In the ITV special “James Bond’s Spectre with Jonathan Ross”, Daniel Craig dresses down for an interview in what may or may not be clothes that he wears in Spectre. Craig’ s shirt is from Tom Ford in purple blue cotton poplin. Though this shirt has not been seen in any stills or trailers from Spectre, it is part of Tom Ford’s collection of Spectre clothing. The shirting has an iridescent look, which may be the result of weaving blue in one direction and purple in the other direction. This iridescent look, however, almost makes the shirt look like it had a bleach accident. The collar is the same “classic” point collar that Craig’s double cuff shirts in Spectre have. The shirt has a narrow front placket and darts in the back for a slim fit.
Tom Ford calls the shirt’s cuffs “‘Dr. No’ cuffs” because they are based on the cocktail cuffs that Sean Connery first wears as James Bond in Dr. No, though Connery also wears the same cuffs in four other Bond films. The cuffs have two buttons and the same scalloped shape that Connery’s cuffs have, though the top button on Craig’s cuffs is more obscured than on Connery’s cuffs. Overall, the cuffs have the elegant, flowing design that cocktail cuffs should have. The cuffs are attached to the sleeve with pleats, and the sleeves have gauntlet buttons.
Daniel Craig dresses down the lower half of his body with dark indigo wash jeans and Nike training shoes. British GQ wrote about some of the clothes that Bond wears in Spectre, including a pair of selvedge jeans by Rag & Bone. These could be those Rag & Bone jeans. We have not yet seen Craig wearing these jeans in any footage or stills from the film, so these may just be part of his personal wardrobe. The jeans have a slim, straight leg, and Craig wears the bottoms of the jeans turned up. Craig’s Nike training shoes are the Air Max 90 SneakerBoot in “bamboo” tan suede with “newsprint” grey trim at the base, red trim at the top, white soles, blue laces and a black swoosh logo.
Thanks Matt!
I appreciate the cocktail cuff’s return – it is an item which has many advantages in comparison to the French cuffs Daniel Craig normally wears as Bond. You can wear it with business as well as with casual wear (as Craig does above). I know that many actually combine French cuffs with what they wear in their leisure but I personally do not like the look it creates.
I hope to see more cocktail cuffs in the coming Bond films.
Cocktail cuffs have an appealing novelty. If they are truly a necessity, I would evaluate my cocktail intake.
Great movies but bad bond… Hopefully this will be the last one
I can’t imagine any of the other Bond actors (not even Dalton) dressing down like this for an interview.
Bad Bond in what way? If you’re just talking about the clothing, I’ll admit it’s uneven.
I have a made to measure cocktail cuff shirt, but annoyingly, I think it’s still not slim enough. The shirt craig is wearing is incredibly slim; most shirts I own, even with darts, are rarely as slim if I purchase them to fit me correctly in the neck.
Sleeves actually look a little short?
It’s hard to tell what’s going on with the sleeves. They might just be riding up.
Martin, I’d argue that slimmer is not always better. You should still be able to move around in your shirts comfortably. I used to like shirts that were very slim, now I find them annoying and bunchy. What works for me might not work for you, but an allowance of six to seven inches in the chest and waist seems to be the best compromise. Again, your mileage may vary. It may sound like a lot, but the shirts still look fitted to my body.
Hi Jovan,
Well, my more “proper” shirts are roomier, though perhaps as fitted as you describe. Certainly not billowing.
The shirts I wear for work most of the time, without tie, are relatively inexpensive shirts from Burtons (UK dept store), in their slim fit, which is very slim indeed. In honesty, movement to remove a jumper is restricted, and now I am back at the gym, the biceps and chest are getting tighter than they should.
If I keep my current size, I might buy new shirts as we get into Spring. From now until April, there will be a lot of jumper wear here in the UK.
I’d be interested in seeing photos of the fit you talk.
M
An interesting outfit. The jeans and sneakers I kind of like but I have mixed feelings about the shirt. I like the collar and the cocktail cuffs, of course. But not the color or the fit of it. It’s a bit too tight for my tastes, and wearing it sitting down kind of accentuates how tight it is. And I really don’t like the color, kind of midway between purple or blue. For a shirt worn without a tie or jacket like this, I think navy or a darker purple, something closer to burgundy, would look much better.
I adore cocktail cuffs. Frank Foster does them better than anyone. He also does extra button downs (if you ask) to stop the turn-back flaps from flapping around. A gratuitous number of buttons per wrist. But brilliant.
