Tinker Tailors - Timothy Everest and Huntsman

Returning to the new film production of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy - I'm still thinking of the layers of deception at work – personal and political. It's a sign of a good film that it leaves a trail of afterthoughts in one’s bonce.

CV on the way to SIS

Nice also to see the old-style Trebor Mints get a supporting role.

I'm not saying the film had a profound effect on me, but let's just say I've emailed SIS with my CV. If you find the pages of The Tweed Pig suddenly peppered with cryptic statements, it will probably be me relaying coded messages to agents out in the field.

Intelligence 1 - Timothy Everest suits for Smiley and Guillam

More intelligence on the tailoring in Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. Having de-briefed me on Smiley's Aquascutum trench coat, my field operatives have informed me in a number of communiques that Tweed Pig regular Timothy Everest tailored some of the suits for the film.

Timothy was pleased to be able to do this, as it's one of his favourite books. He was also pleased to be able to work on 70s suit silhouettes, including three-piece and double-breasted creations.

As Timothy explains, Gary Oldman, as George Smiley, was kitted-out in "a sports jacket in charcoal grey with a royal blue and wine-red overcheck, to give it an almost tweed-y feel, plus a three-piece in a dark grey Holland & Sherry birdseye."

Benedict Cumberbatch, as Peter Guillam, wore "a three-piece Holland & Sherry grey herringbone and a three-piece brown, coffee-coloured flannel."

Of course, if you were to go bespoke with a Timothy Everest suit, you could have some special pockets sewn in to store your stolen blueprints, garroting wire and vintage Trebor Mints.

Intelligence 2 - Huntsman for Bill Haydon

The teleprinter has just started ringing for an important message:

Colin Firth character. Stop. Bill Haydon. Stop. Wore a Huntsman suit in the film. End.

When I get the call from SIS, I'll have to think long and hard about the correct attire. I know you're meant to look inconspicuous, but if they insist on flip-flops I'm afraid we'll have to part ways. There's doing it for Queen and Country and there's beyond the pale.