The ROYALE Filmwear Altaussee Jacket Review
When I pulled the latest version of the ROYALE Filmwear Altaussee Jacket out of the shipping box, I immediately knew I was in for some seriously bitter feelings. See, I live in a semi-tropical climate. Ninety percent of the time I love the weather here. The average temperature is 23°C/74°F and it’s almost always sunny. The 10% of the time I don’t love the weather breaks down into two parts. First: during the rainy season (think heavily flooded streets). Second: when I receive a new cold weather jacket design from ROYALE Filmwear. As much as I admire their work, I know it’s just too warm here to give some of their creations the wear they deserve. That makes me sad. And within seconds of handling the Altaussee, it was clear I was going to be very sad I couldn’t wear this one all the time!
The ROYALE Filmwear Altaussee Jacket Review
The search …
Let’s flashback to early October, 2015. Bond fans saw 007 wearing a mysterious navy bomber jacket in the promotions leading up to SPECTRE. And an intense game of “Guess the Maker” began. Names like Burberry, Neil Barrett, Jil Sander, Wooyoungmi, Helmut Lang, Maison Martin Margiela, Private White VC and others were tossed into the ring. But after a month of searching, no one seemed any closer to id’ing the designer.
Then, on November 3rd, 2015, AJB007 forum member steviekim states in this thread that he believes the jacket comes from Dior Homme. The giveaway? Those horizontal shoulder darts on the back of the jacket. A couple of days later, rstv confirms Dior as the maker. Great news! Everyone is happy! Except Dior only made 20 jackets in the navy, it originally cost around $5000 and was sold out everywhere.
Here’s what we learned about this Bond look from SPECTRE. Costumer designer Jany Temime dressed Daniel Craig in the Dior jacket with the N.Peal Cable Turtle Neck Cashmere Sweater in Fumo Grey, a pair of Neil Barrett dark grey puppy-tooth patterned trousers, black leather gloves from Agnelle, and a (still unidentified?) grey wool or cashmere cap. As for details on the jacket itself, David Zaritsky from The Bond Experience did manage to get his hands on an original and posted a very informative vlog about it. But the rest of us, obsessed with capturing that specific Bond look, seemed to be out of luck ….
ROYALE Filmwear to the rescue ….
Our collective disappoint didn’t last long. Daniel Love of ROYALE Filmwear once again stepped up and took on the challenge of producing a replica. The jacket I received is the third version of the Altaussee. And, as he does with all his outwear, Daniel has used each iteration to dial in the fabric, color, details and fit to make the piece as close to the original as he can.
So how did he do with his third shot at the ROYALE Filmwear Altaussee Jacket? Let’s find out!
The Sizing and Fit
Before we get to anything else, the first thing we need to discuss is the fit. Daniel is very clear on his website that “this jacket is a very slim fit”. And he ain’t kidding! Out of the box, the medium was very snug on my 5’9″, 170lb frame. Especially through the waist area (I’m a size 32 in most pants). In fact, I had a little trouble zipping it up the first time.
As always, Daniel strongly recommends reading his sizing chart when ordering your jacket. And I completely agree … with the following caveat. The measurements on his chart are for the outside of the jacket. But the weight of cashmere/wool fabric PLUS the interior insulation means this is one thick piece of outerwear! So initially, it feels like it wears smaller than the measurements indicate.
However, I found that with use the fabric gives a little and the insulation compresses. After about a week of wear, I had no problem using the inside placket buttons and zipper to close it up.
If I had to compare, I would say the fit of the Altaussee comes closest to the fit of ROYALE Filmwear’s Quantum Haiti Jacket (their version of the Y-3). So my recommendation is that you order your size based on Daniel’s sizing chart. But expect the jacket to feel small at the start. If you’re patient, the fabric and insulation will conform to your body shape over time.
The Material and Finishing
I’ll just say this up front: the Altaussee is one beautiful piece of outerwear. The 65% wool/35% cashmere fabric has a very soft hand. And the smokey mid-navy color looks great in person. Apparently Daniel went to great lengths with this version to accurately color match the Altaussee’s fabric color with that of the original Dior.
As I’ve come to expect from ROYALE Filmwear, the stitching is clean and straight inside and out. I did find a couple of loose threads here and there, but nothing that threatened the integrity of the jacket.
The hardware Daniel used is also topnotch. The main zipper and those on the cuffs all move smoothly. I would have liked a slightly beefier leather tab on the main zipper pull. But it’s not a big deal. One really nice touch is the snaps he’s used for the flap pockets, which come close to the design on the original Dior. It’s little things like this that make me admire ROYALE Filmwear’s work. As for the buttons on the inside placket, they’re hefty, have some nice detailing and are all securely attached.
So, from the point of view of material and finishing, I think ROYALE Filmwear has knocked it out the park with Altaussee. The fabric is feels high quality, the stitching meets the expectations Daniel’s set with his other jackets, and the hardware choices demonstrate that attention to detail that Bond-fans love.
The Extras
ROYALE Filmwear has decided to include some of the pieces that came with the original Dior Homme jacket, but were never seen on screen. So their Altaussee comes with the throat latch and a faux beaver fur borg collar that attaches to the jacket via a a series of small buttons around the collar. The faux fur collar itself is quite nice: it has a very soft hand and feels comfortable against the skin. You may never use either “extra”. But by including them, Daniel once again shows his commitment to providing us fans with the most accurate piece possible.
My one problem with the ROYALE Filmwear Altaussee Jacket …
There is one design detail I’m going to take issue with. And that’s how the hand-warmer pockets behind the flap pockets are executed. Here’s the problem I have: the jacket’s snug fit causes those pockets to flare open slightly, even with the inside button fastened. This takes away from the clean lines down the body. Especially when you’ve been moving around and the jacket rides up.
Yeah, I’m nitpicking. And those pockets were part of the original Dior design. But I think ROYALE Filmwear could find a better way to close the openings so they lay closer and flatter against the side seams. Maybe a zip closure? Or hidden snap buttons? I know either solution would add to manufacturing costs, but in my opinion it would be worth it. Personally, I think I just might have them sewn shut to keep the tailored look of the jacket.
Conclusions
If you really want that “Mr. White” Bond look, this is the jacket to get. If you’re looking for warm, very well-made, incredibly stylish winter outerwear, this is the jacket to get. I say this in almost all my ROYALE Filmwear reviews, but it deserves repeating. Daniel isn’t only focused on creating pieces that replicate the looks we see on screen. He is equally committed to providing his customers with high quality at a fair price. And the Altaussee is an excellent example of that commitment.
Look, the challenge with this jacket is going to be the fit. I can’t state this clearly enough: the Altaussee is a very specific cut. So you really need to read Daniel’s size chart carefully decide if the shoulder-to-chest-to-waist ratios are going to work for you. If they do? Then don’t hesitate and order the Altaussee ASAP. Because Version 3 is definitely a highlight in the ROYALE Filmwear collection. The passion Daniel’s put into this particular jacket is obvious and you won’t be disappointed with the result!
The ROYALE Filmwear SPECTRE Altaussee Jacket is available on the ROYALE Filmwear website and is priced at $249.00 U.S. At the time of writing all sizes small to XXL were available.
ROYALE Filmwear provided Iconic Alternatives with a jacket at no cost for the purposes of this review. Neither Iconic Alternatives nor the author have otherwise been compensated.