Craig’s ensemble here is really only appropriate for rehearsal or grocery shopping. If he switched out the runners for some brown leather slip-ons, desert boots, or canvas shoes it’d be a lot nicer.
A dog’s dinner of an outfit. Connery wore the linen shirt with cocktail cuffs along with lightweight woollen trousers and sandals in YOLT and that wasn’t ideal (largely the fault if the sandals) but this makes no sense yet nowadays anything goes so it won’t be criticised as much as it might’ve been. As Dan says, why didn’t he make more of an effort? Ross has as interviewer. I agree also that the luminescent colour of the shirt is also unappealing but so many fans think Daniel Craig is a style icon so the whole outfit won’t be questioned.
Overall, it’s great to see the cocktail cuff shirt return to the Bond movies after an absence of 36 years but worn in a more fitting context than this. Suffolk is right in saying that Frank Foster makes great cocktail cuffs however, as a fellow customer, I have to say that, by now, Foster’s customer service leaves a lot to be desired. Issues occur with shirts produced despite clear instructions and the wait time has become farcical; my last order of ten shirts in June 2014 has yielded, thusfar, the sum total of 3 and 2 of these had issues around fit.
I can’t pretend that I haven’t had to be patient too.
In his defence though he is now 92, and they recently had a significant flood from above to deal with. Tragically a great deal of his remarkable stock was ruined.
Oh God, again that permanent Daniel Craig bashing! I’m getting bored by this.
To all those who regularly comment here it’s no secret that I am certainly no fan of Roger Moore’s Bond style and I have critisised it many times. But by now I have dispensed with it because it always leaded to some clash with the hardcore Roger Moore fans who also comment here.
Can’t we simply accept that all Bond actors have different styles? And for good reasons I think because all are different types. Craig would look awful in that blazer-grey flannels combination which especially Moore wore very often als Bond because it’s too tame and conservative a look for him. Moore always had something of an Etonian and therefore it suits him perfectly. Craig however is a very menacing and virile Bond and thus must be his choice of clothes.
And as to Craig’s style as a private individuum: Well, he’s not exactly an old man so why should he dress like one? It’s 2015 and dress codes have changed a little since the end of WW II.
Renard,
You seem to be setting up some false dichotomies here; going to a prestigious prep school does not automatically take away one’s virility. Furthermore, Craig is now 47, so it’s time for him to start dressing like a grownup. Nothing is more pretentious (and I would dare say, a little pathetic) than a grown man, no matter how fit and well-preserved, who insists on dressing like a 20-something hipster. Finally, I suggest that Connery looked just as virile and menacing in his conservative suits (especially in Dr. No and FRWL) as he did in more casual attire. The right clothes help, but they don’t make the man.
I’ve not always been the greatest fan of Craig’s clothing as Bond, particularly in Skyfall. Nor can I claim to be a huge fan of the iridescent fabric in this shirt. That said, I don’t really understand the criticism of this outfit. I can’t see that wearing jeans and a shirt is particularly remarkable. It doesn’t mean you are dressing like a 20 year old hipster. It is what most men of his age would wear.
Craig has dressed up to promote the movie, when it seemed appropriate. He wore a suit for Graham Norton’s show. He hasn’t here. So what?
So, Dan, it’s not grown-up to wear jeans? What universe do you live in! This is an interview from his day off – why should he dress up?
John Q.,
I would like to live in a Universe in which public figures show respect to their interlocutors by dressing appropriately. Even my scruffy, unsophisticated college students know enough to buy a decent suit when the time comes to go for job interviews. Certainly one is free to wear whatever one wants, especially in today’s casual world – that’s not the issue. James Bond, however, in all of his iterations (except for Dalton) has been an icon of British style. Playing Bond comes with many perks – it’s not too much to ask that the actor try to present himself well. As far as the whole silly discussion regarding “what’s a grownup” – maybe this will help: George Lazenby, for all of his great physique and cat-like grace, was not a grownup. He passed on a seven-movie contract in part because he thought the character of Bond was too conservative, and in part BECAUSE HE WANTED TO WEAR BELL-BOTTOMS because everybody he knew who was getting laid was wearing bell-bottoms! That kind of immaturity and slavish adherence to passing fads is the antithesis of being a grownup.
If only Laz had held on, he would’ve gotten to wear bell-bottoms anyway! (See: all of Roger’s 70’s Bond films.)
