meets his new buddies at the Nakatomi Corporation!

Hans’ combination of notch lapels and a double-breasted front was most popular during the decade, although it also popped up a bit during the ’60s. When he makes his first appearance on screen, Hans wears his lapels flipped up under his raincoat to create a more menacing look before he enters “businessman” mode when taking over the building. Each lapel has a buttonhole.

The jacket also has a welted breast pocket, jetted hip pockets, a ventless back, and padded shoulders with roped sleeveheads. All in all, very befitting for a flashy ’80s terrorist’s power suit.

Much less is seen of the trousers, especially as Hans spends so much time behind a desk once he has taken control. They have side pockets and plain-hemmed bottoms with a full break. He wears them with a black leather belt with a gold single-claw buckle.

Hans wears a pale blue poplin dress shirt. The collar is slim with moderate spread, and the rounded cuffs close with a button. The front has a placket and a pointed-bottom pocket over the left breast.

Hans really wanted that new iPhone for Christmas, but Ma and Pa Gruber shafted him with a secondhand Kenwood walkie-talkie. Maybe next year…

Just because he’s killing and stealing on Christmas Eve doesn’t mean Hans Gruber isn’t one to inject some holiday fun into his attire! Hans wears a maroon silk necktie, tied in a four-in-hand knot.

Unlike his nemesis, Hans manages to keep his feet covered throughout the evening. He wears a pair of black leather cap-toe bluchers and black dress socks.

Stubbing out one of the Gauloises he bummed from McClane…

For his on-screen introduction, Hans Gruber wears the trope-worthy Badass Longcoat, here in the form of a taupe raincoat. The coat is worn open with a loose belt hooked through a loop on each side. Each lapel has a buttonhole through it, and the jacket’s cuffs close through a single button tab.

In lieu of a scarf, Hans just flips up his suit lapels. Win win.

Finally, Hans’ sole visible accessory is a gold tank watch fastened to his left wrist on a black alligator strap.

Still smarting over not getting that iPhone…

How to Get the Look

If not for his nefarious aims, Hans Gruber would have certainly looked the part of a very welcome guest at a company Christmas party in the ’80s!

• Charcoal tailored “power suit”, consisting of:
  • Double-breasted 4×2-button jacket with notch lapels, welted breast pocket, jetted hip pockets, 3-button cuffs, and ventless back
  • Trousers with belt loops, side pockets, and plain-hemmed bottoms
• Pale blue poplin dress shirt with slim collar, breast pocket, front placket, and rounded button cuffs
• Maroon silk tie
• Black leather belt with square gold single-claw buckle
• Black leather cap-toe bluchers
• Black dress socks
• Taupe belted raincoat with 1-button tab cuffs and long single rear vent
• Gold tank watch on black alligator leather strap

The Gun

For his takeover of Nakatomi Plaza, Hans Gruber’s sidearm is a Heckler & Koch P7M13 semi-automatic pistol, finished in hard chrome and chambered in 9×19 mm Parabellum. Although Hans and his gang are clearly involved in criminal activity without much regard for noise, he is seen removing a suppressor (which matches the pistol’s chrome finish) when he first draws it on Mr. Takagi. According to IMFDB, this indicates that “it’s not a P7M13SD because there is no threaded barrel to use a suppressor”

Hans blows his job interview almost immediately.

Heckler & Koch GmbH first revealed its PSP in 1976, aimed at the police market. Production began on the P7 three years later, and the weapon was soon adopted by the German Army’s special forces and the GSG 9 counter-terrorism unit. In addition to its distinguished look and innovative cocking-lever grip, the P7 series utilizes a unique gas-delayed blowback locking system which utilizes each ignited cartridge’s gas pressures.

Hans should consider finding a better place to store his weapon.

The first variant of the P7 was the P7M8 in the early 1980s, followed quickly by the P7M13 in 1982 which could carry 13-round magazines of 9 mm ammunition. With its double-stack magazine, the P7M13 was slightly larger at 30 ounces with an overall length of 6.9 inches, sharing the P7M8’s barrel length of 4.1 inches.

Supposedly Alan Rickman had trouble keeping his eyes open when exposed to the multiple instances of muzzle flash in the film, but this shows that he could keep it together when needed!

The script initially called for a Walther:

Hans slowly takes out his Walther and his silencer.

…which still found use in the film in the form of the menacing Karl’s Walther PPK. Instead, Hans was armed with the less familiar (and thus more exotic) but equally German Heckler & Koch P7M13.

