George Lazenby’s wardrobe in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service blended classic elegance with contemporary 1960s fashion trends.
When Sean Connery first stepped down as 007 after You Only Live Twice, George Lazenby was working as a model. Undeterred by his lack of acting experience, Lazenby decided to pursue the role with laser focus and determination.
There are a few variations on the story, and no doubt there is an element of truth to them all. In one version he managed to get a meeting with Harry Saltzman by impressing his secretary. To ensure he looked the part, Lazenby went to Connery’s tailor, Anthony Sinclair, to order a bespoke suit in his distinctive “Conduit Cut”. What he wasn’t counting on was the six months it would take for his suit to be completed.
The tailor came up with a solution though. He offered Lazenby a suit he had made for Connery but had never collected. With a similar build to Connery, the suit required only a few adjustments to fit.
So Lazenby walked confidently into Saltzman’s office clad in his Anthony Sinclair suit, with a Rolex Submariner on his wrist and his styled by Connery’s barber. Despite initially being dismissed, Lazenby’s bold approach paid off when he convinced the director, Peter Hunt, he was the right man for the job.
Transition in tailoring
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service marked not only a change of actor but also by a shift in the sartorial hands shaping Bond’s appearance. Instead of Anthony Sinclair, Lazenby was dressed by Dimi Major – ironic when you consider the lengths to which Lazenby went to obtain an Anthony Sinclair suit. This decision subtly altered Bond’s style to align with the cultural shifts of the late 1960s.
Anthony Sinclair had crafted a sharp, understated look for Connery with his “Conduit Cut”. This style became synonymous with 007’s look during the early Bond films and emphasised a classic, timeless British elegance, characterised by its natural shoulder line and subtle nipping at the waist. Sinclair’s suits provided a smooth, clean silhouette that maintained a formal stiffness appropriate for Connery’s portrayal of Bond.
In contrast, Dimi Major brought a fresh perspective that was both necessary and reflective of the changing times. Known for a sharper, more contemporary cut, Major introduced narrower lapels and a slightly more accentuated shoulder line, embracing the late 60s’ trends without departing too drastically from Bond’s established image. These suits were cut closer to the body, offering a more tailored fit that highlighted Lazenby’s physique and lent a youthful edge to his portrayal of the spy.
The choice of Major helped distinguish Lazenby’s Bond from his predecessor, signalling a new chapter for the character while maintaining the elegance that the role demanded. The new tailor’s influence was a clear signal that while the essence of Bond remained, his external presentation could adapt and morph across the decades, much like the series itself.
Suits
Lazenby wears numerous suits throughout the film, but to my mind he doesn’t carry any of them off half as well as Sean Connery. Perhaps the most successful suit is the one he wears in Geneva when he breaks into Gumbold’s safe, although it has weird slanting hip pockets. Worn with a light blue shirt and black knitted tie, the suit is reminiscent of Connery’s Glen plaid suits. But I prefer Anthony Sinclair’s Conduit Cut to the rather flared silhouette and slanted pockets of Dimi Major’s jacket. Although in long shot, it looks like he also wears this suit when he buys Tracy’s ring.
There’s probably nothing too much wrong with the suit he wears in M’s office and the chalk stripe one he wears to the Royal College of Arms but I’d never choose to wear them. Partly it’s because I find waistcoats to be needlessly fussy, but mainly because I prefer the silhouette of Connery’s suits.
The cream suit with a pink shirt and black knitted tie Lazenby wears upon arrival at Hotel Palàcio suits him well enough. He also looks good in the black suit in which he marries Tracy, but I’m not at all sold on the outfit he wears to Marc Ange Draco’s birthday comprising a tweed sports jacket with some kind of beige scarf around his neck and what I guess are jodhpurs and riding boots. I actually prefer the suit Lazenby wears upon arrival at Piz Gloria, when he’s disguised as Scottish baronet Sir Hilary Bray.
It’s slightly curious that where Ian Fleming zigged here, the filmmakers zagged. In the book Bond imagines how Sir Hilary would act in real life while awaiting his flight to Switzerland and tries to adopt his persona. However, he decides he’s acting ridiculously and should behave as he normally does. The filmmakers decided to go the other way and have Bond play up the baronet. This is accentuated by Lazenby’s voice being dubbed by George Baker in these scenes. Anyway, here the suit gives him a rather academic air, albeit a little stuffy with the pipe. On the other hand, his old fashioned brown overcoat is rather awful. Maybe it would have been a good fit for Sherlock Holmes though!
Dinner jacket
Rather more successful is Lazenby’s dinner suit as its slim, sharp fit accentuates Lazenby’s athletic build, contributing to his authoritative presence as Bond.
We first meet the new 007 as he watches from his Aston Martin as he keeps an eye on Tracy. On top he’s wearing just a pleated dress shirt that serves to show off his athleticism as he takes on Marc-Ange Draco’s heavies.
Later Bond enters the casino in full evening dress. The traditional black dinner jacket has peak lapels faced with satin, but rather than the pleated dress shirt worn earlier he now has a horribly dated one with ruffles.
Along with a black silk bow tie and patent leather shoes, he almost pulls it off but those ruffles are just too much to ignore.
The other outfit which doesn’t really bother me when watching the film but is pretty odd is the Highland evening dress, including Black Watch Tartan kilt, for dinner at Piz Gloria. Perhaps this is Lazenby’s most iconic outfit.
Casual wear
While Lazenby is dressed well enough for the ski sequences, one casual outfit stands out as being so horribly dated it must rank as one of the worst of the entire series. Staying at Hotel Palacio in Estoril, Bond is about to leave for the golf course when he is taken to meet Draco at gunpoint. He’s wearing a beige casual jacket, beige trousers and an orange sweater. It is truly terrible. Even Connery’s baby blue towelling onesie in Goldfinger is better than this.
On the ski slopes Lazenby fairs better. The light blue ski suit he wears seems rather thin, but it was supposedly supplied by Willy Bognor. While it is nothing like modern ski clothes, I presume that means it was warm enough for the climate. After escaping from Piz Gloria he grabs a large-checked jacket from outside a bar as a disguise.
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