Bond opens The World Is Not Enough in a bank, and what he wears is as quiet as the setting. Under a dark suit and a zig zag tie, Pierce Brosnan’s Bond has on a blue Sea Island cotton shirt by Turnbull & Asser, and the Turnbull & Asser Sea Island cotton shirt is the sort of cloth you notice only when you touch it.
In the film
The shirt appears in the Bilbao bank sequence at the start of the film, worn with the dark grey Brioni suit and a zig zag tie, according to our catalogue evidence. Our sources identify it as a blue Sea Island cotton shirt by Turnbull & Asser, the London shirtmaker that has dressed Bond for decades.
The details
Sea Island cotton. The maker presents its Sea Island collection as its softest cloth, made from what it calls the world’s finest cotton. In a shirt the effect is a fine, smooth hand with a gentle sheen, rather than the crispness of a poplin. A reseller in our research calls it rare, which is fair.
Wearing it now
A blue shirt in a very fine cloth is the most useful dressy shirt a man can own. Wear it with a charcoal or navy suit and a dark tie, as Bond does, or open at the neck under a grey jacket. Choose the double cuff for a suit and cufflinks, or the three-button cuff if you prefer your shirts cut plainer.
Choosing one. The maker’s current Sea Island shirts are sold in several collars and cuffs: the Light Blue Sea Island Quality Cotton Shirt with T&A Collar and Double Cuffs is US$575 at the time of writing, October 2026. The Blue and White Fine Bengal Stripe and the Blue Fine Check come with the T&A collar and three-button cuffs. None is the film shirt; they are the same cloth family.
The Istanbul shirt. In May 2023 the maker released a different shirt, the Istanbul, inspired by one worn in the film. That is a blue oxford cotton shirt in a Regular Fit with a No.3 collar and three-button cuffs, at US$535. It is not Sea Island cotton, and it is not the Bilbao shirt, but it is the nearer to a film-linked shirt that you can buy.
In the same spirit
For a different Turnbull & Asser shirt in Bond’s world, see the Casino Royale white dress shirt. It is an alternative in another film, not a shirt from this one.
Specifications
| Maker | Turnbull & Asser |
|---|---|
| Cloth | Blue Sea Island cotton |
| Film use | Bilbao bank pre-title sequence |
| Current Sea Island shirts | From US$575 (Light Blue, T&A collar, double cuffs), October 2026 |
| Istanbul shirt | Blue oxford cotton, Regular Fit, No.3 collar, 3-button cuffs, US$535 |
Questions
What shirt does Bond wear in the Bilbao bank scene?
A blue Sea Island cotton shirt by Turnbull & Asser, according to our sources.
Can I buy the exact shirt?
No. Turnbull & Asser sells Sea Island shirts in its current collection, but not this exact one. A second-hand search is the other route.
What is the Turnbull & Asser Istanbul shirt?
A blue oxford cotton shirt the maker released in May 2023, inspired by another shirt from The World Is Not Enough.
The maker’s range is at its Sea Island collection. For the film, see The World Is Not Enough and Pierce Brosnan’s Bond.