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Buy the movie.

The Quote

Who said we were terrorists?

Footnote

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you and yours!

Robert Redford as Nathan Muir in Spy Game (2001).

Vitals

Robert Redford as Nathan Muir, experienced CIA case officer

Berlin, Christmas 1976

Film: Spy Game
Release Date: November 21, 2001
Director: Tony Scott
Costume Designer: Louise Frogley
Redford’s Costumer: David Page

Background

After recruiting the talented Tom Bishop for an assassination in the closing days of the Vietnam War, CIA case officer Nathan Muir determines that Bishop would make a fine operative for the agency. Nathan pulls the strings to isolate Bishop for more than a year, secretly assigning the young Marine to a lonely post in Berlin.

Muir then shrewdly chooses Christmas – a vulnerable holiday for lonely folks – as his opportunity to swoop in with a “chance encounter” at a train station. Bishop joins Muir and one of his wives for a Christmas party that evening, and their decade-long career is born.

What’d He Wear?

Nathan Muir provides a comfortable and fashionable way to layer for a winter party.

Muir wears an ivory-colored (or báinín) wool cable knit “fisherman sweater”, also known as an Aran jumper. This classic and oft-reinterpreted winter staple for both men and women takes its name from the Aran Islands off the west coast of Ireland. Aran jumpers are constructed from natural, water-repellant wool fiber that can absorb 30% of its weight in water before feeling wet, keeping its sea-bound wearers warm and dry.

Muir and Bishop’s chat about joining the CIA likely trumps most people’s boring party banter.

The complex textured stitching on each sweater often uniquely tells the story of its wearer or his family, and – according to Aran Sweater Market – was often used to identify the bodies of dead fisherman who washed up on the beach after an accident. The cable seen on most fisherman sweaters symbolizes a wish for safety and good luck, the honeycomb symbolizes hardworking bees, diamonds symbolize eventual wealth and success, and the basket stitch represents the full basket that would bring home a hearty catch from a day at sea.

Beneath the sweater, Muir wears a light blue long-sleeve shirt with a subtle gray check. The shirt has a medium-spread collar and dark gray plastic buttons down the front and on the cuffs. He also wears it later during Bishop’s training, layered underneath a charcoal zip-front sweater.

At the train station, Muir foregoes an overcoat in favor of a warm tweed sportcoat and wool scarf. The slightly oversized single-breasted jacket is constructed of gray tweed with swelled edges throughout. It has notch lapels, a welted breast pocket, and flapped hip pockets. The two-button front and two buttons on each cuff are black leather clusters. It has padded shoulders with roped sleeveheads, and it appears to be ventless. It is decidedly not the same as the gray herringbone tweed sportcoat he wears during the film’s “present day” scenes set in CIA headquarters in 1990.

Muir and one of the many Mrs. Muirs.

Muir’s scarf is dark brown and navy blue plaid wool. It looks soft and is likely cashmere, a much more luxurious wool befitting a man like Nathan Muir who knows what he likes.

The same model Victorinox Officer’s 1884 as sported by Robert Redford in Spy Game.

Muir sports a pair of drab brown wool trousers and dark brown leather bluchers with this outfit. Given this knowledge and Muir’s propensity for subtlety, it can be assumed that his socks are also a dark shade of brown.

Most of Muir’s accessories are consistent with what we see through the rest of Spy Game. He wears his same stainless Victorinox Swiss Army Officer’s 1884 wristwatch on his right wrist; this watch has a stainless 41mm case, white dial, and stainless link bracelet.

Robert Redford’s usual silver ring – a gift from Hopi Indians in 1966 – is on the third finger of his right hand, while he wears a gold wedding band on the ring finger of his left hand, apropos to the beautiful blonde on his arm in the Berlin train station.

Rather than the Oliver Peoples specs he wears in the film’s later-set sequences, Muir wears a pair of gold-framed aviator-style eyeglasses seen in most of Spy Game‘s 1970s segments.

What to Imbibe

Muir lays out his rules for drinking pretty clearly during Bishop’s training.

Bishop: I thought spies drank martinis.
Muir: Scotch, never less than twelve years old.
Bishop: Is that right? Agency rules?
Muir: My rules.

Like any good spy (and person), Muir enjoys his single malt neat – with no ice.

Here, the Scotch in question is a bottle of The Glenlivet 18 Year single malt. If you’ve ever got about $80 burning a hole in your pocket, it may be worth it for you to invest in a bottle as well.

