Anthony Sinclair Making Connery Suits Again

http://www.facebook.com/AnthonySinclairMayfair

http://www.anthonysinclair.com/

Mentions on his posts that he can now re-create all of them that Sinclair originally designed! Road trip?
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Comments

  • nms75nms75 United KingdomPosts: 1,233MI6 Agent
    I wonder what the price tag of one of those will be? :o
    A sense of humour is no laughing matter!
  • ThomoThomo ReadingPosts: 964MI6 Agent
    Price is on the web site - about £3000 for two piece http://www.anthonysinclair.com/price_list_s/1855.htm
  • nms75nms75 United KingdomPosts: 1,233MI6 Agent
    Thomo wrote:
    Price is on the web site - about £3000 for two piece http://www.anthonysinclair.com/price_list_s/1855.htm

    Better pop out and fill my wardrobe then :s
    A sense of humour is no laughing matter!
  • ExpatJBExpatJB HoustonPosts: 752MI6 Agent
    Special order at 625 would be good enough I would have thought.

    Unless you really want the bespoke experience.

    Looks good though.
    Dont wait for your ship to come in. Swim out and meet the bloody thing.
  • Donald GrantDonald Grant U.S.A.Posts: 2,251Quartermasters
    edited January 2012
    Mantis, thanks for the heads up! That site has been around for a while, but there was not much going on. I guess it was a place holder until they were up and running. I've always wanted an Anthony Sinclair suit because my favorite Bond wore them. There is a Japanese company that sells Anthony Sinclair copies. But this is the real deal! Too bad the most recent fitting was on the East Coast today. If I had known in advance, I would have been there like a shot! Oh well, I'll wait for the next one. But this is most exciting news. Bad a$$ in fact. Thanks again big guy, you rock!

    DG
    So, what sharp little eyes you've got...wait till you get to my teeth.
    image_zps6a725e59.jpg
    "People sleep peacefully in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." Richard Grenier after George Orwell, Washington Times 1993.
  • The Bond ExperienceThe Bond Experience Newtown, PAPosts: 5,490Quartermasters
    They are sending me a full list of suits and blazers...I smell another podcast...seriously.
  • Donald GrantDonald Grant U.S.A.Posts: 2,251Quartermasters
    The Mantis wrote:
    They are sending me a full list of suits and blazers...I smell another podcast...seriously.

    Can't wait. Bring it! ASAP!!

    DG
    So, what sharp little eyes you've got...wait till you get to my teeth.
    image_zps6a725e59.jpg
    "People sleep peacefully in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." Richard Grenier after George Orwell, Washington Times 1993.
  • Matt SMatt S Oh Cult Voodoo ShopPosts: 6,610MI6 Agent
    edited January 2012
    The Mantis wrote:
    They are sending me a full list of suits and blazers...I smell another podcast...seriously.

    They are bespoke tailors, so what is this a full list of?

    Of course if they can re-create one suit they can recreate any since they all have the same cut in the first five films. It changed a bit in Diamonds Are Forever. Connery wore a total of 27 suits, 7 dinner jackets, 3 blazers and 3 sports coats. Not all were by Sinclair. They just need to find a comparable fabric, which should be quite easy. Some of the fabrics were heavier than what is common now.
    Visit my blog, Bond Suits
  • The Bond ExperienceThe Bond Experience Newtown, PAPosts: 5,490Quartermasters
    I believe they want to stick with only the suits that Sinclair did for the films based on patterns that have been handed down. Any bespoke tailor can "eye" up a suit and try to recreate it but as you and I know there is nothing like the original.
  • SouthernBondSouthernBond Posts: 16MI6 Agent
    ExpatJB wrote:
    Special order at 625 would be good enough I would have thought.

    Unless you really want the bespoke experience.

    Looks good though.

    Given the price, I guess their Special Order is a Made to Order program, not Made to Measure. Wonder if they're full canvas?
  • ThomoThomo ReadingPosts: 964MI6 Agent
    A podcast would be interesting
  • nms75nms75 United KingdomPosts: 1,233MI6 Agent
    Someone mention podcast? Has been a while... :))
    A sense of humour is no laughing matter!
  • Matt SMatt S Oh Cult Voodoo ShopPosts: 6,610MI6 Agent
    The Mantis wrote:
    I believe they want to stick with only the suits that Sinclair did for the films based on patterns that have been handed down. Any bespoke tailor can "eye" up a suit and try to recreate it but as you and I know there is nothing like the original.

    Sean Connery's patterns are irrelevant unless your body is the same exact shape that his was at the time the pattern was last altered. A bespoke tailor makes a pattern for each customer. The cutter for Anthony Sinclair would need to cut the suit for you the same way that Sinclair would have himself. Some methods can be learned from Sinclair's patterns but new patterns still need to be drafted for each customer. It's applying that cut to your body that's the difficult part. For made-to-measure, a pattern would still need to be drafted especially for that, unless Sinclair himself did made-to-measure too. It's not true that any bespoke tailor can eye up a suit and recreate it. Magnoli's examples prove that it's not that simple, unless he purposely didn't try to copy Sinclair's cut. Different tailors are taught different methods of cutting a suit. The internal structure of a suit can also vary quite a lot. I know they have some of Connery's old suits to copy, so if they examine those suits closely it should help.

