Few film costumes have had as long a life as the suit Michael Caine wore in Get Carter. Now it is back. The grey flannel suit from the 1971 crime film has been remade from the archive of Douglas Hayward, the London tailor who made it, and it is being sold only at Hawes & Curtis in London.
A suit with a reputation
In Get Carter, Caine plays Jack Carter, a London gangster who travels north to Newcastle to find out how his brother died. The film is cold, grey and hard, and Carter’s clothes are a big part of the character: sharp, controlled and quietly expensive, a city man out of place in the rain.
The suit itself is a lesson in restraint. Grey flannel, a clean shape and nothing showy. It looks as good today as it did more than fifty years ago, which is the best test of any piece of tailoring.
The tailor behind it
Douglas Hayward was one of the most famous tailors in London in the 1960s and 1970s. His shop in Mayfair dressed actors, photographers and musicians, and Caine was a close friend as well as a customer. Hayward’s suits were known for being soft, easy and comfortable rather than stiff and formal, which suited the relaxed confidence of the era.
Rebuilding the suit from Hayward’s own archive means the new version follows his patterns and proportions rather than a modern guess at the look.
Where to find it
The remade suit is sold only at Hawes & Curtis, the London shirtmaker that has been on Jermyn Street for more than a century.
Why old suits still matter
Stories like this are a reminder of why good tailoring lasts. A suit cut well, in a good cloth, does not date. Fashion moves the lapel width and the trouser leg back and forth, but a simple grey flannel suit that fits properly looks right in almost any decade.
If the Get Carter look appeals, it is easy to ask for in bespoke: a mid-grey flannel, a clean single-breasted jacket and a trouser with a gentle taper. Book an appointment and bring a picture.
