Kingsman: The Secret Service -- Colin Firth's Suits in Detail

Based on a graphic novel, Kingsman: The Secret Service got a lot of well-deserved press upon release for its quintessentially English menswear and just being a pretty fun movie. But sadly what has been published isn't a complete picture. A few friends of mine asked if I could write up an article about the suits of the movie, even those who normally aren't into menswear. I went looking for an article, any article, that described them in detail. Sadly most gloss over everything besides that they are double breasted. Because Harry Hart (Colin Firth) is the most prominently tailored character in the movie, I've decided to focus on his suits.

Martin Nicholls London, a Savile Row bespoke firm, made the suits for the principals. Their other film work includes Dark Shadows and Hugo. Harry's velvet smoking jacket was created by Campbell Carey (who makes a brief cameo as Valentine's tailor) while he was still at Kilgour. The tailored clothing sold in Mr Porter's off the peg Kingsman collection was produced by Crewe Tailored Clothing, until recently known as Cheshire Bespoke. They are better equipped for the demands of mass production and copy Nicholls' style well.

The look of the "Kingsman Tailors" shop was inspired by H. Huntsman & Sons Ltd, but their bespoke tailoring services were not used. Though director Matthew Vaughn has been a customer since 18 years old, Huntsman may not have been able to meet their financial or production needs at that time. Typically a few copies of each costume are made or purchased for stunts, such as wearing a wire work harness and in case they get damaged during filming. Stunt performers will also need a different size than the actors they are doubling for. It all adds up pretty quickly.

Arianne Phillips designed the costumes for the movie and intentionally selected heritage English brands to fill out the wardrobe.

Warning: Minor spoilers of the movie may follow.

"The first thing a gentleman needs is a good suit."

Harry Hart -- codename Galahad -- wears five suits throughout the movie, all cut and styled identically. Kingsman suits are said to be bulletproof. The first suit, seen in the prologue, is navy worsted twill with white chalk stripes. The one seen most often in promotions for the film is flannel from Dormeuil, charcoal grey with a rust red chalk stripe and thinner light grey stripe side-by-side. The bunch number is 405014, but unfortunately the fabric is no longer produced. (An anonymous reader pointed this out in the comments, big thanks goes out to them and their research!) His most briefly seen suit is medium grey whipcord, an appropriate defense against cold London winds, worn when confronting Professor Arnold (Mark Hamill). Another suit that gets pretty short shrift is a charcoal plaid in woolen flannel, used in a lunch scene with his superior, Arthur (Michael Caine). The next suit looks light grey at first glance, yet is actually black and white Glen Urquhart Check in worsted flannel. The navy chalk stripe suit is reused for a climactic scene despite taking place at least 17 years later. It's either a testament to the durability of Kingsman suits or the timelessness of good bespoke tailoring. Possibly both.

Navy chalk stripe as seen in the opening of the movie.

The coat is double breasted with six buttons, two to close. The top two nonfunctional buttons are spaced further apart to emphasize the chest and present a more masculine appearance. Harry leaves the bottom button undone. One can use both buttons if they wish, unlike on a single breasted suit, but the former choice makes sense if you'll find yourself thrashing goons and need more movement to do so. There are side vents in back, which are the only appropriate choice for double breasted jackets. The peak lapels are traditional in width and have a tasteful amount of "belly", or outward curve, to the underside. They are not as narrow as current fashions yet avoid the excesses of '70s tailoring. Double breasted suits sold today mostly have a lapel hole on the left side but Nicholls puts them on both sides, cutting them straight per Savile Row custom. Not only does it recall the so-called golden age of menswear, it provides visual balance to all the buttons and overlapping fabric.

Charcoal chalk stripe suit in a promotional image.

The sleeves have functional four button "surgeon's cuffs". This was once reserved for bespoke, but recently many off the peg retailers copy it straight from the factory. It's best to avoid those (which unfortunately include the $2500 Mr Porter Kingsman suits) unless the sleeves fit you precisely; any length alteration past a quarter inch will be difficult, costly, or not look right. Harry occasionally leaves the last button undone on his sleeves. Clothing traditionalists advise against this practice, denouncing it as gauche or vulgar. But is it really distasteful when one will never use them otherwise?

Is Harry thumbing his nose at the establishment, given his distaste for classism?