Dan, you’re really stuck on the thing about bell bottoms when that really wasn’t the main part. You seem to have missed the part where George also thought Bond a misogynist and out of place in the upcoming ’70s. I believe he was alluding to the part where Bond slaps around Tracy and not only gets away with it, he’s rewarded with marrying her. (Complete with her father telling her to “always obey your husband”, good grief!) How is it not grown up to stick to one’s convictions?
“Can’t we simply accept that all Bond actors have different styles?”
Well, yes, most of them do, but some (one) got no style at all….
Entirely agree with Dan Ippolito: Connery did indeed look just as virile and menacing in his conservative suits.
Retrospectively, I start wondering whether Moore, albeit obviously less ‘gritty’, did not look more manly than hipster at 47..
At least he exuded some -natural- elegance, and audiences, yours truly included, were, and are, still looking for that.
Define the term “Grown Up”
While it’s obvious that everyone here has their choice in who was the best actor to play bond let’s set some ground rules on what type of man should play bond. Cubby had it right, he had it right then and he has right, right now. Daniel Craig exemplifies a police officer who managed to get over time pay and bought himself a nifty looking suit. Is he bond? No. Jason statham is a tough looking guy who also takes very good care of himself? Should he play bond ? I think not. While the bond films have been tremendously successful I do not think it was Daniel Craig but rather a well made film. Put a different actor to play bond with the current bond films and maybe, just maybe you have hit the bullseye.
Whether you like Craig as Bond or not, you are completely delusional if you don’t attribute the success of the recent films to him.
FS, I think you have hurled yourself into the abyss of ignorance. Are you saying sam Mendes had nothing to do with the success? Come now its a bit cavalier for you to make daniel craig the atlas of the bond series.
I think you are both right and wrong. Both Sam Mendes’ skills and Daniel Craig’s popularity contributed to the success of Skyfall, along with the most aggressive advertising campaign I have ever seen for a Bond film. It will likely go the same way with Spectre.
Wouldn’t you have to have both hands cut off to qualify for a Dr. No shirt? Seriously though, it is a first rate garment. Looks like Tom Ford has come up with a cocktail cuff which is neat and stylish. Too tight? No, it’s just that Craig is a muscular fellow. The jeans and trainers? Best avoided by anyone over 40, but, once again, Craig is in great shape and carries them off. Perhaps Craig was just scuffing about when he was cornered by Ross and his team. Or he was told that just his head and shoulders would be in shot. Frankly if he got through the interview without getting a pie in the face or some other idiocy from Ross he can count himself lucky.
I actually thought my comment was reasonably balanced and followed on from previous comments along the same lines?? The only other actor I mentioned was Connery and then just to draw a direct comparison. (I also appreciate my lauding of Roger Moore has been repetitive and I’ve tried to limit it of late. Hell, I even criticised part of an outfit in the last post!) Anyway, Brosnan didn’t wear a blazer and flannel combination but always looked sharp when interviewed promoting Bond (at least that’s my recollection). All I’m saying is; the bottom and top don’t mix. The shirt looks jarring with casual trousers and footwear and vice versa.
Mark Gibson,
Daniel Craig looks great here, and he’s entitled to wear what he wants. On chat shows promoting the film, he always wears a suit and shirt. Here, he seems to be interviewed in down time and seems absolutely fine. In the junkets, he always wears trousers and a shirt.
As for “Pierce Brosnan always dressed right” when promoting. Look here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9IeJTFPxO0
Brosnan wears jeans and sneakers, just like Craig.
I was going to post a couple of links to Bond stars of the past having dressed down when being interviewed, but was too tired and also wasn’t sure if it would make a difference (I’m glad other people have done so, though). It’s interesting that the idea of “who is right” as opposed to “what is right” doesn’t just permeate modern politics but fashion as well – i.e. “When the Bond actor that I like does something then it’s good, but when a Bond actor that I don’t like does exactly the same thing then it’s bad!”.
It reminds me of an exchange, which I think was on another forum, where one of those “Craig Not Bond” types was livid that Craig’s ties in Skyfall were “too thin” because “everyone knows” that men’s ties are always supposed to be 3 inches wide. When someone pointed out that this person must have hated Connery’s ties in the 1960s, the poster responded with “That’s different! Those ties were in style then!”.
(facepalm)
Lord Flashheart,
It is hard for a skinny tie to look elegant and balanced, no matter who is wearing it. A skinny tie can’t be dimpled, and it tends to get lost in the natural folds and pleats of the shirt. Connery got away with it (barely) because his broad chest pulled the shirt flat and prevented the tie from sinking in the folds. Men who are not as V-shaped or who wear loose shirts are better off with moderately wide ties. Furthermore, moderately wide ties can be dimpled, which will cause them to drape better. In all of this, of course, I am assuming that the goal is to look good and not to follow fads at all costs.
