There has been a lot documented on Turnbull & Asser being the original shirtmaker to the James Bond films. If you visit the flagship store on Jermyn Street you’ll also find signed photos of Daniel Craig in Casino Royale, and you’ll even be able to stand in the same spot where Mr Fish (floorwalker at T&A) measured Sean Connery for this infamous shot. Terence Young introduced Sean Connery to have shirts made.
I have written also extensive notes on Turnbull & Asser in a book I co-authored with Matt Spaiser from Bond Suits called From Tailors With Love: An Evolution of Menswear Through the Bond Films.
In the recent years Turnbull & Asser have become an official licensee, and have offered up many ready-to-wear capsules in collaboration with the Bond franchise.
This despite not having made any shirts for the cinematic Bond since they tailored Daniel Craig in Casino Royale. (TOM FORD became both Bond’s tailor for suits and shirts from Quantum Of Solace onwards).
Signed Daniel Craig photo in Turnbull & Asser
James Cook the T&A Bespoke Manager explained to me why the changeover happened,
We typically charge to make shirts for films. We don’t pay to be in anything. We are talking vast sums of money. I wasn’t involved in those conversations. I just remember the money to be in the films is in the millions. Heineken paid to be in the films, as a company we can’t afford it. Also we are a special business, we only produce a certain amount of shirts a year.
I also discovered that in Ian Fleming’s biography by John Pearson, The Life of Ian Fleming, he mentions Ian Fleming was a Patron. As far as I know this is the only record of Ian Fleming ever shopping there.
The minimum order for bespoke shirts?
For a full report on the bespoke service at Turnbull & Asser I recommend reading my friend’s review on my From Tailors With Love blog.
The minimum number required to be a bespoke customer is four shirts, this was a change where the minimum requirement was six shirts. So, what does that offer you? What it means is that as a bespoke customer your pattern has been made, there have been second fittings and alterations made, but it effectively means that I can ring up Turnbull & Asser and ask for a shirt to be made, and it will be made to my pattern. – Z (Tie Another Day on INSTA).
Whilst Fleming doesn’t divulge the name of Bond’s shirtmaker, continuation novel Jeffrey Deaver does so in his novel Carte Blanche;
By seven fifteen he was dressed : a navy-blue Canali suit, a white sea island shirt and a burgundy Grenadine tie, the latter items from Turnbull & Asser. PG 32
WATCH: James Cook guide you round Turnbull & Asser and give the history of how the champion shirtmaker got involved with James Bond.
MORE: On Ian Fleming locations in London, click here.
