Bond On Bond by Roger Moore Page A

but one who didn’t particularly stand out from the crowd. Sean was not particularly used to wearing suits, and in order for him to feel totally at ease when filming began, Young asked that he wear suits around the clock, even to the extent of sometimes sleeping in them.
    Anthony Sinclair created the classic, pared-down look of Connery’s suits that came to be known as the ‘Conduit Cut’. They were lightweight, one hundred per cent wool in navy blue, shades of grey and a subtle Glen Urquhart check. They were slim-line, single-breasted, two-button outfits. The Conduit Cut featured in all of Sean’s early films, and changed only when Peter Hunt brought in his tailor, Dimi Major of Fulham, for
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
. Peter Hunt and his costume designer Marjory Cornelius came up with a rather timeless three-piece suit for the London scenes, featuring wider lapels and pocket flaps, and more fashionable brighter styles for the overseas settings. It was a marked departure. Bond was now outfitted from a much wider-styled wardrobe, and that gave the feeling of a slightly more casual 007 for the late sixties.
    This was one outfit I did not try to steal after production.
    When I stepped into the role, I suggested that my long-time tailor, Cyril Castle (of Mayfair), with whom I had worked on
The Saint
and
The Persuaders!
, would give Jim a more contemporary look for the 1970s. Lots of modern colours, sports jackets and trousers became the new norm. The designs were fashionable, yet also elegant and comfortable. So much so that when Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr were in London they called to say they thought my clothes in
The Man With The Golden Gun
were very sharp – especially my dinner suits – then took themselves up to Cyril for new outfits.
    After
The Spy Who Loved Me
I had, very reluctantly, left the UK due to the 87 per cent income-tax rate imposed by the then Labour government. Cubby also moved out and declared the next Bond film,
Moonraker
, would be shot in France. Initially, I based myself in Italy, at the family holiday home in Castiglione, and, in preparing for the next Bond film, realized it would be impossible for me to travel back and forward to London for wardrobe fittings. So I suggested to Cubby we could use my Italian tailor, Angelo Litricio. In the month of August it was a joy driving to Rome for fittings – the only sounds I heard on the two-hour journey were burglar alarms. Everyone was on holiday except the thieves!
    With my dear friend Doug Hayward, who supplied my ‘Bond look’ for many years. I just hope he didn’t think I was becoming a big head.
    Meanwhile, back in London, Douglas Hayward had fast established a reputation as a tailor to the stars – and many of my friends. Doug was a real character to say the least. His anecdotage and attitude were the source for the character Harry Pendel in John le Carré’s
The Tailor of Panama
; his charming manner was the model for his friend Michael Caine’s 1966 performance in
Alfie.
Doug’s celebrity client roster included Peter Sellers, Terence Stamp, Richard Burton, Alan Whicker, Michael Parkinson, Rex Harrison, Jackie Stewart and Michael Caine, among many others – whom he often visited in a second-hand Mini, packed full of material. He was so passionate about serving his clients that he’d go wherever they asked. That sounded perfect to me and, apart from becoming a dear friend, he also made all my subsequent suits, right up until his untimely death in 2008.
KEEP IT SIMPLE: MAKE IT CLASSIC
    The 1970s were famous for flares and wide collars, and though my Bond’s look was contemporary, it was relatively restrained when you look at some of the more outrageous trends in menswear. In the early 1980s a more traditional style was introduced, with classic three-piece suits and blazers, coupled with casual coolness. I’ve been told – sometimes sneeringly – that nobody can carry off a safari suit quite like me.
    At the time, Doug’s