The front jacket pockets are gently slanted and flapped, wider than average in proportion to the lapels. There is pick stitching done meticulously by hand on the lapels, collar, and pockets. It is easy to miss if you are not looking for it, but pick stitching should ideally not be too visible since its only purpose is to keep the edges neat. The buttons are polished horn with recessed domes for the thread, something often seen on English bespoke suits.

Similar recessed dome buttons on a Kingsman Mr Porter suit.

The jacket has straight, lightly padded shoulders with roping at the sleeve head. Not at all a "natural shoulder", but not as built up as some other tailors on the Row. It has a nipped waist and flared skirt. The sleeves are also slightly flared at the end. Naturally, the armholes are cut high for more movement which probably helps in Harry's profession. Most off the peg suits have rather large and low armholes, but a smaller armhole is superior both in aesthetics and comfort. Overall, Nicholls' house cut looks like what many would associate with Savile Row, even if there is a lot of variation between its tailors in reality.

Medium grey whipcord suit and black pindot tie.

Harry's trousers are perhaps the most modern aspect of his suits. They have a medium-low rise, flat front, and are hemmed to a moderate break. There may be darts in front, but they are difficult to discern if so. Many bespoke tailors prefer to do this instead of a true flat front since they better curve over the hips. The legs are straight cut with narrow leg openings, but not fashionably skinny. In front there is an extended waistband with hook and eye closure which makes for a cleaner look than the typical button type. They are held up with slide buckle tabs instead of a belt. In back there are two welted button-through pockets and a split waistband. The latter expands when sitting, keeping the trousers more comfortable to wear.

A good view of trouser fit from the 1997 prologue. Most men were actually wearing full cut double pleated trousers at this time, whether or not they were made bespoke.

Harry wears a white Turnbull & Asser shirt with all his suits. It could be poplin or a fine twill. In the English tradition, it has a spread collar. According to Dan Stroupe, Bespoke Administrator at Turnbull & Asser New York, the shirts were made-to-measure rather than bespoke and the collar may be a modified version of their "Classic" collar. Perhaps due to the pace of production, budgetary constraints, and Colin Firth already being a customer, it would be more efficient and require less time to perfect his pattern. Closer-fitting “glamour” and looser-fitting “action” shirts were made for both Colin Firth and Taron Egerton. The double (French) cuff buttonholes are closer to the fold than on American or Italian shirts. This makes cuff links easier to see and reduces how much the edges flare out from inside the jacket sleeve. Darts help shape the waist in back. Unlike most off-the-peg slim fit shirts there are shoulder pleats, which lend some ease in aiming a gun. Finally, while not seen in the film, the narrow placket is sewn three-eighths of an inch from the edge, neatly dividing it into three portions about the width of the mother-of-pearl buttons. This is standard at T&A and some other English shirtmakers.

Of special note is that the shirt cuffs show a quarter to half-inch below the jacket sleeves. This has three benefits: Dressing the hand, giving visual continuity with the "V" of shirt above, and keeping the ends of the jacket sleeves from wearing faster. Since shirt cuffs are cheaper to replace than jacket sleeves, this makes a certain amount of sense. If your jacket sleeves are too long, altering them so they hit at the end of the wrist bone is one of the easiest little ways to look better dressed.

Shoulder pleats and darts visible in this behind-the-scenes video from Mr Porter.

A straight folded, white linen pocket square is worn in the breast pocket of every suit. Some may assume it was chosen to coordinate with the white shirts, but it's a wardrobe staple one can wear with a variety of shirt and suit colours. It is probably made by Drake's and has hand rolled edges just like the Mr Porter Kingsman pocket squares. Learn how to fold your pocket square through this tutorial on Bond Suits.

Surprisingly there are only two ties worn in the movie, both made by Drake's. They are knotted in a half-Windsor with the exception of a "full" Windsor in one scene. The most prominent is the club stripe tie of Kingsman Tailors which features two pale pink stripes framing a burgundy stripe on a dark blue ground. Mr Porter offered a silk grenadine version of this tie, but the actual film version is ribbed with satin stripes. They now offer a more screen-accurate tie. Magnoli Clothiers sells their own rendition for those interested, though the quality won't be as nice as Drake's. The stripes go in the British direction, from left shoulder to right hip. The other tie is black satin with white pindots. I originally thought it was dark navy, but behind the scenes documentaries reveal it is indeed black in outdoor lighting. The Mr Porter Kingsman ties measure three inches wide at the bottom, but the film versions look a little wider than that.

