Anthony Sincalir: Had to put this one in for the sheer fact that they are doing what we want ALL brands to do, and that is to revive some of these forgotten but impactful style brands of old. When I think of iconic styles from some of our favorite movies I love that this family run company is being fearless in their trajectory. Although I have never met them face to face I have had many communications with them and they seem as aspirational as they are passionate. They take pride in the pieces they create and take the ownership of these brands very seriously. A couple of aspects I am enjoying is their FB and instagram advertising as well as their write-ups. As a marketing guy I can appreciate the connection they are building to their brands and US.
Agree! Some brands seem to have a love/hate association with Bond but it's nice to see Sinclair embracing it and really incorporating it in their marketing in a fun and unique way. I think they need to do a better job honoring the heritage of the suits though... most of the current offerings seem more like they are 'inspired by' as opposed to more direct references.
To follow up on this what are the brands that seem to hate their association with Bond? Brands we love like C&J and N.Peal fully embrace and love the association but I'm trying to think of the ones that don't.
To follow up on this what are the brands that seem to hate their association with Bond? Brands we love like C&J and N.Peal fully embrace and love the association but I'm trying to think of the ones that don't.
Cucinelli didn't seem to make a big deal of it, at least not that I saw. J.Crew? John Varvatos didn't hype their jacket the way Matchless did. Neil Barrett, despite their trousers being in a major part of the marketing also seemed quiet. Levi's didn't promote the Menlo's connection to Bond directly, but they did do a healthy number of reissues. But the STA-Prests never came back. Then there's all the "mystery" clothes from CR. Any of those designers/companies could have come forward to claim credit (like whoever made the Venice polo).
I could be completely off base, but maybe there's some sort of agreement with Eon that prevents certain brands from promoting the connection. For example, BC could be seen as direct competition for TF. So maybe BC has a bit of a gag order concerning their products' use in the film.
If you get a Special Order suit, it can be modified to be more like Connery's with the narrower lapels, lower button stance and high-rise pleated trousers. However, a ready-to-wear suit like that would not sell as well as what they are selling instead. Daniel Craig's style is vastly more popular than Connery's these days.
Fair enough, but isn't the Bond association a large part of the sell for this particular brand? I wouldn't even necessarily want an exact replica, but the lapels are not even remotely in the neighborhood of the original Connery suits... which I also find ironic since narrow lapels are 'in' nowadays.
If you get a Special Order suit, it can be modified to be more like Connery's with the narrower lapels, lower button stance and high-rise pleated trousers. However, a ready-to-wear suit like that would not sell as well as what they are selling instead. Daniel Craig's style is vastly more popular than Connery's these days.
Fair enough, but isn't the Bond association a large part of the sell for this particular brand? I wouldn't even necessarily want an exact replica, but the lapels are not even remotely in the neighborhood of the original Connery suits... which I also find ironic since narrow lapels are 'in' nowadays.
I agree. The lapels not being narrower is strange, because I know narrower lapels would still sell well. However, the lapels aren't that much wider. They would have to be narrower than Connery's to have the same effect, since the full cuts of Connery's suits make the lapels seem narrower than they would otherwise. The proportions of Connery's lapels on a more average-sized man and on a leaner-cut chest would mean that the lapels would end up being ridiculously narrow. What worked on Connery won't have the same effect on most men, and I believe Mason was going for a specific effect with the lapel width.
To follow up on this what are the brands that seem to hate their association with Bond? Brands we love like C&J and N.Peal fully embrace and love the association but I'm trying to think of the ones that don't.
Cucinelli didn't seem to make a big deal of it, at least not that I saw. J.Crew? John Varvatos didn't hype their jacket the way Matchless did. Neil Barrett, despite their trousers being in a major part of the marketing also seemed quiet. Levi's didn't promote the Menlo's connection to Bond directly, but they did do a healthy number of reissues. But the STA-Prests never came back. Then there's all the "mystery" clothes from CR. Any of those designers/companies could have come forward to claim credit (like whoever made the Venice polo).
