Bond - Style Lessons

How To Look As Sharp As Bond

Bond - Style Lessons

Sony Pictures

As for the shoes, well, if you paid close attention, you’d know they weren’t patent. That would almost be too predictable.

There’s no question that Bond is a style icon. In fact, an entire exhibition dedicated to his evolving style, entitled Designing 007: Fifty Years of Bond Style, will take place this week in Toronto. If you’re not in the area (which we’re assuming most of you aren’t…), fear not; here, we dissect Daniel Craig’s Bond and show you how to look as sharp as the legendary 007. 

Aston Martin car crashes. Hundred-foot falls through glass roofs. Parachuting with Queen Elizabeth into the Olympic stadium. For most men, the allure of Ian Fleming’s perennial superhero stems from a whirlwind of death-defying stunts. But that assessment, ironically, would be entirely superficial. The real marvel of James Bond lies in an impeccable sense of style that is as indestructible as the character himself.

The seventh and most current incarnation of 007 comes in the form of Daniel Craig, who, despite his blond hair and blue eyes, has proven that Bond is bigger than the swarthy, brooding archetype upon which the entire enterprise was built. Indeed, just like the ever-evolving physicality of the character on the silver screen over the past five decades, Craig’s style has also experienced developments. When Casino Royale debuted in 2005, “We were using Brioni suits… which are obviously tailored to him,” says costume designer Lindy Hemmings. “And now they’ve changed over to Tom Ford, and so, I suppose his style has changed.”

A look at Bond’s black-tie digs during the Craig era proves that point perfectly. Casino Royale featured what at first glance appears to be a traditional tux but in reality packs the punch for which Bond is known. The button is solo, the lapels are peak and the fit, of course, is glove-like. The shirt and tie likewise have a subtle surprise in store: The placket is hidden and topped off with a bow that could almost be considered Pee-wee-esque if it weren’t worn with a Walther P99. Bond wore it undone, so the practicality inherent to its slimness can’t be stressed enough. After all, who wants to have a bulky bow flailing in the wind? The same can be said about protecting that pricey stud set with the covered placket. As for the shoes, well, if you paid close attention, you’d know they weren’t patent. That would almost be too predictable. Rather, they’re simply high-shine oxfords that are far more versatile — that is, if John Lobb lace-ups for two Gs can be considered simple.

Craig’s follow-up film, Quantum of Solace, marked some major changes in Bond’s formal gear. Sure, the tux kept its single-button closure, but the colour turned from black to midnight blue and the lapels were lost in favour of a shawl. And though the shirt placket vanished to reveal glistening mother-of-pearl buttons, it was really the accoutrements where most modifications were evident. The bow tie got the diamond treatment (that is, the ends of it were no longer squared off), which was complemented by a straight-edged white linen square to set off the breast pocket. In testament to the usefulness of a basic black lace-up, Bond doesn’t bring on the patent here either.

In Skyfall, the latest Bond flick under Craig’s reign, we’ll be treated to a tuxedo that feels fresher and faster than its previous two predecessors. The midnight blue has been lightened a few shades — no doubt driving home the point that navy is the new black when it comes to black tie. The classic single-button shawl-collar dinner jacket reprises its role, too, but this time, in a more exaggerated, more Tom Ford and, frankly, more James Bond sort of way. Next Page >>