I agree that the bashing – of any actor – leads me to not comment here very much any more (that and the idea that some people have that their personal tastes are absolutes for what is “right” and “wrong” in style).
Having worked in the film industry previously, I have no problem with an actor dressing down when doing an interview. For all we know Craig could have had a very long, very grueling day (yes, it can actually be hard for a star to live that life of a star) and decided he wanted to be comfortable. Perhaps he (or people from EON who were likely present) didn’t think his feet would be in the shot. Maybe there was a decision to dress down for stylistic reasons due to the demographic who would be watching the show? Who knows? More importantly – who cares? Is it really important if we continue to get cracking films and a great lead performance.
The final thing that I have to say, and this gets to the point of people making wild criticisms just for the point of making *any* criticism they can because they don’t like someone…where in the world would you find any hipster who dresses like Craig does here? Craig is dressed as much as a hipster here as he is dressed as a hippie. Saying such ludicrous things really diminishes any point that you’re trying to make. I guess what I’m saying is – if you’re going to try to belittle someone, at least do it well. Take pride in your work. (sigh)
Dear Matt
Speaking of iridescent clothing. Was “two-tone” a type of Mod suit, made from 3-ply mohair which possessed a natural sheen?
Two-tone mohair suits were indeed popular with Mods. Even not in mohair, any two-tone cloth will have a sheen based on the way the two colours interact.
Well, I have been off this site for almost three months and now that I am back and getting caught up, it does have a bit of deja vu. Maybe it is my Los Angeles perspective, but Craig looks fine. I don’t care of the tennis shoes (Chukkas would be better) but it is typical. Far from being a hipster or not a “grown up”, he is dressed just fine for 2015 and better than typical as a well-dressed industry/artist type around here. I don’t care for the iridescent color, but it works on him.
Maybe we can dig up a photo of Connery at the infamous Japanese press conference when he (to my recollection of the account from Steven Jay Rubin’s Bond Encyclopedia 1991 ed), first arrived without toupee and dungarees, and told the unhappy reporters who demanded to know if that was what James Bond dressed like, that he was not James Bond and liked to dress comfortably…
Anyway, good to be back and see that the posts and comments are insightful as ever.
I would prefer different shoes, but see no serious problem with this ensemble otherwise.
This is a good example of Craig’s personal style outside the Bond films. He likes a dress shirt and jeans. The only new part was the cocktail cuffs on the shirt which I’ve never seen on his dress shirt before this.
I have recently ordered a some shirts with Cocktail cuffs, there a great cuff for work shirts with my suits and there very versatile as I can wear them on a casual night out also. But I prefer light blue, Sky blue, cream and white for my dress shirts.
This is Craig’s style not Bond’s, so there’s not much of a shock horror here for me. I would have worn a slightly dresser shoe, a chukka or desert boot would have suited the occasion better.
where do you get your cocktail cuffs from?
I have two points:
First, there is an almost perverse fascination with the way Craig dresses outside of Bond, and this is shared by both his admirers and his detractors. (This is not a commentary on Matt’s post because I believe he covered this outfit because the shirt may appear in the film.) I can’t understand why anyone cares what Daniel Craig wears when he’s not playing James Bond. It truly baffles me.
Second, as others have mentioned above, anyone who thinks Craig is dressed as a “hipster” here has obviously never encountered a hipster.
I too am baffled by the fascination some people have with how Daniel Craig dresses outside of Bond, especially because I don’t think he usually looks very good in his own clothes. I did indeed write about this because the shirt may appear in the film. Tom Ford is selling it as such. But I also want to try to cater a little to those fans who do love everything Daniel Craig wears. Since this interview was done of the film set, it’s more related to Bond than his flat cap ensembles.
Hi Matt, just a suggestion but another outfit you may want to look at while we all wait for the Spectre release is the suit he wore on the Graham Norton Show on Friday night? It looked quite nice and could potentially be Tom Ford…
I haven’t seen the whole thing, and I would need to see him standing up to tell more about the suit. I’ll look into it further.
I saw the Graham Norton interview, and I liked very much the light-grey suit worn by Craig. I’d be interested in Matt’s observations, if he could possibly garner enough information to write a piece.
