Only one word can encapsulate the James Bond enigma that has held the world spellbound for the past 60 years - and that five-letter word is ‘Style’.
Whether you favour Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, George Lazenby, Pierce Brosnan or the utterly delectable Daniel Craig (no prizes for guessing the author’s favourite), each one of them has punched out the style as strongly as their death-defying missions and those intricately woven plots.
The man responsible for a large part of that over-riding style ethos, at least when it comes to fashion, is former Haverfordwest boy, Timothy Everest.
MORE NEWS
- Haverfordwest window cleaner drove van whilst disqualified
- Foul-mouthed drunk hurled abuse at children in Haverfordwest
Born in Dagenham, Timothy was taken to Haverfordwest at a young age by his parents, who were restaurateurs.
His childhood dream was to become a racing driver but, realising this ambition was somewhat ambitious, he took a job at 17 with his uncle, working as a sales assistant at Hepworths, Milford Haven.
Needless to say, once Everest saw the cut and thrust of life as a high street tailor, he realised this was where his future lay.
His first job was as a ‘boy in Savile Row’ working for Tommy Nutter, where he was introduced to rock stars, celebrities, politicians and businessmen, including The Beatles and the Stones.
Everest began experimenting with his own designs and following a short spell working for designer Malcolm Levene, Everest became a freelance stylist in television advertising, MTV and film.
In 1989 he opened his first premises in the three-storey Georgian property in Spitalfields, which marked his rapid ascent to the realm of Bond.
“We all know that 007 is as sharp in his sartorial choice as he is in his skills,” said Timothy Everest, “and Bond’s selection of suits is always immaculate regardless of the hours or the situation.
"Even when he’s a bit roughed-up, his case for the lived-in look is strong.”
And the same can be said for the agent M, played by Ralph Fiennes in ‘No Time to Die’.
“M was the guy who called all the shots, so it was only right that his take on tailoring was just as strong, if not stronger, than Bond’s."
Everest’s hallmark is by seamlessly using the traditional bespoke tailoring with some contemporary design and this was achieved for M with a single-breasted Prince of Wales overcheck of grey cloth topped with a light blue motif.
“This struck the perfect balance between sartorial excellence and sartorial statement and can work for a bunch of different scenarios depending on the underlayer styling,” said Timothy.
“So it can be a merino wool roll-neck jumper or an ivory button-down shirt for a formal affair.”
M’s second suit allowed Timothy to have more fun with a Fresco Pinstripe design teamed with a crisp, ice blue made-to-measure shirt.
In addition to his work for the Bond movies, Everest has dressed Mick Jagger, most famously on his wedding day to Bianca, as well as David Beckham, who drove down to Spitalfields with his then fiancé, Victoria, to choose his his wedding outfit.
“He was a lovely guy and totally unstarry,” says Timothy.
So pleased was Mr Beckham with Everest's handywork that he was chosen as the official tailor to the former England captain’s team-mates.
Former Prime Minister David Cameron is also a regular, as well as Hollywood heavy-hitters Pierce Brosnan (who he fitted for a pair of decidedly un-Bond-like brown PVC trousers for the Mamma Mia! movie), Colin Firth, Harvey Keitel and Robin Williams.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here