I could be completely off base, but maybe there's some sort of agreement with Eon that prevents certain brands from promoting the connection. For example, BC could be seen as direct competition for TF. So maybe BC has a bit of a gag order concerning their products' use in the film.
I think in relation to BC that maybe originally they only had the chinos and belt in the film because didn't TF make a tan suit for Craig but he opted for BC? I think that happened a lot in SP, a brand was chosen but DC later chose his own brand. Like what happened with the Dior jacket as well.
I think in relation to BC that maybe originally they only had the chinos and belt in the film because didn't TF make a tan suit for Craig but he opted for BC? I think that happened a lot in SP, a brand was chosen but DC later chose his own brand. Like what happened with the Dior jacket as well.
Thinking about it a little more, I can see why more fashion leaning brands like Acne Studios, Dior, Barrett or Varvatos wouldn't necessarily include the Bond connection in their marketing. These brands are planning their lines at least 2 to 3 seasons in advance, with very little carry over from one season to the next. And the products used in the films could be anywhere from 1 to 3 seasons old. So if they're caught off guard when one of their designs shows up in a film it's incredibly difficult for them to ramp up production on that one specific item again. if I remember correctly, someone here mentioned that JV was able to pull in stock of the racer jacket from their stores to help with the sudden demand. BC, although a more traditional tailoring house, probably faced similar issues. Drawing a lot of attention to the one thing from their collections the customer can't get probably ain't great for business ....
Meanwhile, someone like TF, N.Peal, Matchless, C&J, etc., that have a plan going into the film's production, can capitalize on the Bond connection in their marketing much more effectively.
I think in relation to BC that maybe originally they only had the chinos and belt in the film because didn't TF make a tan suit for Craig but he opted for BC? I think that happened a lot in SP, a brand was chosen but DC later chose his own brand. Like what happened with the Dior jacket as well.
Thinking about it a little more, I can see why more fashion leaning brands like Acne Studios, Dior, Barrett or Varvatos wouldn't necessarily include the Bond connection in their marketing. These brands are planning their lines at least 2 to 3 seasons in advance, with very little carry over from one season to the next. And the products used in the films could be anywhere from 1 to 3 seasons old. So if they're caught off guard when one of their designs shows up in a film it's incredibly difficult for them to ramp up production on that one specific item again. if I remember correctly, someone here mentioned that JV was able to pull in stock of the racer jacket from their stores to help with the sudden demand. BC, although a more traditional tailoring house, probably faced similar issues. Drawing a lot of attention to the one thing from their collections the customer can't get probably ain't great for business ....
Meanwhile, someone like TF, N.Peal, Matchless, C&J, etc., that have a plan going into the film's production, can capitalize on the Bond connection in their marketing much more effectively.
Yeah I think Skyfall was really a turning point for a lot of Bond associated brands like TF, because once Spectre came out they were mostly prepared for the onslaught of orders and actually advertised at least in store the Bond products. Compared to QOS and SF where most of the clothes worn weren't sold in store and the ones that were weren't exactly screen-accurate.
I am giving this incredibly entertaining thread a bounce now that No Time to Die has been released. We have new brands to add to the mix: Massimo Alba, Connolly, Rag & Bone, Rogue Territory, Tommy Bahama, and others. Other brands have made a new appearance such as Barbour and Prada. We've also had a number of new members here on AJB in the last few years.
Now that the brands have grown, as have our experiences with the brands, have our rankings changed?
I myself am going to have to give it some thought and see if my answer has changed over the last (almost) 5 years.
What, no M&S?!! The perfect, accessible, SA, Bond brand!
Some favourites:
Jamaica blue mountain coffee! One way to make reading NTTD 'reviews' with rants about "Fleming" where you suspect the author has accidentally been reading Peter, not Ian, bearable.
Barbour: on a shoot with the Queen? Smashing pints with the local farmer? Shopping around Chelsea? Taking tea in Pendle? They've got you covered: quintessential British aesthetic.
TF: A suit should feel like armour? They really do and Warren in London is a wizard.
T&A: Jermyn street is all a thrill to be honest but T&A still stand out.
Anthony Sinclair/Mason & Sons: David and Elliott know their onions and make great clothes.