    Asking for an exact copy of one of Connery's suits might be insulting to the tailor. Even if the tailor was trained by Sinclair he would still probably do a few things his own way. Bespoke tailors typically don't take well to very specific requests, like saying "the chest needs a little more drape" or the "shoulders have too much padding", so be careful. The obvious details are the ones that will be the same. The most important thing is to accept that the cutter at Anthony Sinclair is not Sinclair but can still make a wonderful suit.
    Visit my blog, Bond Suits
  • The Bond ExperienceThe Bond Experience Newtown, PAPosts: 5,490Quartermasters
    I think we are in violent agreement with each other... ;) Sinclair's company has put their Bond affiliation out there in a strong marketing way (see home page of their web site) and are happy to re-create the aforementioned suits. But I hear what you are saying, and good discussion!
  • welshboy78welshboy78 Posts: 10,320MI6 Agent
    I did some digging on their page the other day and it is def targeting the likes of us Bond fans!
    Instagram - bondclothes007
  • Donald GrantDonald Grant U.S.A.Posts: 2,251Quartermasters
    I don't want to steal Mantis' fire. Even though I had been following that site for a long time, I did lose interest in repeatedly checking back to see if it was up and running. So Mantis quite rightly deserves credit for bringing this to our collective attention again. Thanks Mantis! Since an Anthony Sinclair suit is one of those items on my James Bond bucket list, I am committed to buying a suit from him (them). To that end, I was actually in contact with David Mason of Anthony Sinclair this past Thursday evening via email. He was in NYC through Friday and he was leaving today (Saturday). My Friday schedule had me in the field the balance of the day so I was unable to see him for a fitting. I did ask him "can you provide me with what's available in your special order line?". He answered "We can make any cloth and lining into a special order."

    The "special order" line appears to be his made to measure line. But, as SouthernBond said above, it's more like a made to order line. So the suit is made according to your general size and then fitted to you once made. A little different than a truly bespoke suit, but still very nice nevertheless. I'll keep you all posted.

    DG
    So, what sharp little eyes you've got...wait till you get to my teeth.
    image_zps6a725e59.jpg
    "People sleep peacefully in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." Richard Grenier after George Orwell, Washington Times 1993.
  • The Bond ExperienceThe Bond Experience Newtown, PAPosts: 5,490Quartermasters
    Go man, go! Which one you thinking of?
  • Donald GrantDonald Grant U.S.A.Posts: 2,251Quartermasters
    The Mantis wrote:
    Go man, go! Which one you thinking of?

    Not sure yet. I like the Dr. No Jamaica hotel suit. I also like the Goldfinger/Catch Me If You Can suit. However, those are both light colors. Since I sometimes have to appear in court, darker would be the better choice. It conveys a better image. But we will see. I will be reviewing the Connery Bond DVD's and I'll let you know once I've decided. Thanks again big guy you made my week!

    DG
    So, what sharp little eyes you've got...wait till you get to my teeth.
    image_zps6a725e59.jpg
    "People sleep peacefully in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." Richard Grenier after George Orwell, Washington Times 1993.
  • The Bond ExperienceThe Bond Experience Newtown, PAPosts: 5,490Quartermasters
    Just as a heads up, I am targeting the Goldfinger/Catch Me If You Can...requesting fabric samples.
  • SilentSpySilentSpy Private Exotic AreaPosts: 765MI6 Agent
    I'm curious about the material too. Are these the suits that Connery slept in?
    "Better late than never."
  • Donald GrantDonald Grant U.S.A.Posts: 2,251Quartermasters
    edited January 2012
    That's cool. I'm not entirely certain that I am going to target a particular suit that Connery wore. I'll have a look at the first five films and perhaps find something that strikes me that's on the darker side. For me, however, it's not about necessarily replicating a specific suit that Connery wore, but rather replicating Sinlair's Conduit Cut made famous by Connery as James Bond. By the way, I saw Catch Me if You Can on Broadway back in August. It's excellent. If you have not seen it, do your self a favor and go see it, you won't be sorry. No Bond suit though, but there is a minor Bond link.

    Yes SilenSpy, those were the suits that Terrence Young told Connery to sleep in. Anthony Sinclair was Terrence Young's tailor. Young took Connery to Sinclair for Dr. No and remained Connery's tailor through the early Bond films.