How to Get the Look

Nathan Muir proves that no red or green are needed to look stylish and comfortable for a chilly holiday party.

• Ivory cable-knit natural wool crew-neck “fisherman’s sweater”
• Light blue gray-checked long-sleeve shirt
• Gray tweed single-breasted 2-button sportcoat with notch lapels, welted breast pocket, flapped hip pockets, 2-button cuffs, and ventless back
• Brown trousers
• Dark brown leather bluchers
• Dark brown socks
• Victorinox Swiss Army Officer’s 1884 wristwatch with stainless 41mm case, white dial, and stainless link bracelet, worn on right wrist
• Silver Hopi Indian ring with black imprint, worn on right ring finger
• Gold wedding band, worn on left ring finger
• Gold square-framed “aviator” eyeglasses

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Buy the movie.

The Quote

Technology gets better everyday. That’s fine. But most of the time all you need is a stick of gum, a pocket knife and a smile.

Steve Buscemi as Enoch “Nucky” Thompson in “Resolution”, Episode 3.01 of Boardwalk Empire (2010-2014).

Vitals

Steve Buscemi as Enoch “Nucky” Thompson, crooked city politician and influential mob bootlegger

Atlantic City, New Year’s Eve 1922

Series: Boardwalk Empire
Episode: “Resolution” (Episode 3.01)
Air Date: September 16, 2012
Director: Tim Van Patten

Background

Tomorrow night is New Year’s Eve, an evening that sees many flocking to friends’ houses, bar parties, or an overcrowded section of New York without realizing that even the country’s most populous city can’t handle the lavatory needs of one million intoxicated visitors.

But I digress. For the lovable gang of murderous bootleggers on Boardwalk Empire, New Year’s Eve is an opportunity to party at the home of the town’s gregarious and graft-loving treasurer, Nucky Thompson. To ring in 1923, Nucky has a full evening planned with a literal treasure chest of gifts as well as live entertainment from Eddie Cantor and Billie Kent, his latest mistress an up-and-coming showgirl.

Guests include old favorites like Charlie “Lucky” Luciano, Meyer Lansky, and Arnold Rothstein, but Nucky also welcomes a relative newcomer, the volatile Italian gangster Gyp Rosetti who doesn’t set a good example for America’s youth about treating a host with kindness.

What’d He Wear?

And then there’s you. Fucking breadstick in a bow tie. You pasty-faced, cocksucking-

Poor Nucky goes to all this work to look sharp for his New Year’s bash, and then he goes and gets insulted for his bow tie and complexion. Although I can’t guarantee that your party’s Gyp Rosetti won’t level a few unnecessary insults in your direction, I can endorse Nucky Thompson’s dinner suit as a fine way for a gentleman to stand out at any upcoming New Year celebrations.

As the party’s King Tut, Nucky knows it’s his duty to his guests – as well as his own sartorial reputation – to maintain his usual resplendent levels of dress for the evening. He saunters into the party in a black wool dinner jacket that seems to have borrowed more styling cues from his business suits than the typical tuxedo. The single-breasted jacket has three black satin-covered buttons in the front (with the lapels gently rolling over the top button), at Nucky’s typical high stance, with straight shoulders, roped sleeveheads, and a full chest. Nucky continues to channel his classic Edwardian style with satin-faced “turnback” gauntlets accompanying the four satin-covered buttons on each cuff.

Nucky and Margaret host a King Tut-themed New Year’s shindig.

Nucky’s dinner jacket was clearly styled after his business suits, not unlike the lukewarm-received ivory Tom Ford “Windsor” dinner jacket that showed up on James Bond in Spectre. Its sporty details like the unconventional multi-button front, flapped hip pockets, and single rear vent are all more traditionally seen on suit jackets and sport coats than dinner jackets, where they are considered very out of place. However this was 1923, and the dinner jacket was still finding its footing. It’s not beyond the edge of reason to assume that a flamboyant individualist like Nucky would use this opportunity to allow himself to stand out from the others while embracing a style that is clearly comfortable for him. Plus, as the host of the party, who would be allowed to complain? (Besides Gyp Rosetti, who takes it upon himself to take offense to everything.)

For a more contemporary look that would also be correct to black tie, a dinner jacket should have a single button in the front (for smoother lines), jetted hip pockets, and preferably a ventless back. Most modern jackets that follow Nucky’s example of more than one button in the front and single vents end up looking more like rentals… and that’s a look that would certainly disappoint Nucky Thompson.

