A Brioni dark grey suit is the plainest way into a house that has tailored Bond since the Brosnan years. Brioni dressed Pierce Brosnan’s Bond in all of his films, and Daniel Craig’s Bond in Casino Royale. The dark grey suit is Brosnan’s, from Tomorrow Never Dies, and in our view it is the right place to begin with the house.
In the film
In Tomorrow Never Dies, Bond wears a dark grey Brioni suit with Dunhill cufflinks, a blue shirt and black Church’s shoes while driving the BMW in Hamburg. Brioni then dressed Craig in Casino Royale, including the dinner suit for the poker game, with braces worn under the suit in formal scenes. Craig also wore a charcoal grey Brioni suit at the London press conference announcing him as Bond, though that was a public appearance, not a scene.
The Brioni dark grey suit in detail
The suit on screen is a Brioni, but no model name has been traced, so we describe it as the closest match we can identify and not as a particular cut. Brioni’s current charcoal is the Essential charcoal grey Super 160’s wool gabardine Brunico suit. It is a fine, plain cloth in a plain colour, so the cut does the talking. It is in the spirit of the film suit, not a copy of it, and we would not describe it as the suit Brosnan wore.
The same Brunico is also sold in midnight blue and in black. Choose the charcoal if you want one suit to do most of the work: black belongs to the evening, and charcoal needs no occasion.
Wearing it now
In our view, dark grey is the most adaptable colour in a suit wardrobe. It works with a white or pale blue shirt for the office, a navy knitted tie for dinner, and plain black shoes throughout. Bond’s blue shirt and black shoes are a sound template. We would choose a plain weave over anything patterned.
Rest the suit for a day between wears, brush it afterwards, and hang it on a shaped hanger. Brosnan’s suit is no longer made, so our button runs an eBay search for a Brioni dark grey suit, where pre-owned examples appear; check the label, the measurements and the condition of the lining. Fit is Brioni’s own, and a fitting is worth the time; Brioni also makes bespoke if the ready-to-wear cut does not suit you.
In the same spirit
If you would rather buy new, two live pieces in the catalogue come near the idea. The Tom Ford O’Connor grey Prince of Wales suit is a grey suit in a different cloth, and the Brioni tuxedo is the house’s evening answer. Both are alternatives in the spirit of the look, not the suit seen on screen.
Specifications
| Maker | Brioni |
|---|---|
| Film suit | Dark grey Brioni, Tomorrow Never Dies |
| Current equivalent | Essential charcoal grey Brunico suit |
| Cloth | Super 160’s wool gabardine |
| Colour | Dark grey / charcoal |
| RRP | Varies by model; see Brioni |
Current models are on Brioni’s own suits page.
Questions
Which Bond film has a dark grey Brioni suit?
Tomorrow Never Dies. Bond wears it with Dunhill cufflinks and black Church’s shoes while driving the BMW in Hamburg.
Did Daniel Craig wear Brioni in Casino Royale?
Yes. Brioni dressed him in the film, including the dinner suit worn in the poker scenes. The dark grey suit, though, is from Tomorrow Never Dies.
Does Brioni still make a charcoal suit?
Yes. Brioni’s Essential collection lists a charcoal grey Super 160’s wool gabardine Brunico suit. Current models and prices are on the maker’s own site.
What should you wear with a dark grey Brioni suit?
A blue shirt and black shoes. That is the pairing in the film, and a navy knitted tie suits dinner.
More in our clothing guide, the Daniel Craig pages and our Casino Royale page.