    DG
    So, what sharp little eyes you've got...wait till you get to my teeth.
    image_zps6a725e59.jpg
    "People sleep peacefully in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." Richard Grenier after George Orwell, Washington Times 1993.
  • Matt SMatt S Oh Cult Voodoo ShopPosts: 6,610MI6 Agent
    The key to the cloth in Goldfinger is that it is a fine 2x2 hopsack weave. For the older look you'll want to avoid high "Super" wools, which now dominate the current market of suitings. My research shows that the highest that was around in the 1960s was Super 100s. But the yarns in the fabric are very fine. H Lesser 31000 is close but darker in tone. 31008 is lighter like Bond's suit but has a blue overcheck.
    Visit my blog, Bond Suits
  • Matt SMatt S Oh Cult Voodoo ShopPosts: 6,610MI6 Agent
    Yes SilenSpy, those were the suits that Terrence Young told Connery to sleep in. Anthony Sinclair was Terrence Young's tailor. Young took Connery to Sinclair for Dr. No and remained Connery's tailor through the early Bond films.

    DG

    Sinclair was with Connery all the way to the end, in Diamonds Are Forever. There were some other tailors that made suits for Connery as well, like the dinner suit in Thunderball was not by Sinclair (though other suits in Thunderball were). Does anyone know if Connery wore other tailored clothing not by Sinclair. I suspect that the 3-button sports coats in Diamonds Are Forever were provided by another tailor, since the shoulders have more roping, but they still could have been made by Sinclair.
    Visit my blog, Bond Suits
  • Matt SMatt S Oh Cult Voodoo ShopPosts: 6,610MI6 Agent
    I'd also like to apologise to Mantis for coming across so strong earlier. As someone who isn't interested in copies of Connery's suits I never asked David Mason if his company was willing to do that, especially since Anthony Sinclair himself hasn't been around for some time now. I felt that could be insulting to the current cutter, who I'm sure deserves respect for his own work and what he could possibly contribute to the company. I've been in communication with David Mason for a few months about the resurrection of Anthony Sinclair name. Since I am in marketing myself I can see why Mason has chosen to play off the Bond connection, though that's quite unusual for a tailoring establishment to do that. Nevertheless it's something that sets Anthony Sinclair apart and that's always a good thing. Though I'm sure the cutter has plenty of respect for Sinclair himself, I hope he agrees with this direction. I feel like they've taken the Bond thing too far and should focus more on what the company currently has to offer.
    Visit my blog, Bond Suits
  • The Bond ExperienceThe Bond Experience Newtown, PAPosts: 5,490Quartermasters
    No apologies necessary...as a frequent visitor of your incredible Suits of Bond Site I would certainly say you have the right to help educate others...me included as I will attest to the the fact that I learn something from other fans every day.

    And truly, I think this is an excellent discussion!
  • ThomoThomo ReadingPosts: 964MI6 Agent
    I think the 'special order' suites ( http://www.anthonysinclair.com/special_orders_s/1821.htm ) would be amazing but still says you need a couple of fittings at the store in Saville Row.
  • Donald GrantDonald Grant U.S.A.Posts: 2,251Quartermasters
    Here is a link to Batak, the Japanese company that makes copies of Anthony Sinclair's Conduit Cut suits along with the "Saville Row Drape" and the "Cary" (Cary Grant style suit), along with A copy of Cary Grant's raincoat from Charade:

    http://www.batak-housecut.jp/housecut/conduit.html

    But the fact that Anthony Sinclair is back in business with one of his original apprentices behind the scenes is big. I've wanted an real Anthony Sinclair Conduit Cut suit ever since I can remember.

    DG
    So, what sharp little eyes you've got...wait till you get to my teeth.
    image_zps6a725e59.jpg
    "People sleep peacefully in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." Richard Grenier after George Orwell, Washington Times 1993.
  • ThomoThomo ReadingPosts: 964MI6 Agent
    I'll see if I can get a photo of his shop - am I allowed to post it on here???
  • Donald GrantDonald Grant U.S.A.Posts: 2,251Quartermasters
    Thomo wrote:
    I'll see if I can get a photo of his shop - am I allowed to post it on here???

    I'm pretty sure I saw a picture of the store front somewhere on his website. But sure, please do post a picture. Perhaps yours will be closer/clearer. Better yet, go inside the store and capture some intelligence photos for all of us. That would be cool!

    DG
    So, what sharp little eyes you've got...wait till you get to my teeth.
    image_zps6a725e59.jpg
    "People sleep peacefully in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." Richard Grenier after George Orwell, Washington Times 1993.
  • Donald GrantDonald Grant U.S.A.Posts: 2,251Quartermasters
    Just an update on my Connery Bond suit archaeology. So far I've recently re-watched DN through Thunderball. What I have discovered is that Connery's Bond not only wears double vent, but single vent as well as ventless suits. Go figure. For some reason I remembered Connery's Bond as primarily wearing double vent suits. Not true. In any event, I'll probably go for the double vent because to my mind it's more synonymous with British style. I've also been looking at the pockets. Next up YOLT with a beefier Connery. I just love Connery's Bond, what a treat it's been!

    DG
    So, what sharp little eyes you've got...wait till you get to my teeth.
    image_zps6a725e59.jpg
    "People sleep peacefully in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." Richard Grenier after George Orwell, Washington Times 1993.
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