Bond is Back - Anthony Sinclair and the Conduit Cut

Cut, Conduit Cut

Let's remind ourselves of some of the earlier Bond suits.

All Connery-era suits. Is it that Connery just wore them well or is it the cut? The Conduit Cut to be precise.

The Conduit Cut was developed by Mayfair (Conduit Street) tailor Anthony Sinclair. The cut was used in Bond's suits from Dr No to You Only Live Twice and became synonymous with the style of James Bond. Serendipitous that Sinclair was the tailor of the director of the first Bond film, Terence Young. What came out of this was a template that remains classic Bond: Savile Row style, conservative, even minimalist, suits in lightweight cloths and a restrained colour palette of blues, whites and greys. This pared-down look incorporates the (literarily-correct) plain knitted ties of Bond and the use of waist-adjusters ('Daks tops') on the trousers rather than belt or braces.

Anthony Sinclair retired in the 80s and is sadly no longer with us, but the style he developed remains a classic. The name is back and so is the Conduit Cut.

Anthony Sinclair is Back

Anthony Sinclair is back under the aegis of British designer David Mason with a "commitment to preserve the founder's philosophy, maintain his standards and continue to produce timeless, classic clothing for a new generation of modern men."

The tailors and outfitters supply suits in the Conduit Cut as a 'Special Order' (with two fittings) or fully bespoke, which involves over 50 hours of hand tailoring.

The jacket has "a firm but natural shoulder, roped sleeve head, full chest, suppressed waist and slightly flared skirt [to] create a subtle hourglass silhouette which traces the body with a peerless purity of line".

Let's hope we see Daniel Craig in something similar in the forthcoming Skyfall.

Anthony Sinclair
No. 6 Sackville Street
London
W1S 3DD