Bond's Windcheater

CmdrAtticus · February 2011

I may have found the answer to the query I had about Fleming describing Bond wearing his windcheater in OHMSS but then says he had to "remove his sweater" (not jacket). After asking many who live in the Britain I was directed towards a minor subcategory of windcheaters that have a zippered neck opening but can also be called a sweater.

Matt S · March 2011

Here's the fulll quote from Chapter 11 of OHMSS:

Bond had equipped himself at Lillywhites with clothing he thought would be both appropriate and sensible. He had avoided the modern elasticized vorlage trousers and had chosen the more comfortable but old-fashioned type of ski-trouser in a smooth cloth. Above these he wore an aged black wind-cheater that he used for golf, over his usual white sea-island cotton shirt. He had wisely reinforced this outfit with long and ugly cotton and wool pants and vests. He had conspicuously brand-new ski-boots with powerful ankle-straps. He said, 'Then I'd better take off my sweater.'

Are you sure the sweater is referring to the wind-cheater? I think he might have an additional sweater or else I don't think he'd stay too warm out in the cold. What you pictured above would normally just be called a jumper, but there are also pullover wind-cheaters.

CmdrAtticus · March 2011

I always thought this as well, but the paragraph does not mention any sweater when describing what he equipped himself with and it's pretty detailed - even mentioning the "longjohns" insulating underwear, so it seems he only has on his wool underwear, followed by his ski trouser and white shirt and ski boots, then his windcheater. The outfit I pictured is by a company called North Face and they describe it as follows:

Gear up for a day of hard skiing in The North Face's Mt. Tam 1/4-zip Sweater. The Mt. Tam is made from a blend of natural and synthetic fibers making it highly breathable so that when you are extremely active you don't build up sweat which will later make you cold. The Mt. Tam has ribbed cuffs and collar and a high-quality knit that makes it an excellent choice over regular clothes for everyday wear as well.

* 50% cotton/ 40% wool/ 10% nylon knit
* Natural odor-resistance keeps you fresh
* Breathable for wear as a mid-layer
* Fleece lined collar feels soft against skin
* 1/4-zip style for layering convenience

So from the description this is made for skiing, and I can see how such a sweater/wincheater would also be fine for playing golf out on those cold windy courses he likes to frequent.

Bond's Windcheater

Comments