What are hacking pockets?

 

Isn't it ok with a country suit?

 

What are hacking pockets?

Pockets (usually with flaps) on a jacket or coat set at an angle (rather than horizontal). Originally designed to allow more natural access while riding a horse.

 

Gents ...

James Bond makes no mistakes like all great men, he just doesn't care and allows himself a little flamboyancy.

I also have a bold stiped suit, 2 button, with both hacking pockets and a ticket pocket, by Paul Smith - love it every day.

And I believe Brooks Bros once had a DB blazer with a ticket pocket - although I didn't fancy it.

Andrey

 

isn't this a bit over-analyzing? i'd tend to think that bond is setting his own sartorial path rather having to subscribe to any "rules." who cares that he has to kill lots of men for the sake of the mission, but to have hacking pockets and a ticket pocket!? now that is worth punishment.

 

Am I mistaken, or is Bond committing a sartorial sin?

You are mistaken. It is more than acceptable. Bond has suits in this configuration in many other movies: Diamonds Are Forever, Moonraker, GoldenEye, The World is Not Enough, and Die Another Day. I prefer the look of slanted pockets with a ticket pocket. It is a very English look.

EDIT: The only sartorial sin I can think of regarding pockets that Bond has worn would be the flapped hacking pockets on his dinner jackets in Diamonds Are Forever. Though these didn't have ticket pockets. Thankfully, every other dinner jacket Bond has worn has had staight jetted pockets.

Another thing. I just realised that the original question was posted almost 2 years ago.

 

Slanted pockets with an outside ticket is absolutely fine on an English lounge suit. esp. a glen check like the one Lazenby wears.
If you are looking "for Bond Sartorial Sins", look at Dr No. Those short socks really bother me AND he does both buttons up on his sb2 blazer!

W_B

 

I don't like the look wouldn't wear it to work in the US. And I imagine it's not found in the pages of Apparel Arts but it seems acceptable/tolerable, if a bit flamboyant, in London. I have no idea what the convention would have been in 1969.

I imagine the literary Bond would have cared about something like that and would not have done it. But I am pretty sure that whoever dressed George Lazenby didn't spend a single second getting hung up on the outfit's relation to the platonic form of Depression-era elegance.

 

It's a common presentation in tweed jackets (at least in my closet) and I can only imagine that it would be acceptable in a tweed country suit, as suggested above. While I have no suits with hacking pockets and ticket pocket, I would hardly object - particularly if I could detect the outline of a shoulder holster.

 

I personally have no problem with it. I just ordered this jacket:

(ignore the fastened bottom button, done to show it's a 3 button!)
https://askandyaboutclothes.com/FrontPGArticles/Andy's Recommendations.htm
from www.bookster1uk.com (see the Recommendation Page for the AskAndy members discount!).

 

Andy ...

nice suit - but it's 100% country suit - with the windbreaker fastner and hidden button detail.

The book JB would not have cared about such a thing because he dressed down/was moderate in suits - and had no Sevile Row suits.

Andrey

 

I personally have no problem with it. I just ordered this jacket:

(ignore the fastened bottom button, done to show it's a 3 button!)
https://askandyaboutclothes.com/FrontPGArticles/Andy's Recommendations.htm
from www.bookster1uk.com (see the Recommendation Page for the AskAndy members discount!).

Thanks for post, Andy. Tweed is the last thing on my mind in May in Georgia, but I am pleased to see that Bookster has a "range" of new tweed articles in addition to their selection of fine used tweeds, and their top-notch customer service. I just don't know if I have enough testosterone to wear a scarlet lining!

Maybe it isn't too early to think about fall attire?

 

The book JB would not have cared about such a thing because he dressed down/was moderate in suits - and had no Sevile Row suits.

I've only started reading the books but I think it could go either way.

On the one hand, he seems supremely confident in his own taste and if he happened to really like that arrangement, he would likely have worn it.

On the other hand, I would say that he wants to fit in the upper class world he interacts with and enjoys (I'm thing specifically about the passages on food in Casino Royale) so that may give him pause if that pocket arrangement weren't accepted at that time - again I don't know what the convention would have been at that time but I'd guess that it was for no hacking pockets on city suits.

I don't think his not having Savile Row suits is a rejection of the establishment style but rather reflective of the reality that he wasn't that well paid.

On balance, I think he's un-clothes horsey enough to not care too much about pocket configurations and would therefore follow whatever was the prevailing convention.