I googled the image after I read your comment, is it the light grey suit with white shirt? From the stills, it looked like the material is sharkskin. If it is Tom Ford, could it be the Istanbul Skyfall suit?
It’s not any of the suits that Daniel Craig has worn as Bond.
Sethblack –
Yes, it was a light grey suit worn with white open-neck shirt. I took another look at it via the BBC iplayer. The jacket/coat is a single breasted button-two, with medium wide lapels and a ticket pocket. The trousers are flat front and without turn-ups. Overall, it was slim fitting and would look good either with or without a tie. One could wear it to work with a tie, and then wear it smart-casual at weekends by having an open neck shirt.
I sometimes wear this style of suit around town at weekends with open-neck shirts, as their slim silhouette and slanted suit pockets have an easy relaxed air. I have a penchant for turn-ups on my suit trousers, which are generally considered less formal than a plain hem. If I’m in the country I’ll wear a jacket teamed with smart cotton/ canvas trousers or cords, with chukka boots. Personally, I have never worn jeans, as I’ve never felt comfortable in them.
Just using some comments:
Renard:
“Craig would look awful in that blazer-grey flannels combination which especially Moore wore very often as Bond because it’s too tame and conservative a look for him.”
I could not agree more. Thanks for your honest comment. I guess that is precisely our point. Craig would look awful in this, but in many other things too….
FS:
“Whether you like Craig as Bond or not, you are completely delusional if you don’t attribute the success of the recent films to him.”
The answer is blowing in the wind, or in Saul’s comment, actually:
“While the bond films have been tremendously successful I do not think it was Daniel Craig but rather a well made film. “
Overall, apart from QoS, the scripts have been rather good. However the success would have been just as good, if not better, with other actors (Think of folks like Christian Bale, Henry Cavill, Hugh Jackman, or even Clive Owen, to name a few. There would have been no controversies around them being cast, one can bet..)
Nothing wrong with jeans. Personally I still wear them at 45, and have had some positive comments from female co-workers in dress-down occasions, so it can’t be all that bad, after all ;)
The problem is not denim per se, it is how you wear it. Brosnan wore it with ‘style’ (please define ‘style’ …. Good luck !) and with minimal effort (a jacket..)
What we see on Craig is not stylish, no matter how hard he tries.
Just an example:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2081865/Daniel-Craig-steps-boyish-orange-laces-Paris-premiere.html
Honestly, one can be very open-minded, but this truly sucks.
Whereas he looks much better here:
https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/rbi-communities/wp-content/uploads/mt/hairdressersjournalweb/blogs/main/Daniel-Craig-Bond.jpg
Style was effortless with Brosnan, and should Moore have been more ‘relaxed’ it would have been effortless style on him too.
I have met Moore on a few occasions in the 1980s, and his way of dressing down was always stylish, believe it or not.
Dressing down is not the problem, it is how you do it. Craig does not it well, in my humble opinion.
That is all. And I do take no pride at all in belittling him. That would be anyone’s reach. And not really honourable at that. One just has to have an intellectual honesty. Just as the one Matt displays in this post. Aiming at both Craig detractors and fans.
Unfortunately, Craig’s style is beneath what some old fans would be looking for with their –once-stylish- icon.
Stan,
Reasonable, balanced observations but I’m not sure I’d bother at this point, to be honest. I’ve come to the conclusion that (this is what I stated as part of my original observation above that this mix of clothing styles don’t really come together, but it’s worth reiterating) the slightest tendency to criticise Craig’s choices of apparel will bring forth a slew of invective like “bashing”,”belittling”,”delusional” and “ignorance! There’s a complete lack of both perspective and proportion at play here. I can’t see any criticism of Craig as an actor in your comments above, by the way?? (anyway, it’s another question and subjective, as to whether a great actor is required for an entertaining Bond. Depends on one’s individual idea of “entertaining”, I guess)
Another, former contributor to this blog whom I’m on friendly terms with stated that he now just follows the blog without comment because he got so fed up with this type of “obtuse” comment and general silliness. The purpose of this type of blog is, I assume, that men who appreciate both the Bond character and good tailoring can share differing view points like mature grown ups, with respect, and without charmless, juvenile attempts to be provocative. If everyone simply commented along the lines of “all hail, Connery and Craig” then the whole point of the blog would be removed and it would be as boring as some find others find the maintenance of a dogmatically offered, consistent point of view.