The details of Nucky’s dinner jacket may make sartorial purists cringe, but he wouldn’t care. In fact, he hardly looks like he cares about a single damn thing right here.

Nucky’s dinner jacket has wide peak lapels with slanted gorges, and a closer look at the collar reveals some of the jacket’s poorly-fitting aspects. There is a larger gap between Steve Buscemi’s neck and the jacket collar, revealing much more of the shirt and vest beneath than one would typically desire. This could be explained by the revolver holstered under Nucky’s left armpit, which would certainly pull the jacket away from the neck, but it’s surprising that this would not have been taken into consideration when Nuck was being fitted for what would obviously be a bespoke jacket.

Nucky sports a small green pin through his left lapel.

Nucky lays down the law.

Under his dinner jacket, Nucky wears a black silk double-breasted waistcoat with a subtle black check pattern.

Nucky spends the early hours of 1923 in his office, drinking alone…

Nucky’s waistcoat has shawl lapels, four welted pockets, and a 6-on-3 button layout over the straight bottom. The taupe silk back of the vest is printed with ornate dots.

In the lower left welt pocket of his vest, Nucky wears his gold Elgin open-faced pocket watch, attached to a gold 18″ chain. The watch has a white dial and a 6:00 sub-dial. At the other end of the chain, which loops through the upper left welt pocket, is a trio of gold cubes.

…unless you count his Colt Police Positive revolver as an acquaintance. (At least an auld one not to be forgot?)

Although he may wear some unconventional items like the fancy waistcoat and non-traditional dinner jacket, Nucky keeps everything relatively standard and simple from the waist down. His black wool flat front formal trousers have the typical satin side stripe with on-seam side pockets and plain-hemmed bottoms. On his feet are a pair of black patent leather cap-toe balmorals and black dress socks.

I’d be very (pleasantly) surprised if anyone brings in 2016 the same as this group welcomed 1923.

Wing collars were still de rigueur for men’s formalwear in the early 1920s, not that it would’ve stopped Nucky. Still, he adheres to convention with his white formal shirt with its textured piqué front bib, black studs, and detachable wing collar. The collar is held into place with a single metal stud through the front and through the back.

When Nucky takes off his dinner jacket (and Billie takes off everything), we see more of his formal shirt, which appears to have a tonal stripe through the sleeves. At the end of each sleeve is a mother-of-pearl gauntlet button and rounded double cuffs, through which Nucky wears a set of flat, round black cuff links with gold trim.

Nucky nicely compliments his new mistress Billie Kent’s thighs as “the only place I can truly rest my head.” Remember that one, fellas.

And, ah, the black satin bow tie that made Gyp so angry. Perhaps Gyp, who was sporting a diamond-pointed bow tie that evening, was just upset by Nucky’s choice of a batwing-shaped tie. Or – more likely – Gyp is just insane. Either way, Nucky appears to have overcome his rookie mistake of wearing a bow tie with a visible adjuster.

Sure it’s a bow tie, but it hardly makes him a breadstick, Gyp.

When he ditches Margaret after the party, Nucky dons his usual evening outerwear, consisting of a black homburg, white printed silk scarf, and black wool overcoat. The single-breasted coat has peak lapels and 3-button cuffs visible in this scene. (I can’t confirm any other appearances of this particular coat anywhere else in the series, unfortunately.)

Nucky abandons Margaret after another fine mess.

For the first time in the show’s history, Nucky appears to be constantly armed. Like many a movie badass, he opts for a shoulder holster with a brown leather rig holstering his nickel Colt Police Positive revolver – with white pearl grips, of course – under his left armpit for a right-handed draw. The holster is secured with a gray adjustable strap that hooks over his right shoulder.

Nuck pours himself a few fingers of whiskey to ring in the new year.

Now a happily married man, Nucky wears a plain gold wedding band on the third finger of his left hand. The ScreenBid.com prop auction earlier in 2015 confirmed that Nucky’s ring was actually gold-painted. If you’re married, you may want to opt for something a little more authentic and less… you know… painted.

What to Imbibe

When it’s time to get down to business with his associates, Nucky and his crew dig into a bottle of bootleg American whiskey, a libation in which he also takes post-party solace.

Of course, it’s a party – a New Year party, at that – so Nucky also has champagne on hand for his guests. Ever the gracious host, the Veuve Clicquot flows very freely through the Thompson house on New Year’s Eve 1922. Let it flow freely through yours as well!

