When I was very young I saw the first James Bond movie, “Dr No” and was immediately impressed by the effortlessly cool way Sean Connery carried himself in the role. It was like a blueprint for how to be a man. He did everything — shooting at the supervillain while driving at breakneck speed, ordering his martini “shaken not stirred,” and delivering glib pickup lines to the most beautiful women in the world, while outfitted in a perfectly tailored Savile Row suit. I know I’ll never have a “license to kill” but his style is attainable. With the right tailor of course.
A few years ago, I discovered Mason & Sons in London. Mason & Sons had acquired the rights to produce the “Conduit Cut” suit, originally designed for Sean Connery by Anthony Sinclair, and named for his shop at 29 Conduit Street, in Mayfair, London. This suit has a particularly British silhouette that differs markedly from the Brooks Brothers Number One Sack suit worn by American men in the 1960s (think Mad Men). The sack suit is characterized by a natural shoulder, soft-front construction and straight-leg trousers. It has a boxy, unstructured shape with rolled lapels and no darts. But more about the sack suit at another time.
The “Conduit Cut” suit, while it may appear conservative today was a revelation in the 1960s. The coat was cut for ease of movement, with a chest that drapes, and more generous sleeves topped with signature roping. The most distinctive feature is that it is nipped in at the waist producing an hourglass shape that is extremely suited to athletic physiques. The addition of a “ticket” pocket is another feature that sets the jacket apart. The trousers sport a pull tab for adjustment so you don’t need a belt and sit higher on the waist than what is common today. In fact, the style of the jacket is believed to have been derived from the hacking jacket familiar to the sporting and military gentlemen that were Sinclair’s early customers.
Fast forward to today and Mason & Sons, run by the affable David and Elliot Mason (his son), who are operating their business nearby to Anthony Sinclair’s original location (and across the street from where James Bond creator Ian Fleming once lived) now offer the “Conduit Suit” in a dizzying choice of fabrics, pocket types, pleats or not, and other options. But what’s really special about being fitted for an Anthony Sinclair suit is that their offices are located in a flat once occupied (at different times) by Ringo Starr and Jimi Hendrix. Paul McCartney also used to record demos here. He appreciated its proximity to Abbey Road Studios which is walking distance from the flat.
The walls are covered in period pictures taken in the flat that will delight any fan of 1960s rock ‘n’ roll. On my first visit (it took just two visits to result in a perfectly fitting suit), Elliot served me tea and took time to understand exactly what I was looking for (in truth I just wanted to somehow acquire a shadow of 007’s swagger and I thought the suit would help) but he was so knowledgeable that I found myself listening carefully to the various choices. I wanted to do this right.
You can opt for the “modern” solution, as I did, where your measurements will be taken, you try on different models, a pattern is cut and a “baste” prepared. Once fitted, the garment is sent off to be finished. According to Mason & Sons this saves around one third of the time and cost. They also offer a more “traditional” bespoke approach with an “infinite” choice of fabrics, a pattern that is cut just for you, and multiple fittings to get it exactly right.
The Anthony Sinclair suit I own is the best fitting and most flattering suit in my closet. While the association with James Bond makes it cool to me, most people don’t know the back story. I’ve also bought a few bespoke shirts with the famous “cocktail cuffs,” and a Slazenger Heritage jumper that is a dead ringer for the one Bond wore when he hit the links with Auric Goldfinger in the 1964 film “Goldfinger“. Mason & Sons now represents a number of classic British brands including Baracuta, Curry & Paxton, Deakin & Francis, and Sunspel. Whether you are a Bond fan or not, I highly recommend them.