Style icons10 December 20254 min read
Kingsman style: the art of the gentleman spy.
Rigorous elegance in the service of formidable efficiency: three pillars, three cloths and a handful of rules for bringing the Savile Row wardrobe into the present day.
By Gilles Masson, Atelier Mesure, Paris 7ᵉ
The line Harry Hart delivers before clearing a London pub, “Manners maketh man”, sums up the essence of Kingsman. Behind the action and humour of Matthew Vaughn's films lies a celebration of Savile Row craft: the suit is armour and the tailor shop the cover for an elite agency.
The DNA of Kingsman style
The choice of shop is deliberate. The suit is presented as modern armour: it protects, imposes and commits the person wearing it. This is the British reading of the garment, in contrast with Mediterranean seduction, and it is what makes the wardrobe so legible on screen.
The pillars of the Kingsman look
The style rests on three foundations, in this order: the three-piece silhouette, the quality of the cloth, then restraint in the accessories.
The three-piece suit
- Natural, lightly structured shoulders: the jacket follows the body without making it rigid
- A fitted cut that still allows movement, with a single-breasted two-button fastening
- Medium-width notched lapels, 7 to 8 cm: the balance between tradition and modernity
- A five or six-button waistcoat, matching the suit or gently contrasting
Fine cloths
High-quality British flannels, tweeds and worsteds. The palette remains restrained, navy, grey and Prince of Wales, but the richness of the cloth makes all the difference: it is what you see from two metres away, not the cut.
Shirt and tie
A white or sky-blue shirt, with a classic or semi-cutaway collar. The woven silk tie carries restrained patterns: regimental stripes or small geometric motifs. Never loud, never carelessly knotted.
“A suit is the modern gentleman's armour. And the Kingsman agents are the new knights.”
Three cloths from the atelier
Harry Hart's choice
Charcoal flannel
A 100% wool flannel, 300 g/m², with a soft hand and immaculate drape. The autumn-winter three-piece cloth par excellence.
The versatile choice
Navy worsted
An English worsted at 280 g/m², in timeless navy. An all-season foundation for a wardrobe.
The signature
Prince of Wales
Classic checks on a grey ground, sophisticated without display. The emblematic pattern of the series.
Accessories for the look
Key points
Six pieces that make the gentleman.
Tortoiseshell glasses. A rectangular frame in dark tortoiseshell. The model worn in the films really exists.
Wood-handled umbrella. A black canopy and wooden handle: the gentleman's accessory par excellence, and useful in London.
Classic watch. A clean dial and brown leather strap. Nothing sporty or ostentatious.
Black Oxfords. Polished leather, with a cap toe or brogue detailing. Always shined.
Discreet signet ring. Gold or silver with restrained engraving: family heritage, never display.
Pocket square. White silk in a TV fold or puff. Never matched to the tie.
Kingsman or James Bond?
Two schools of male elegance on screen, and two different answers:
| Kingsman | James Bond | |
|---|---|---|
| Origin | KingsmanBritish Savile Row | James BondItalian tailoring |
| Silhouette | KingsmanStructured, defined shoulders | James BondFluid, natural shoulders |
| Palette | KingsmanGrey, navy, Prince of Wales | James BondMidnight blue, charcoal grey |
| Waistcoat | KingsmanSystematic, as a three-piece | James BondOccasional |
| Accessories | KingsmanGlasses, umbrella, pocket square | James BondWatch, minimalism |
| Message | KingsmanTradition and craft | James BondElegance and seduction |
The two styles are not opposites: they are two facets of the same gentleman. Kingsman carries British rigour, Bond Mediterranean fluidity. We cut either.
Recreating the style today
The look works today because it avoids excess. Six adjustments make it wearable without turning it into a period costume:
| Restrained colours | Navy and grey before everything else |
|---|---|
| A true three-piece | The waistcoat changes the silhouette, not merely the accessories |
| Textured cloths | Flannel, herringbone, Prince of Wales |
| Careful finishing | Cufflinks, pocket square, belt |
| The right frames | The glasses belong to the look |
| Impeccable shoes | Polished black Oxfords, resoled rather than replaced |
Our advice
Start with a navy or grey two-piece and a matching waistcoat: it is the foundation that serves from the office to a wedding. Prince of Wales comes next. Cut, cloth and waistcoat are decided at the atelier, in front of the mirror: see our three-piece suit and made-to-measure pricing pages.