How to Get the Look

Nucky welcomes 1923 with – as expected – a very individual, non-conformist approach to black tie. What will you be wearing to welcome 2016?

• Black wool single-breasted 3-roll-2-button dinner jacket with satin-faced peak lapels, welted breast pocket, rear-slanting flapped hip pockets, 4-button cuffs with satin-faced “turnback” gauntlets, and single rear vent
• Black check-printed silk double-breasted waistcoat with shawl lapels, 6×3 button front, four welt pockets, straight bottom, and taupe spotted silk back
• Black wool flat front formal trousers with satin side stripe, on-seam side pockets, and plain-hemmed bottoms
• White striped formal shirt with detachable wing collar, textured piqué front bib, black studs, and double/French cuffs
• Black satin “batwing”-shaped bow tie
• Gold-edged flat black round cuff links
• Black patent leather cap-toe balmorals
• Black dress socks
• Black wool single-breasted overcoat with peak lapels and 3-button cuffs
• White printed silk scarf
• Black felt homburg with black ribbon
• Brown leather shoulder holster with gray strap, for RHD revolver
• Elgin gold open-faced pocket watch with white dial and 6:00 sub-dial on gold 18″ chain attached to gold fobs
• Plain gold wedding band

Based on the details, this does appear to be the same dinner jacket that Nucky would wear throughout the fourth season, albeit with different shirts, bow ties, and waistcoats. I’ll cover his fourth season black tie at another time.

And Nucky certainly has a habit for wearing non-traditional formalwear, as the unique dinner jacket paired with a white bow tie during the first two seasons can verify.

Do Yourself a Favor and…

This episode is from the third season, but now that the series has wrapped up – and done so beautifully, I might add – you should try and get your hands on the entire show!

The Quote

New year, new rules.

Anatol Yusef, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Vincent Piazza as Meyer Lansky, Arnold Rothstein, and “Lucky” Luciano, respectively, on Boardwalk Empire (Episode 3.01 – “Resolution”).

Vitals

Michael Stulhbarg as Arnold Rothstein, powerful New York gambler and racketeer
Vincent Piazza as Charlie “Lucky” Luciano, the Mafia’s smooth and ambitious future chief
Anatol Yusef as Meyer Lansky, Rothstein’s clever mob protégé
Bobby Cannavale as Gyp Rosetti, violent and hotheaded Italian-born gangster

Atlantic City, New Year’s Eve 1922

Series: Boardwalk Empire
Episode: “Resolution” (Episode 3.01)
Air Date: September 16, 2012
Director: Tim Van Patten

Background

Not every man is a Nucky Thompson. A group of New York gangsters choosing Nucky’s basement to talk business while a party oblivious heaves forward upstairs leads itself to a major conglomeration of styles – both in leadership and in attire – that illustrate just how much about a man can be determined by looking at the way he puts himself together.

What’d They Wear?

The notion of black tie may sound restrictive to a novice, but part of its charm comes from the amount of personalization that a man can still fashionably pull off without being relegated to the implied limitations of a “penguin suit”.

When A.R., Lucky, Lansky, and Rosetti converge on Nucky Thompson’s New Year’s Eve party, Boardwalk Empire presented a mishmash of formalwear fashion that nicely represented each man’s position both in life and in the criminal hierarchy.

Arnold Rothstein, George Remus, Meyer Lansky, and “Lucky” Luciano are among Nucky Thompson’s distinguished New Year’s guests. We’ll disregard George Remus just because anyone who refers to himself in the third person so frequently (then shoots and kills his wife, but that’s a different story) doesn’t quality as a BAMF in my book.

Arnold Rothstein

The low-key but successful gambler dresses in traditional black tie with his single-breasted peak-lapel dinner jacket and wing collar shirt. However, he does add a touch of the classic Old West gambler look with a fancy waistcoat, evoking images of Doc Holliday and the frontier forbearers of Rothstein’s chosen occupation and favorite pastime.

A real life mentor to up-and-coming mobsters like Lansky and Luciano, Rothstein prided himself on his attire, and he is arguably the best-dressed of Nucky’s most prominent guests.