 

Thanks for post, Andy. Tweed is the last thing on my mind in May in Georgia, but I am pleased to see that Bookster has a "range" of new tweed articles in addition to their selection of fine used tweeds, and their top-notch customer service. I just don't know if I have enough testosterone to wear a scarlet lining!

Maybe it isn't too early to think about fall attire?

And when I saw the scarlet lining I thought YES! I want one.

 

NO!

Bonds biggest sartorial mistake in one word: "Brioni"

 

I personally have no problem with it. I just ordered this jacket:

(ignore the fastened bottom button, done to show it's a 3 button!)
https://askandyaboutclothes.com/FrontPGArticles/Andy's Recommendations.htm
from www.bookster1uk.com (see the Recommendation Page for the AskAndy members discount!).

That is a pretty good looking jacket IMO

 

Getting back to the original (two year old) topic, you won't find a bigger Bond fan than me....but some of the Roger Moore leisure suit/safari looks and Nipsy Russell collars come to mind as much bigger "mistakes". Blame it on the 70's I suppose.

Can't fault Connery for too much, but that pink tie from DAF was pretty bad, and I never really understood the spectator shoes he wore in Japan in YOLT.

Yet Bond remains personally a great sartorial inspiration, including the Daniel Craig version.

 

I never really understood the spectator shoes he wore in Japan in YOLT.

That's an easy one to explain. Those weren't his shoes, but shoes he took off the murderer of Dikko Henderson when Bond was pretending to be him. He had taken off his usual black ankle boots when he entered Henderson's home.

Have you seen my lists explaining every piece of Bond's clothing from all 21 films? If not, send me a PM.

 

I don't like the look wouldn't wear it to work in the US. And I imagine it's not found in the pages of Apparel Arts but it seems acceptable/tolerable, if a bit flamboyant, in London.

Flusser's last book has an AA/Esky plate showing a gent in what appears to be a tweedy suit - peaked lapel, with hacking pockets and TP. I don't have the book with me, but will check when I get home what page it falls on.

 

Flusser's last book has an AA/Esky plate showing a gent in what appears to be a tweedy suit - peaked lapel, with hacking pockets and TP. I don't have the book with me, but will check when I get home what page it falls on.

Just looked..its a peak lapel with slanted pockets.
As I have stated, slanted ticket pockets are no big deal in London. A few years back they were everywhere..Richard James, Aquascutumn, Hackett, Turnbull & Asser etc. You don't see as many OTPs but slanted pockets are still quite normal.

W_B

 

Well, of course, James Bond onscreen is dressed by dozens of costume designers and wardrobe consultants.

But as for the actors themselves, are any of them outstanding dressers? Roger Moore puts together an impressive outfit or two when he's doing his charity events, but other than that, I can't think of anyone else who stands out. Even Brosnan is remarkably casual most of the time.

 

Keith T, what is ...

a Nipsy Russell collar ? is it that pointy /large collar popular in the 70's?

I am very young and not US so can you please elaborate?

BTW, Prince William wore a suit with slanting pockets/TP on the recent Army march (see Getty Images and recent posts).

Slanting pockets are still in London - Crombie, Hackett, even Lewin cord jackets - although that's a more casual item but still ...

Andrey

 

I personally have no problem with it. I just ordered this jacket:

(ignore the fastened bottom button, done to show it's a 3 button!)
https://askandyaboutclothes.com/FrontPGArticles/Andy's Recommendations.htm
from www.bookster1uk.com (see the Recommendation Page for the AskAndy members discount!).

Andy, is there a secret e-mail address or something to use when trying to get them to make a jacket? I've e-mailed them a couple of times over the course of ten days about making a jacket in 46L and can't get a reply from them. I'd hate to make a call to England about something that could be arranged in e-mail, but I suppose I could if necessary.

 

Sorry, Andrey, that was a very obscure reference to be sure. I also misspelled "Nipsey" (it has an "e" in it). Basically, that is a phrase that a friend of mine had often used to describe the funkier, long point collars often seen in the 70's. Nipsey Russell was a comedian who, from what I remember, was pretty much just famous for being on game shows. Here's his wiki entry for reference, and he's shown wearing one of his eponymous collars, natch:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nipsey_Russell

Also, for the record, I like Andy's jacket....

 

That look was most noticable on Moore in Moonraker when he wears he dinner jacket sans bow tie the morning after carnival. The rest of Moonraker and in For Your Eyes Only he keeps his collar points under control (thankfully). But I'm surpised Bond didn't change out of his dinner jacket from the previous night. He must not have spent the night at his 'presidential suite.' I'm sure that if he did change his clothes, he would have been wearing another navy blazer, which he wore 3 of already throughout the film.