Ten Bond-Inspired Style Tips

With the recent release in No Time To Die, Daniel Craig’s last Bond film, I thought this would be a good time to think about men’s style.

One of the things that most interested me about the movie from a style perspective is how many different outfits and settings we saw. The contemporary Bond doesn’t just do tuxedos, he dresses appropriately, and stylishly, for every occasion. Thus, instead of specific outfits, here are ten things I think can help you keep a consistently well-put-together wardrobe regardless of what life throws at you.

Pay attention to Fit

No matter what you’re wearing, the key to wearing it well is the fit. For two examples on either end of a formality spectrum, look at both a t-shirt and a tuxedo jacket.

With the former, too tight in the gut or shoulders and you get uncomfortable fabric bunching that restricts movement. Too loose, and it takes away any natural shape you may have. The same can be said of the tuxedo: one that’s too small gets the characteristic X from the buttons or shoulders that ride up, and too large always looks like a cheap rental.

With all things fashion, fit is king.

Develop a Color Palette

When putting together an outfit, make sure that the colors make sense with one another. When Bond is getting ready for a fancy dinner party where he has to blend in, it’s all black and white to both blend in and let his date’s outfit stand out that much more.

When it’s time for a bit of excitement in a foggy wood, though, it’s muted greens and greys. Keep colors in mind, head to toe, when you’re assembling for an outfit, and always ask yourself: does this look to make sense, or are some of these colors popping in a way that I do not like?

Dress for the Context

Bond’s classic look is the tuxedo. But a tuxedo is not always the outfit for the day at hand. For example, as someone who lives in Miami, I can tell you for a fact that most of the time, it’s both hot and humid down here in the Caribbean.

Thus, when it’s time for a trip to a dank club on an unnamed island in the mid-Atlantic, it’s time to ditch the wool tuxedo and, instead, favor linen trousers and cotton shirts that help you deal with heat and sweat much better.

Accessories Matter

The iconic film franchise has long featured excellent watches and other gadgets that pull together James’ outfits and help him get through missions.

While, sadly, my watch doesn’t deploy an EMP that can shut down electronic systems or knock people out, I’m of the mind that an outfit is incomplete without a good watch and a pair of sunglasses. These days, quality pieces can be had on even modest budgets, and growing a small collection of accessories that works well with the outfits you plan to wear can take your entire wardrobe to the next level.

Master Layers

One of the things I greatly enjoyed about the costuming of No Time To Die was the effective use of layers throughout climates. I’ll give two examples.

In warmer climates, a cotton tank top under a linen button-down shirt can let you get away with letting an extra button or two remain on done, which keeps the whole outfit on a slightly cooler, less formal plane.

With warmer weather, putting a henley under a jacket, sweater, or parka adds something rugged to looks that can otherwise come across as a little stuffy.

Consider Suspenders

For much of the film, Bond makes use of a pair of suspenders in a decidedly casual outfit. To be fair, he does this in a tactical setting where it’s holding up a gun belt and several firearms, but the overall silhouette works well.

In the future, I may consider a henley with suspenders, trousers, and a chunky sweater over the whole ensemble.

Don’t Sacrifice Comfort For Style

While Bond is stylish, he does not do so to a fault. The most important thing is the mission at hand, not looking like a runway model the whole time.

This is especially good advice when picking out outerwear: I would rather go up a size and have something slightly big, knowing I can actually move in the jacket.

Dress Your Age

Daniel Craig is 53 years old in his last outing as Bond. Given that and his status as a Captain in the UK’s navy as part of MI6, it would be odd, for instance, to see him in a tracksuit and a graphic T-shirt.

Craig’s version of Bond is a great example of how to age gracefully in terms of style: more muted colors and slightly looser fits keep his look making sense as he ages into his early retirement.

Style is Consistent, not Boring

Bond has been weaning black tuxedoes since the 1960s. Through several decades and actors, that is a classic style that still looks great in 2021.

The same is true for our style: picking a few themes and doing them exceptionally well is a source for good looking outfits day in, day out, for decades.

Outerwear is Your Best Friend

For me, the style of Bond is all about the outermost layers. The tuxedoes and suits are iconic in their own right, but the less formal looks of the past few films have sent major, long-lasting trends in men’s stlye.

For example, the resurgence of the turtleneck and the waxed jacket can both find some of their contemporary origins in the last three Bond Films.

Most of the things I’ve discovered here don’t require a budget provided to a government’s secret service: with just a little time and some careful planning ahead, you can apply some, or all, of these style guidelines to your wardrobe.

If you do, you’ll find yourself dressed for the day and ready to do what needs to be done, all in style.
About author
G
Garrett is a writer and commentator based in the South. His areas of expertise lie in cooking, fashion, and the outdoors among others. He has been writing and educating professionally for years, and enjoys creating online discourses around positively masculine spaces.

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