Oh, by the way, having yet to see SPECTRE, (it’s the first of Craig’s movies that I can honestly say I have an interest in viewing) but having seen stills of the clothes, I think they are, as Matt pointed out previously, probably the best selection of all of his movies and indeed for many movies previously. I like the roll necks, the almost black 3 piece suit,the colour at least of the 2 blue suits (if not perhaps the cut),the return of both the cocktail cuff and brown palate to Bond’s wardrobe and even the derided ivory dinner jacket I don’t find that bad. All perfectly appropriate and chosen, apparently, by the man himself. So, having acknowledged this, is one carrying out desecration on the altar of worship for many re: Daniel Craig, by questioning other less inspirational choices?
My statement above (which I stand by) was in response to what I perceived to be a disingenuous comment that was not intended to advance the present discussion. I have frequently criticized the obvious shortcomings of Craig’s Bond wardrobe, and will continue to do so. But rehashing the same old criticisms of his characterization is incredibly stale at this pointand does nothing to advance a polite discussion of Bond’s clothing.
Sorry, but this is also something I cannot accept. Apparently some people trie to deny Craig not only sense of style, but even worse his faculties as an actor. I think that I don’t have to mention that to me that’s complete RUBBISH!
Craig is and will remain one of the best Bond actors EVER. He kind of resurrected Bond after nearly a decade of daffy so-called Bond movies. The unfortunately late Christopher Lee praised Craig for having given something to the character what no other Bond actor did before – with Craig you can take the Bond character seriously (which you couldn’t with Brosnan – and I don’t think that you were supposed to do so). CS and QoS are already inextinguishable Bond classics because they unfurl the Bond story right from the beginning and present Bond as he is described in Fleming’s novels. You may think what you want of QoS – I myself don’t consider it that bad – I even prefer it to SF which was a bit overdone to me.
And long before Bond came Craig already was an accomplished actor – he played at the Old Vic in London, played in “Elisabeth” and worked with Spielberg in “Munich”. So what’s all that bashing crap about ???
I hope that there will be some more “Daniel Craig as James Bond” in the future. At the moment for me it’s difficult to imagine anyone who could do it better.
One can sense some overreaction, here. If you read carefully, Renard, nobody, unless I am wrong, denies Craig’s acting skills. The man is a very good actor. If needed, I shall rewrite it.
However, what a vast number has been wondering about in the last 10 years is: is he a good Bond ?
That’s all.
Sir Lawrence Olivier was quite a good actor. Would he have been a good bond ? And the list is endless..
As for ‘resurrecting Bond’, that sounds to me a little far-fetched. Admittedly, the Bond from the novels had faded over the last years, and a ‘back to basics’ move was not unwelcome.
Apart form the sandals and the short-sleeve shirts, that is.
This being said, some differences occur, and among those, a few come across my mind, without specific order: Bond has a tailor, and is not handed a ready-made dinner jacket by Vesper (this is nearly as grotesque as an invisible car). The book Bond would not untie his bow tie nor eat with a full mouth while dining with Vesper. In QoS, the intake of 6 Vespers is a little science-fiction (Just try 2-3 in a row, for the sake of experience..).
The Blue Long-Sleeve Polo worn in Venice is just horrid, and , quoting Anonymous is a “perfect example of what makes most of today’s casual wear so inelegant, and a horrible outfit for Bond. ” Same opinion about what he wears in Madagascar.
Besides, I don’t mind occasional swearing, but the number if times Craig uses the word f*** or any derivatives in interviews is just irritating.
In the 1960s, when talking of Bond, you would hear: ‘men want to be him’.
Ask yourself if today, you want to be him…
I don’t.
Stan,
You hit the nail on the head when you said “In the 1960’s, when talking of Bond, you would hear: ‘men want to be him’.
Ask yourself if today, you want to be him…”. Those of us old enough to remember Bond as an aspirational figure have a hard time with Craig’s thuggish, angst-ridden Bond. This has nothing to do with his acting ability, BTW. I also agree with your criticism of Craig’s penchant for profanity. I am old enough to remember when Bond was FUN, the greatest vicarious escapist experience to be had at the movies, while now I certainly wouldn’t want to be this angry, tight-lipped, tragically unhappy man.
Oh poor old guys – you have my sympathy! It really makes me sad. Perhaps my thoughts on Bond will be the same when I will have your age – “Remember – the golden times when Daniel Craig was Bond!” (provided that Bond movies will still exist then). ;-)
And as to his leisure clothes: Well, a long-sleeve polo does not particularly upset me as it is a classic menswear leisure item – even Bernhard Roetzel mentions it in his “Guide to timeless style”. And the Madagascar outfit is more some kind of disguise – just think of the people he is surrounded by in that scene; I don’t think that they are Savile Row clients. And apart from that I can think of some leisure outfits in the past which were much worse than that.
