Jany Temime on the suits in Skyfall
Matt S
Oh Cult Voodoo ShopPosts: 6,610MI6 Agent
http://runway.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/11/16/size-006-12/
Here's an article from The New York Times that has some quotes from Jany Temime on the clothes in Skyfall. I'm also quoted, expressing a different point of view on the suits. I completely understand her point of view, but that same thought is why we had Roger Moore in bell bottoms in the late 70s and TImothy Dalton in potato sacks in the late 80s.
Here's an article from The New York Times that has some quotes from Jany Temime on the clothes in Skyfall. I'm also quoted, expressing a different point of view on the suits. I completely understand her point of view, but that same thought is why we had Roger Moore in bell bottoms in the late 70s and TImothy Dalton in potato sacks in the late 80s.
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Comments
It may be true that Craig looks like the “smallest man in the movie” in Skyfall (I can only confirm when the movie is released later this week), but let’s face it – Craig is not Brosnan or Connery – he will never look good in a suit. Any bigger size and people would complain that he looked like he was wearing his older brother’s hand-me-downs.
But I found that the suits in Quantum of Solace looked pretty good on Craig, though the shoulders were a bit too strong for his already strong body. But do you think that he looked like he was wearing "his older brother’s hand-me-downs" in that movie? Those suits were far more flattering to his physique and avoided most fashion trends. Though the trouser rise on those suits was longer than the standard Tom Ford suit, it was still a bit short and is really the only fashionable thing about those suits. Nobody complained they were too large. If he wore Connery's suits, people would surely say they are too baggy.
Thanks!
How come Connery suits don't look baggy on Connery - even today? I remember that my first impression when I saw Skyfall photos was - Craig's pants are too short!
The suits in the film are not as bad as what Daniel Craig wore to the premiere. The suitings (cloths to make the suits) used in Skyfall are all basic classics and won't ever look out of date. The suitings in Quantum were a mohair tonic, which hasn't been "in" since the 1960s, so those always looked a bit off. But they aren't reflective of the times, thus they won't look dated. In comparison to what is trendy today, Connery's suits were full cut, fuller than the typical Savile Row suit. They are not baggy and they fit very well, but they are by no means closely fitted.
That was my point expressed in the article, that the suits shouldn't be made to show off his muscles. It simply doesn't work. Instead of looking more muscular in his tight suits, the suits just look sloppy. If they really wanted to show off his muscles, jeans and a t-shirt would have done that much better. Jus because Daniel Craig is muscular doesn't mean that he should be wearing tight suits to show it off. Savile Row tailors would be doing the opposite: making a sleek suit to smooth out the body.
I hear you. Arnold is especially difficult to fit in a suit. But did you see Daniel Craig in the Skyfall press conference from last September? Though only slightly different from the Skyfall suits, that suit looked much better on him. The problems I see on that suit are an easy fix, so fitting him well in a suit isn't impossible. Sean Connery was actually quite difficult due to his 13" drop, but Anthony Sinclair did an excellent job. Daniel Craig should be considerably easier than that. What he needs is something that follows the shape of his body, but flows with it rather than clings to it. Really the only problem with the cut of the Quantum suits is that the shoulders are too large. He needs a stiff canvas to smooth the shoulder line (like on Connery's suits) but they don't need to be built up with padding. The Skyfall shoulders are too narrow, making them look unbalanced with his muscular chest and cause his arms to bulge out. Shoulders like what Connery wore would be great for Daniel Craig. The fit on Connery's suits is almost perfect for a man of action, but they could be slimmed down a little for a more modern look and still work just as well.
But seriously, I feel like I learned something. I am usually able to tell if a suit looks good or not, but being able to pinpoint why is another story...
I need to go see it again, since the first time I saw it all I could pay attention to was the tailoring. After all I had to write about them. But really, the movie is engaging enough that you won't be thinking about the suits. Even for me, the poor tailoring doesn't distract from the excellent film that it is.