Details:

• Black wool single-breasted 1-button dinner jacket with satin-faced peak lapels and welted breast pocket
• Blue & gold paisley single-breasted waistcoat with sharp peak lapels, six high-fastening covered buttons, four welt pockets, and notched bottom
• Black wool forward-pleated formal trousers with satin side stripes and slanted side pockets
• White formal shirt with mother-of-pearl studs down front placket, double cuffs, and detachable wing collar
• Black satin bow tie
• Gold pocket watch, worn on a gold chain through waistcoat

Charlie “Lucky” Luciano

As a slick gangster who cared a little too much about the ladies, Salvatore Lucania always strived to dress at the cutting edge of fashion. His shawl-lapel dinner jacket, striped waistcoat, and large wing collar would have drawn much attention in the early 1920s.

Shawl lapels had all but disappeared from white tie tailcoats during World War I, so the fashionable Luciano’s shawl lapel on his dinner jacket a decade later indicates a clear movement away from tradition.

Details:

• Black wool single-breasted 1-button dinner jacket with satin-faced shawl lapels and welted breast pocket
• Dark blue striped silk single-breasted waistcoat with shawl lapels, six covered high-fastening buttons, four welt pockets, and notched bottom
• Black wool formal trousers with satin side stripes
• White formal shirt with mother-of-pearl studs down wide front placket, double cuffs, and detachable wide wing collar
• Black satin butterfly-shaped bow tie

Meyer Lansky

Lansky was always known for his sharp business savvy before his dress, although he was certainly no slouch. Here, the youthful mobster – only 20 years old and far from his future reputation as the “Mob’s Accountant” – looks a bit less refined than the others in his dinner jacket with its large notch lapels. Lansky also wears a wristwatch with his dinner suit, not yet acceptable for black tie in 1922 as pocket watches were still the norm. A practical decision for a practical guy.

Notch lapels on dinner jackets were certainly not uncommon in the early 1920s; they were merely considered less traditional. Still, the unique shape of his notches and other details like the satin stripe around each cuff draws a clear distinction between Lansky’s dinner jacket and a modern rental tuxedo jacket.

Details:

• Black wool single-breasted 1-button dinner jacket with satin-faced wide-notch lapels, welted breast pocket, straight flapped hip pockets, and 2-button cuffs with thin satin stripe above buttons
• Black single-breasted 3-button waistcoat with low V-shaped opening, slim lapels, and notched bottom
• Black wool formal trousers with satin side stripes
• White formal shirt with black studs down pleated front, double cuffs, and detachable short-wing collar
• Black satin bow tie
• Gold wristwatch, worn on black leather strap

Gyp Rosetti

Gyp was a true individualist, and not to anyone’s benefit! He shows it in every part of his dinner suit, from his striped double-breasted dinner jacket to his loud, pumpkin orange waistcoat.

Gyp’s look most resembles what you’d see at a modern day prom.

Details:

• Black tonal-striped double-breasted dinner jacket with satin-faced peak lapels, high 6-on-3 button stance, welted breast pocket, and 4-button cuffs
• Orange floral-printed single-breasted waistcoat with lapels, six high-fastening covered buttons, four welt pockets, and notched bottom
• Black tonal-striped formal trousers with satin side stripes
• White formal shirt with detachable wing collar and single cuffs
• Black satin diamond-pointed bow tie
• Cream silk pocketsquare

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Enjoy the entire show in all five seasons of its glory. If you have a penchant for watching New Year-themed episodes of your favorite shows, you’ll find “Resolution” at the beginning of Boardwalk Empire‘s third season.

The Quote

Gyp Rosetti: I’ll shit you out like yesterday’s sausage, you bog-trottin’ prick.

Gyp Rosetti tells it like it is. Or at least like he thinks it should be.

And Happy New Year to you too, Gyp.

Clint Eastwood as Joe Kidd in Joe Kidd (1972).

Vitals

Clint Eastwood as Joe Kidd, laconic hunter and former bounty hunter

New Mexico, Spring 1902

Film: Joe Kidd
Release Date: July 14, 1972
Director: John Sturges

Background

Penned by Elmore Leonard, Joe Kidd is a unique revisionist Western starring Clint Eastwood as the titular ex-bounty hunter who finds himself reluctantly hired to join a posse tracking down a group of Mexican revolutionaries fighting for land reform.

Although the Joe Kidd character could be interchanged with any of Eastwood’s usual taciturn and iron-willed Western heroes (not that he’s any less entertaining for it!), the movie benefits from its interesting and oft-ignored setting and context as well as the usual Elmore Leonard touch of an array of unique characters populating the film’s world.

