From the beginning, Brioni suits were luxuries only afforded to the privileged few, namely Europe’s wealthy aristocrats. It has been the official suit of fictional secret agent James Bond, having been worn by actors Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig.
Celebrities such as Clark Gable and Cary Grant began to buy their suits from Brioni in the 1950s when working at Rome’s Cinecittà studios. New York crime boss of the Gambino crime family John Gotti earned the nickname Dapper Don after his extensive wardrobe of custom Brioni suits. Brioni is a “favorite” of real estate mogul Donald Trump and many other famous people.
The company was named after the Italian name for the Croatian island group, the Brijuni islands.
Brioni suits are worn by Pierce Brosnan in all of his Bond movies and by Daniel Craig in Casino Royale.
The jacket is single-breasted with notch lapels and a 3-button front, worn with only the center button fastened. There is a welted breast pocket, flapped hip pockets, and a single rear vent in the back, all hallmarks of a traditional business suit. It is fitted with straight shoulders and a clean chest, but the sleeves are long and don’t allow much of the shirt’s cuffs to be seen in natural wear. The 4-button cuffs are surgeon’s cuffs, with Craig/Bond wearing the last button undone. Leaving a cuff button undone is a caddish way of showing the world that you have a bespoke suit and, you can afford it.
The suit trousers aren’t pleated, but they aren’t necessarily traditionally “flat front” either; they have a darted front. Like surgeon’s cuffs, darted front trousers are indicative of bespoke suits and ease the trousers over the hips without the “billowing” effect that some men experience in pleated pants. The trousers continue down the straight-cut legs to the turn-ups (“cuffs”) at the bottom. Brioni places their trouser darts closer to the side pockets than other manufacturers; many manufacturers just place trouser darts in lieu of the pleats. His trousers are suspended by a black leather belt that fastens in the front through a square silver-toned clasp.