Honourable mentions C&J, Chateau Angelus: the other best way to make NTTD 'reviews' bearable.
Who sucks? That requires thought. My opinion on this has changed massively as I used to be scared to complain in luxury stores and put up with some shoddy service and poor quality items from Bond brands. That has changed and the responses and service are the prime factor in my like or otherwise of a brand. As luxury brands you either live your values or are massive rip-off merchants.
Smedley - I bought the Bobby after Skyfall then ended up getting a crew neck merino in a green/blue almost the same as the N Peal one, I’ve worn it almost every week for 2 years and it goes through the washing machine fine, still looks new, ended up buying about 6 of their jumpers because they look great, are a reasonable price and last well.
Anthony Sinclair - same reasons as others, attention to detail and wonderful customer service plus when people ask about the suit you always get a ‘that’s so cool!’
N. Peal - they’ve gone all in with the stuff in a non tacky way (Adidas, I’m looking at you) and the quality is lovely, I looked at tactical pants and thought ‘those are ridiculous’ then tried them on and ended up buying…
JLR - ‘hi, yeah we want a load of your vehicles which Bond will outdrive and destroy, often with less appropriate modes of transport…’ ‘sure, why not’ admit it, you all want a Bigfoot!
Barbour - wear the lodge jacket most days, great piece
the bad
Danner - not that the product is bad but completely underestimating the demand and resulting in massive inflated eBay dumps, hopefully they will resolve with general release of black boot
Tom Ford - none of it is worth the ££££ and I have a few bits, as others mentioned optically the lenses are balls, none of the clothing is particularly unique or original and the quality isn’t what you pay for.
Sony - the tech demonstrated was never too far fetched except that it was on a Sony which lost the plot around the same time as it featured in Bond films
Paloma’s Lo Sordo dress is incredible as was Versper’s purple Cavalli and Camille’s Prada, Sophie Harley jewellery for Vesper also really well thought through.
1) Old Grand dad. 2) Leica. 3) Ritz Paris 4) Aston Martin 5) Rolex. Honorable mentions: Walther (P99 just gotta love it) and Barbour (been a fan for decades)
Not so Faves:
1) Tom Ford. 2) Oh-meegahhh... 3) MaCallan (whats with these overpriced chill filtered sugar coloured "sherry bombs" in disapointing sub 45% abv!) .4)NPeal. 5) Barton Perreira. Dishonorable mentions: Cucci, Armani, Calvin Klein, Absolut.
Anyways it is worth to mention that most, if not all have their ups and downs: O'megag is a good example of this: the Aqua Terra is a great Bond watch, completely in character, but the rest just doesn't do it for me. I was debating whether to place Seiko or 'meega here, all the Seikos bar The Golden Tuna are crap, but I own too many Seikos to be honest, so it had to be Omega.
"I mean, she almost kills bond...with her ass."
-Mr Arlington Beech
Comments
Cucinelli didn't seem to make a big deal of it, at least not that I saw. J.Crew? John Varvatos didn't hype their jacket the way Matchless did. Neil Barrett, despite their trousers being in a major part of the marketing also seemed quiet. Levi's didn't promote the Menlo's connection to Bond directly, but they did do a healthy number of reissues. But the STA-Prests never came back. Then there's all the "mystery" clothes from CR. Any of those designers/companies could have come forward to claim credit (like whoever made the Venice polo).
I could be completely off base, but maybe there's some sort of agreement with Eon that prevents certain brands from promoting the connection. For example, BC could be seen as direct competition for TF. So maybe BC has a bit of a gag order concerning their products' use in the film.
Fair enough, but isn't the Bond association a large part of the sell for this particular brand? I wouldn't even necessarily want an exact replica, but the lapels are not even remotely in the neighborhood of the original Connery suits... which I also find ironic since narrow lapels are 'in' nowadays.
I agree. The lapels not being narrower is strange, because I know narrower lapels would still sell well. However, the lapels aren't that much wider. They would have to be narrower than Connery's to have the same effect, since the full cuts of Connery's suits make the lapels seem narrower than they would otherwise. The proportions of Connery's lapels on a more average-sized man and on a leaner-cut chest would mean that the lapels would end up being ridiculously narrow. What worked on Connery won't have the same effect on most men, and I believe Mason was going for a specific effect with the lapel width.