At the outset, Joe is locked up in the small town of Sinola, New Mexico as he awaits his trial for poaching. When he is asked if he knew it was illegal to hunt on reservation land, Joe responds:

Well the deer didn’t know where he was, and I wasn’t sure either.

What’d He Wear?

Audiences had become well-acquainted with the sight of Clint Eastwood’s familiar “Man With No Name” guise in Westerns, so it must have caught many audiences off-guard when Joe Kidd is first introduced in a suit – albeit, a raggedly worn one after his night in the slammer.

Joe makes up for lost time after an entire two (2) days away from being with a woman.

Joe’s three-piece suit is a muted brown plaid tweed. His single-breasted jacket has notch lapels that roll to the top of a 4-button front, which he leaves open (as he does with his vest beneath it). The jacket also has a welted breast pocket, flapped hip pockets, roped sleeveheads, 3-button cuffs, and a ventless back.

Upon learning that bad guys are coming to the bar, Clint gets his priorities straight by checking the bar’s shotgun then pouring himself a cold one.

The aforementioned vest has seven buttons, always left open. Were he to button the vest, it would have a notched bottom.

Joe’s flat front suit trousers have belt loops, through which he wears a wide black leather belt. The trousers have frogmouth front pockets and a straight fit through the leg to a slight flare at the bottom over his boots.

Brown tweed is the new black.

Although he wears a belt, the brown leather straps from a pair of suspenders are also seen attached to his trousers.

Joe’s shirt is striped in various widths in tan, white, and pale blue. He wears it with a white detachable collar that fastens in the front and back with gold studs.

Joe meets with Frank Harlan and his cronies.

His wide and short tie is a series of large red ornate dots on a navy ground.

With no one to impress in jail, Joe lets his tie and collar fly free.

Joe wears a pair of plain black leather riding boots with raised heels.

A behind the scenes look of Clint getting a look at the scenes.

Despite his boots, Joe isn’t yet ready to ride so he wears his “city hat”, a black felt derby with a black grosgrain ribbon.

Go Big or Go Home

Joe Kidd sets a new standard for manliness.

Joe misinterprets the meaning of “shotgunning a beer”, but no one has the courage to tell him. Actually, I take that back… this is what the meaning is now.

How to Get the Look

Not the traditional look associated with a Clint Eastwood Western role, Joe Kidd’s suit is worn with just as much contempt as you’d expect from such a character.

• Brown plaid tweed suit, consisting of:
  • Single-breasted 4-button jacket with notch lapels, welted breast pocket, flapped hip pockets, 3-button cuffs, and ventless back
  • Single-breasted 7-button vest with notched bottom
  • Flat front trousers with belt loops, frogmouth front pockets, and plain-hemmed bottoms
• Salmon, white, and pale blue striped button-up dress shirt with white detachable collar and single cuffs
• Navy necktie with large red ornate dots
• Suspenders with brown leather button-hooks
• Black leather belt with large square steel single-claw buckle
• Black leather riding boots
• Black felt derby hat with black grosgrain ribbon

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Buy the movie.

The Quote

Uh… he’s goin’ on a huntin’ trip. I’ll be back.

Sean Connery as James Bond in Thunderball (1965).

Vitals

Sean Connery as James Bond, British government agent

France, Spring 1965

Film: Thunderball
Release Date: December 29, 1965
Director: Terence Young
Tailor: Anthony Sinclair

Background

After an unseasonably warm Christmas, I’m one of the few Pittsburghers happy to report that the weather is finally chilling down to a winter-friendly 30°F and it’s time to roll out the flannel suits and overcoats.

At the outset of Thunderball, Sean Connery’s fourth outing as James Bond, we find the agent lurking in the background of a funeral in the French countryside. His warm suit and outerwear hints that we’re finding him in one of the chillier months, so it seemed like a more than appropriate scene to break down for this 00-7th of January.

What’d He Wear?

Bond attends the supposed funeral of Colonel Jacques Bouvar, a SPECTRE operative, wearing a warmer variation of the usual Connery Bond “uniform”, consisting of a gray suit, light blue shirt with turnback cuffs, and dark woven grenadine tie.

This Anthony Sinclair tailored suit is constructed from dark gray flannel, as proven by the texture seen in close up shots.

Bond’s flannel is best detected as he throttles Colonel Bouvar.

Bond’s jacket follows the usual pattern of Connery’s suitcoats with its single-breasted 2-button front and slim notch lapels. It has a welted breast pocket, jetted hip pockets, and a ventless back. The sleeves have roped heads and 4-button cuffs.