“Bond has a tailor”: I agree – I would also be happier if his garments were made by a Savile Row tailor plus perhaps some duplicates from a costumier (like Berman’s was) for the action scenes. But producers and costume designers think otherwise. And the Tom Ford stuff is not really bad – it actually looks quite good in QoS. It’s only that overtight “sausage look” which is a bother.
And just be confident – there’s some light at the end of the tunnel! Thanks to Matt’s effort we already know that Craig will be wearing one of your beloved brown suits and – which is far more astonishing to me – a (silk?) dressing gown! So it is still possible that in the end he will blossom into what you consider a proper and stylish gentleman! And perhaps – as a result – 70s fashion or at least some items of it will return (who knows?!) So there’s still hope for you nostalgics – never say die!
Renard,
Be careful of mocking your elders – you will be one before you know it. Besides, the objections we geezers have to some of Craig’s outfits have nothing to do with age and everything to do with balance and classic proportions, which never go out of fashion
Dear Renard,
Your sympathy goes straight to our hearts. And no offence about ageism. I don’t know about your age, but all I can say is that style, taste, or even class, are timeless, and I dare say ageless. So even younger ones can grasp its meaning, I think, just like some old dinosaurs labelled ‘nostalgics’. In other words, no one has the monopoly of good taste.
I owe you an apology, as you are right about the Madagascar disguise. A clown costume can also serve very well as a disguise, as Moore helped us prove it ;)
This being said, you are right about people in this scene. There is no need for Savile Row in this particular scene. Bond would in any case stick out, in any case, in this environment, so a little more style would not jeopardize his cover, I gather. The point is that what he wears is simply ‘ugly’. To me that is.
Now, don’t get me totally wrong.
At least I am glad we share some views, and that makes me feel that I don’t belong to another remote galaxy, far, far away.
I have nothing a long-sleeve polos, and personally own – and wear- them. In spite of my very old age ;)
The problem is not what you wear, but how you actually wear it.
This is what I have found lately:
http://www.ctshirts.co.uk/mens-casualwear/mens-polo-shirts/Navy-long-sleeve-Slim-fit-piqu%C3%A9-polo?q=gbpdefault||jx087nav|||||||||||||
For some reason, what Craig wears (or was forced to wear) in CR :
https://www.bondsuits.com/blue-long-sleeve-polo/
does not make it, in my humble opinion. But again, it is the combination of garments, and how you wear it that makes the difference. The black polo in Haiti looks ‘OK’ to me (but would have been better with long sleeves).
To be entirely honest, the floral shirt worn in Cuba is on the forgettable side, and is being ‘killed’ by the white vest,, just as much as the powder blue leisure suit worn by Moore in LALD. The real monstrosity here is the T-shirt (white knit vest) worn with it.
One cannot count on Savile Row for so many actions scenes, where 30-40 suits are needed (Again, how did they do in the early movies ? Less action scenes ? More cost-cutting measures ? I would welcome the opinion of someone from the movies industry, for sure).
Tom Ford did a very good job in QoS. The Bolivian suits, among others, are really nice.
Also agree on the ‘sausage look’.
One can also wonders, with less means. As an example, I am no real fan of Brioni suits. Quality to price ratio would not persuade me to buy one. Shape and fit-wise, I have seen better too.
I find your remark about (our beloved) brown suit a little out of place too. Connery wore one in Goldfinger, in Thunderball, and Craig wears a nice one in QoS. So nothing to do specifically with the 1970s, I gather.
Regarding your assumption of what a proper and stylish gentleman should be, I have no specific definition. This being said, a gentleman is not defined by garments, or price thereof, or any trifle attributes. It is more defined by an attitude. ‘Manners maketh man’ is as close as one can get.
I can advise you to refer to the approximation of what a gentleman is, as suggested by Peter O’Toole in Bertolucci’s the Last Emperor (0’44’) :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_hUwyyTJy8
Gentlemen,
Although at times this blog might not agree with our sartorial agendas, the mental “fencing” is one of the reasons I tune into this blog. I never thought and still do not think Daniel craig was the actor fit to play bond, sure does he fit the masses? Of course, but bond to me was always a little bit better when he was “slightly out of reach.” I believe timothy dalton said it best when stated that although he played the character as a vulnerable man there was still something you couldnt get passed. Put daniel craig in brioni and he looks like the suit he is wearing belongs to his father, put him in tom ford and yes he looks better but yet as one of the followers of this blog said, ” he looks shrink wrapped.” All of you know that bond belongs to a certain group of people who have found him to be inspirational, and at the same time improve our lives, whatever field we choose to be in. Im in medical school because I refuse as ian fleming would to be part of the “unwashed” of society.
