The tailored suit

From Sean Connery to Daniel Craig, the cars , gizmos may have changed, but not the suit. Kasmin Fernandes tells us about the long and short of the story.

The Bond legacy of gorgeous tailored suits continues with the latest film from the franchise, Skyfall, 

"From the clean tailored lines of the early 60s to the flared bell bottoms of the 70s, Bond was never without a nice suit. His suits have differed from previous styles because they bring Bond and his style to the forefront. The new Bond blends seamlessly into the crowd as a secret agent should, yet stands apart with his suave  demeanour," says menswear designer Narendra Kumar , who has created an eponymous line for the House of Raro.

Says Sandeep Khapra, head of design, Blackberrys, "They add power to his persona. At the same time, the suits appear pretty comfortable; Bond jumps, kicks, falls and runs in them, and looks dapper in every frame." To update Bond's suits for an actionpacked 2012 film, costume designer Jany Temime made subtle  changes. The buttonholes are higher than in Sean Connery's day. And the suits are a bit more fitted. It's still a single-breasted jacket; the difference is in the silhouette and the width of the lapels.

Craig and Temime put together the ideal suit through fittings and trying different types of jackets and trousers ” and designer Tom Ford  produced the suits. In an interview to a fashion portal, Temime recalled the process, "We had three fittings for each suit. Tom Ford sent his tailor, and the suits were made for Daniel, in a very traditional, old-fashioned way. They were the same quality you can find on Savile Row: hand-made, hand-finished.
And therein lies Bond's style secret ” the right fit can come at any price point; but every suit, no matter how much it costs or how perfect it initially appears, should require at least a little tailoring. The ideal one would be completely tailored, though.

While until recently, tailor-made suits were the mainstay for older gentlemen, they are now being embraced by the younger lot in real life and on the screen. Take, for instance, Bollywood actors like Abhay Deol or Hollywood stars like Craig. The message is loud and clear ” the tailored suit has spread  out of the boardroom and into the evening.