The Studio Suits Light Beige Corduroy Suit Review

Bond’s beige suit from the No Time To Die Matera scenes has been a little divisive amongst fans. Some really like it. And some never want to see it again. Personally, I’m in the “Like It” camp (except for him buttoning the top jacket button!). For me, the soft construction, light color and casual but luxurious texture of the Massimo Alba baby corduroy Sloop Suit gives Bond an old-world, romantic look that works perfectly with the setting of an ancient Italian town. 

Lucky for us, another member of the Bond fan community feels the same way. Jeremy A. decided to use Bond’s Matera look as inspiration for his own wedding suit! Rather than go with the original from Massimo Alba (which you can still get for about $1300), Jeremy decided to try out one of the alternatives for the suit we had shared here on the site: the Studio Suits Light Beige Corduroy Suit. And he’s been kind enough to share his thoughts and impressions to help us decide if this alternative measures up to the original and is worth the investment! Take it away, Jeremy!

The Studio Suits Corduroy Suit Review

By: Jeremy A.

For many of us humble readers of this blog, we sometimes come across alternatives which simply feel too good to be true. As an option for Bond’s No Time To Die Matera suit, the Studio Suits light beige corduroy suit alternative is one of those incredible finds. The base model includes so many of the original features, it causes your head to spin.

To preface, I originally purchased this suit to wear at my wedding, which will take place in the middle of the sweltering summer of Austin, Texas. As such, I sought out a suit that was casual and lightweight, but with enough added details to make the suit feel extra special. Some of my all time favorite Bond looks have been when Daniel Craig’s dressed more casually. And the Matera suit already ranks high on that list.

Ordering the Suit

Let’s begin with the selection process. I (very) briefly considered going for the splurge purchase of the original Massimo Alba Sloop Suit, but eventually decided against it due to the overall cost. The Studio Suits alternative was the first alternative I found. And, as a loyal reader of this blog, I trusted Iconic Alternatives enough to give it a shot. Getting your measurements taken for the suit takes time. But the overall payoff was second to none. The Studio Suits team went above and beyond covering of all bases related to ordering a suit online.

Getting the Correct Sizing

The Studio Suits website is user friendly and allows you to take a ground-up approach to creating this suit. However, as with any custom-made suit, the measurement requirements are extensive. I would highly recommend going to a tailor instead of having a friend measure you.

After consulting with the sizing guide on the Studio Suits website, I visited my tailor, got my measurements taken and showed the tailor the details of the suit so she could make sizing adjustments as needed. From there, I created an account on Studio Suits to save my measurements and was off to the races.

The Right Details

The features I selected for my suit were a combination of the details recommended on this website, and a few of my own tweaks. I included the following options and customizations in my order:

For the Jacket: four working cuff buttons (a small charge); pick stitch detailing (a small charge); natural shoulders (a small charge);  two button closure; notch lapels (3″ to 3.2″); double vents; ticket pocket accent; half lined using the default lining material; no elbow patches.

For the Trousers: side tabs adjusters (a small charge); extended waist tab closure; unlined; flat front; on seam front pockets; 2 scalloped rear pockets with flap closures; belt loops; added suspender buttons (a small charge).

As you can see, it’s very similar to the original Matera Massimo Alba Sloop Suit, but not exactly a clone. The main differences are the two button closure on the jacket instead of the three roll two of the original, the side tab adjusters (my homage to Sean Connery, RIP), and the rear scalloped pockets on the trousers.

The color is a hair darker than the picture on the website, which actually makes it more similar to the shade of the original Massimo Alba suit. For the photo above I wore a Tie Bar linen shirt and generic Macy’s house brand tie.

Talking with the Studio Suits Team

I ended up needing to have very little communication with the Studio Suits team since ordering through their website was so easy. The small communications I did have with the team were clear and they were obviously very proud of their product. When I received the suit, I even found in the package a signed, personalized letter from the team explaining that each suit is crafted 60% by hand and 40% on a sewing machine. Pretty impressive for the price and a nice personal touch!

The suit arrived in about four weeks from the date of order, fitting nearly perfectly out of the box and needing only a minor hem to shorten the pant length.

First Impressions

Let’s get down to the suit itself. Studio Suits sent the suit in a  branded garment box, wrapped and folded neatly for travel with a personalized letter explaining the process and details of the suit enclosed within. I was eager to open it, hence the lack of unboxing pictures!

The Jacket

The suit is made from a fine wale corduroy which feels fairly lightweight, especially for a 100% corduroy suit. I was pleasantly surprised by the weight of the material and how cool it wears outdoors. The natural shoulders feel great, not at all restricting. Studio Suits has used a half canvas construction and pad stitched lapels which will help the suit conform to the body over time. This also gives the jacket a certain amount of structure so it holds its shape even when worn open.

I designed my jacket based on the guidelines set forth on Iconic Alternatives. So it has natural shoulders, four functioning buttons at the cuffs, pick stitching and a well tapered, slim-fitting suppressed waist. I deliberately kept the button stance slightly higher than what’s common as I happen to like that look on me. It initially felt a bit tight in the midsection. But once I wore it for a few hours, the material evened out and the jacket fit very well. The lining is Studio Suit’s standard tan Bremberg lining.

I went for a half lined construction in the jacket with unlined pants to keep the appearance similar to the Matera suit. The suit’s construction blew me away! It feels incredibly solid and sturdy, while maintaining the rough and tumble feel of the Matera suit. The interior sleeve material feels to me to be polyester, which makes it easier to slip the jacket on and off without any friction. Overall, the jacket is very comfortable and flexible, while still maintaining a good amount of structure.

The Trousers

The trouser cut I chose is slightly tapered, but this was a personal decision. Studio Suits lets you order the pants in any fit you’d like. I also included side tab adjusters, the suspender buttons (an extra charge), on seam pockets, an extended tab closure, and two scalloped rear pockets in my customization.

Final Thoughts

As I noted in agonizing detail above, I kept my suit design pretty close to the original Matera suit with only a few minor adjustments. But even with numerous custom additions, the total for this suit came out to only $316 U.S. With the quality, craftsmanship, and superb customer service Studio Suits offered, I feel pretty confident saying that the suit is fantastic value for the money.

So unless you’re willing to invest in the original Massimo Alba suit (which will cost you about $1300, if you can find one in your size), this model from Studio Suits really is the best alternative you can find if you’re looking for a suit with a similar light colored fabric, a trim fit, and the ability to add unique detailing. If you are willing to go the made-to-measure route, you really can’t ask for anything more.

Editor’s note:

Neither Jeremy A. nor Iconic Alternatives were compensated in any way for the content of this review. Jeremy bought the suit with his own money and, being the great guy that he is, just wanted to share his thoughts with the community. If you have any questions for him about the Studio Suits light beige corduroy suit, just leave them in the comments below. And remember to congratulate him on his upcoming wedding!

And, just to be clear, in no way are we saying the Studio Suits suit is the one Bond is wearing in No Time To Die! The suit used in the film is the Massimo Alba Sloop Suit and, as I mentioned above, you can still get the original if you hunt around a little. There are a few sizes left on Farfetch. And Massimo Alba has been restocking the suit fairly regularly, so check out his website. We’ll also be updating our post on other alternatives for the Matera Suit very soon!