Glen Urquhart Check suit. His tie appears to be in a Windsor knot in this scene.

The cufflinks are rose gold plated ovals embossed with a crest of unknown origin and connected by a short chain. They are made by Deakin & Francis. Double sided cufflinks like these dress both sides of the cuff and appear more luxurious. Despite being harder to put on than the common hinge back design, the advantage is that they come out less easily throughout the day.

Unknown if this is specifically a Kingsman crest or one pertaining to Hart's family.

The eyeglasses, which in the movie are a combination heads-up display and body camera for spy purposes, are the acetate Cutler and Gross 0822 frames in tortoiseshell. The shape was created specifically for the movie. As with the Kingsman club tie, less expensive alternatives are available but may not be as luxurious or last as long.

"Oxfords, not brogues."

The shoes are black cap toe oxfords (balmorals) made by George Cleverley. Like most English shoes they have a sleeker shape, or last, and smaller sole profile compared to American brands such as Allen Edmonds or Alden. The toes have an elegant, rounded chisel shape. This looks timeless compared to the trendy, very angular or pointy chisel toes and definitely sleeker than American shoes with very rounded toes. The writers unfortunately made a gaffe in the script when Harry refers to oxfords as having "open lacing". Oxfords actually have closed lacing at the the throat, whereas derbies (bluchers) have it open. The right shoe contains a hidden blade coated with neurotoxin, activated by clicking one's heels together. Or, in the words of Harry, doing one's best impression of a German aristocrat. (Though it is best not to follow Eggsy's interpretation of that in polite society.) This is inspired by '60s spy movies and television shows with a similar gadget. According to Taron Egerton, the shoes were made bespoke for him and Colin Firth.

Not sure why he has brogues (which have oxford lacing) on display if he advises against them, or shoes that just so happen to fit Eggsy, or why only the cap toes have a hidden blade...

"A bespoke suit always fits."

Since Eggsy's two suits are nearly identical to Harry's, they are worth a brief mention. The most noticeable difference is that they fit closer to the body to accentuate his youthfulness and chiseled physique. The lapels are straighter, with less belly. The suits also fasten higher, creating a slightly smaller "V" of shirt and tie. Egerton is four inches shorter than Firth at five foot ten, so this was probably considered more flattering by Martin Nicholls or simply lends a more modern look to the next generation of Kingsman. It disproves the myth that only men over six foot can wear double breasted suits. With proper fit pretty much anyone can wear them.

"Looking good, Eggsy."

"Feeling good, Merlin."

His first suit is of the same navy chalk stripe as Harry's. The fabric dimples slightly below the sleeve head, indicating that the shoulder or upper sleeve is a bit tight for him. For whatever reason, the next suit is superior in fit since it does not do this. It is the same charcoal chalk stripe fabric as the suit Harry introduces himself in. Egerton may have gained more muscle mass after fitting for the first suit, explaining the problems. And despite Merlin's line, bespoke clothing actually requires multiple fittings and certainly much more lead time than the movie implies! (Though there's no reason Kingsman couldn't make a rush order for one of their most promising candidates.) The shirt is nearly identical except for the collar having a smaller spread, which may also be based on the "Classic" collar from T&A. Different face shapes demand different collar shapes. These suits are worn with the same accoutrements as Harry's, such as the striped tie and cuff links, though his eyeglasses have modern black instead of tortoise brown frames.

The second and final suit donned by Eggsy. Note the shirt collar has a smaller spread.

The other briefly-seen agents more or less wear the same style of suit but in plain navy worsted. Their suits are not quite as nice, but they are barely seen anyway. Percival (Roxy's sponsor) is noteworthy in that his suit has a ticket pocket. This could be a vestige of an early costume sketch for Harry which includes heavily slanted hacking pockets and a ticket pocket.

Promotional photo that captures the differences between their suits well.

"Jack" refers to Jack London, Harry Hart's equivalent in The Secret Service graphic novel.

Please let me know if you have any questions about the movie's costumes. If there is demand for it, I will write a bit more about the other characters' tailored clothing. A big thanks goes out to Matt Spaiser of The Suits of James Bond for inspiring this post and helping out a great deal on the details.

Screencaps taken by kissthemgoodbye.net.