Bond at a funeral.

One of the most distinctive aspects of the suit is the vest (or waistcoat, since he’s British) with its straight-cut bottom. Typically, suit waistcoats have a notched bottom and are meant to be worn with the lowest button unfastened. All six buttons of this single-breasted vest are worn closed. The vest also has four welted pockets – two upper and two lower.

Bond makes sure his tie is straight before he continues his ass-whoopin’.

Bond’s trousers are also typical for Connery’s Sinclair-tailored suits with the double forward pleats and 3-button “Daks top” side adjusters. The only pockets are the on-seam pockets on the sides and the leg tapers to the cuffed bottoms.

Bond fights!

007 is decked out in his usual Turnbull & Asser garb of light blue shirt and dark woven tie. In this case, it’s a vibrant sky blue poplin shirt with a spread collar, front placket, and the distinctive turnback cuffs – also known as “cocktail” cuffs – that Bond wore on screen for the franchise’s first decade. (A tan shirt appears to have been subbed in during the jetpack ride, but I’ll discuss that later.)

Although he typically wears a dark navy tie with his outfits, Bond wears a black woven grenadine silk tie which would be slightly more appropriate for the scene’s funereal context. It also reflects the black knit ties that Ian Fleming often chose when outfitting his literary Bond.

Bond ends a date early by taking this particular conquest to the funeral of a sworn enemy.

In another reflection of the literary Bond, Connery sports a pair of black leather slip-on shoes. Dressier than loafers, these simple plain-toe shoes could best be described as “low ankle boots”. He wears them with a pair of black dress socks.

An unfortunate way to die.

Bond is seen carrying his outerwear out of the funeral, rather than wearing it, and it appears later when he is leaving Shrublands. His tweed knee-length topcoat appears to be gray, but the close-up shots inside his DB5 reveal a brown and tan herringbone pattern. It is single-breasted with gray plastic buttons under a concealed fly front. It has notch lapels, straight flapped hip pockets, and a rear vent.

Although he does eventually wear the coat on screen, the purpose of his olive brown felt trilby – manufactured by Lock & Co. Hatters – is just to be tossed on Moneypenny’s hat stand.

Matt Spaiser provides an excellent breakdown of this suit on his blog, The Suits of James Bond.

Go Big or Go Home

James Bond employs his Sherlockian powers of observation after Jacques Bouvar’s “funeral”, noticing that the colonel’s widow opens her own door to get into the car after the service. While this would likely go unnoticed in 2016, it was nearly unheard of fifty years ago for a woman to open her own car door, let alone a grieving widow. One should be impressed by both Bond’s manners and his observational abilities.

After confronting Bouvar’s “widow” and beating the living daylights (or just the life) out of the hairy-legged SPECTRE operative, Bond is chased out of the room by Bouvar’s armed guards. Luckily, he was prepared for just the situation with a Bell Rocket Belt, known popularly as a “jet pack”.

Connery still sports the blue shirt when taking off but the aerial shot (which likely required a blue screen) swaps in a tan shirt so that his chest wouldn’t disappear against the screen.

The jet pack carries Bond a short distance away (as the Bell Rocket Belt could fly for no longer than 21 seconds) and safely deposits him on the street below, where he hops into his trusty silver birch Aston Martin DB5 and employs both the bulletproof rear shield and a powerful water hose to keep his potential killers at bay.

How to Get the Look

Bond dresses warmly and comfortably, never knowing if his funeral will turn into a fistfight with a man in a dress requiring a hasty airborne getaway. Most situations should be approached with this in mind.

• Dark gray flannel tailored suit, consisting of:
  • Single-breasted 2-button jacket with slim notch lapels, welted breast pocket, straight jetted hip pockets, 4-button cuffs, and ventless back
  • Single-breasted 6-button vest with four welted pockets and straight-cut bottom
  • Double forward-pleated trousers with 3-button “Daks top” side adjusters, on-seam side pockets, no back pockets, and turn-ups/cuffed bottoms
• Sky blue poplin dress shirt with spread collar, front placket, and turnback cuffs
• Black grenadine silk tie
• Black leather slip-on low boots
• Black dress socks
• Brown & tan herringbone tweed knee-length topcoat with single-breasted concealed-fly front, notch lapels, flapped hip pockets, plain cuffs, and single rear vent
• Olive brown felt Lock & Co. Hatters short-brimmed trilby

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Buy the movie.