James Bond has been a style icon since his silver-screen debut in 1963. Here, we discuss three looks from upcoming Bond film No Time to Die that perfectly encapsulate the evolution of Agent 007’s style over the past decade.
Text: Martin Johansson
Photo: Alamy
Published
2021-09-30
After countless delays, trailers, and cancelled premières, it is finally time for us to get reacquainted with everyone’s favourite spy, James Bond. Agent 007’s return to the silver-screen will be his twenty-fifth time saving the world and will hopefully be a worthy conclusion to Daniel Craig’s fifteen years in the role. A lot has changed in those fifteen years, the characteristic humour of earlier Bond films has been toned-down, replaced by a grittier, more realistic tone.
This evolution has also had an effect on Mr Bond’s style itself. His looks have become somewhat more contemporary, with less and less inspiration from Savile Row tailoring and handmade shoes from Northampton – a style that characterised many of Craig’s predecessors. Looking at the teasers from
No Time to Die, however, it seems like the film will contain many of the classic Bond tropes, everything from a veritable smorgasbord of Aston Martins to sharp grey suits à la Connery. In this article, we present three looks from the coming film that have come to define the 21
st century Bond.
The Classic Suit
No matter what we say about contemporary trends and Savile Row tailoring, the classic suit remains a central part of Bond’s wardrobe. A conservative colour palette in greys and blues dominates his suit collection, usually paired with a white or light blue Oxford shirt and a substantial grenadine necktie. The natural choice of footwear for agent 007 remains, of course, a pair of black Oxfords. In terms of fit, Bond’s suits have been given a contemporary refresh and now feature slightly slimmer-fitting models than before, though without ever looking tight.
Tactical Elegance
‘Tactical Elegance’ is our name for the style that has become evermore prominent in recent films. When Bond finds himself in a remote area, shadowing a villain or infiltrating their headquarters, he can usually be seen sporting functional takes on everyday apparel. In
No Time to Die, this style takes the form of a ribbed sweater in navy, atop a long-sleeve t-shirt and paired with grey, functional trousers and a pair of black boots.
The Tuxedo
The tuxedo is perhaps the outfit most people associate with James Bond, being a recurring theme in almost all of his films. And
No Time to Die is no exception – here, we see Agent 007 don a classic tuxedo with shawl collar and narrow bowtie. Looking at the official images from the studio, it appears that Bond left the traditional tuxedo shirt back in the hotel room this time, choosing instead a simple white poplin shirt.
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