Thinking about it a little more, I can see why more fashion leaning brands like Acne Studios, Dior, Barrett or Varvatos wouldn't necessarily include the Bond connection in their marketing. These brands are planning their lines at least 2 to 3 seasons in advance, with very little carry over from one season to the next. And the products used in the films could be anywhere from 1 to 3 seasons old. So if they're caught off guard when one of their designs shows up in a film it's incredibly difficult for them to ramp up production on that one specific item again. if I remember correctly, someone here mentioned that JV was able to pull in stock of the racer jacket from their stores to help with the sudden demand. BC, although a more traditional tailoring house, probably faced similar issues. Drawing a lot of attention to the one thing from their collections the customer can't get probably ain't great for business ....
Meanwhile, someone like TF, N.Peal, Matchless, C&J, etc., that have a plan going into the film's production, can capitalize on the Bond connection in their marketing much more effectively.
I am giving this incredibly entertaining thread a bounce now that No Time to Die has been released. We have new brands to add to the mix: Massimo Alba, Connolly, Rag & Bone, Rogue Territory, Tommy Bahama, and others. Other brands have made a new appearance such as Barbour and Prada. We've also had a number of new members here on AJB in the last few years.
Now that the brands have grown, as have our experiences with the brands, have our rankings changed?
I myself am going to have to give it some thought and see if my answer has changed over the last (almost) 5 years.
What, no M&S?!! The perfect, accessible, SA, Bond brand!
Some favourites:
Jamaica blue mountain coffee! One way to make reading NTTD 'reviews' with rants about "Fleming" where you suspect the author has accidentally been reading Peter, not Ian, bearable.
Barbour: on a shoot with the Queen? Smashing pints with the local farmer? Shopping around Chelsea? Taking tea in Pendle? They've got you covered: quintessential British aesthetic.
TF: A suit should feel like armour? They really do and Warren in London is a wizard.
T&A: Jermyn street is all a thrill to be honest but T&A still stand out.
Anthony Sinclair/Mason & Sons: David and Elliott know their onions and make great clothes.
Honourable mentions C&J, Chateau Angelus: the other best way to make NTTD 'reviews' bearable.
Who sucks? That requires thought. My opinion on this has changed massively as I used to be scared to complain in luxury stores and put up with some shoddy service and poor quality items from Bond brands. That has changed and the responses and service are the prime factor in my like or otherwise of a brand. As luxury brands you either live your values or are massive rip-off merchants.
I’ll bite…
good
the bad
The ugly
stirrup pants, glacier glasses, corduroy suits, cheap gym shorts, Michael Kors, 007 branded stuff…
bonus round
Womens stuff
Paloma’s Lo Sordo dress is incredible as was Versper’s purple Cavalli and Camille’s Prada, Sophie Harley jewellery for Vesper also really well thought through.
Top Five:
Bollinger, Belvedere, Goldeneye Rum, Beluga and anyone who gets me EON props!
Bottom three: If a brand pursues Bond, how would I dislike them?
This is an interesting thread!
Faves:
1) Old Grand dad. 2) Leica. 3) Ritz Paris 4) Aston Martin 5) Rolex. Honorable mentions: Walther (P99 just gotta love it) and Barbour (been a fan for decades)
Not so Faves:
1) Tom Ford. 2) Oh-meegahhh... 3) MaCallan (whats with these overpriced chill filtered sugar coloured "sherry bombs" in disapointing sub 45% abv!) .4)NPeal. 5) Barton Perreira. Dishonorable mentions: Cucci, Armani, Calvin Klein, Absolut.
Anyways it is worth to mention that most, if not all have their ups and downs: O'megag is a good example of this: the Aqua Terra is a great Bond watch, completely in character, but the rest just doesn't do it for me. I was debating whether to place Seiko or 'meega here, all the Seikos bar The Golden Tuna are crap, but I own too many Seikos to be honest, so it had to be Omega.
-Mr Arlington Beech