“Im in medical school because I refuse as ian fleming would to be part of the “unwashed” of society.”
-Does your statement mean that you associate Craig’s Bond as some kind of “working class approach” to the role – and therefore referring to the “unwashed” part of society? If yes, I would have to say that this is rather cheap polemics.
“All of you know that bond belongs to a certain group of people who have found him to be inspirational, and at the same time improve our lives, whatever field we choose to be in.”
-Could you please explain what you mean by that (?!)
I find Saul’s comment disturbing on several levels, not least of which being his stated reason for attending medical school…
Perhaps it’s best if we just leave it at that.
Renard,
Lets go into the back doot on this one shall we?
Why do you choose to follow the james bond series? Surely its more to you than just a roll of film, artificially buttered popcorn, and flat soda. You chose to follow a blog that explains (in a excruciating detail) bonds sartorial adventures. So in the words of elliot carver, “I want to know why?”
@Stan
“I find your remark about (our beloved) brown suit a little out of place too. Connery wore one in Goldfinger, in Thunderball, and Craig wears a nice one in QoS. So nothing to do specifically with the 1970s, I gather. ”
-We had this discussion before – see my comment under
https://www.bondsuits.com/james-bonds-many-brown-suits/
Dear Renard,
Thanks for reminding me.
“But of course that’s only my opinion. Each to his own.”
I appreciate your remark; that should normally mean that you would agree with the rest of my comments.
To be entirely honest – which is something I owe you by now – Moore’s tie is something I would rather forget by now. Not nice. The shirt : debatable. The suit, however, if you’d take away the 1970s lapel width, and the flares, which I hated, even in the 1970s (!) is quite ok to me. Colour & fit are quite all right, wouldn’t you agree ?
How about the ones worn in FYEO ?
https://www.bondsuits.com/the-light-brown-gabardine-suit/
or the one in AVTAK https://www.bondsuits.com/tan-in-san-francisco/
?
Do you really find them so out of place a/o awful ?
Dear Stan,
I have not changed my opinion about the silk suit from TSWLM. In general I like silk as cloth for a suit very much, but I do not like neither colour nor cut of this particular one.
As to FYEO and AVTAK: Both are not among my favourites. But the tan suit from Octopussy is quite nice. IMO it’s the best of the brown suits Moore wore as Bond – suits him fine. Just the right tone of brown for his complexion.
Some of these threads can really stray into the realms of silliness; The prejudice against brown is fine if it’s just a subjective bias based on one’s personal aesthetics. We all have these. However, if it comes with additional remakes about the “1970’s” and “bad taste” then it’s predicated on ignorance due to the fact that, as Matt pointed out several times, Moore wore suits in this colour in the 1960’s, 1970’s and 1980’s. He wore this colour because, being a man of taste, he knows what suits him personally and what looks best on him, I would assume. If brown suits were to re-emerge in popularity thanks to the likes of Craig or Beckham for example, my feeling is, a great many who have been, hitherto, detractors would have a change of opinion. I like suits in this colour and my tailor, who recently made me one in light brown, said it was a pleasure to work with a colour palate outside of navy, dark grey and black. I wear this colour too because, oddly enough, I happen to like it and it suits my complexion very well.
Brown is a very underrated colour. It looks good on basically anyone, in the right shade and tone of course, and to me it should be considered the third alternative colour of a suit (after blue and grey). Every Bond has worn some type of brown suits/sports jackets. I personally own a beautiful corduroy sports jacket in dark brown that I love for the simple reason that it’s so easy to pair with most items of clothing, from casual to more formal, and it has a timeless, well-balanced fit that doesn’t stick out as too old-fashioned or too fashionable.
Even though this is a terrible look, it is a fashionable look at the moment. Do you think Matt that Bond will ever wear dark jeans and a formal shirt, be it with better shoes like chukka boots or like. Jeans aren’t really Bond’s style but he has worn them and in the novel he wore them casually quite a bit.
I don’t think Bond will wear this look. It’s not in his character.
You are right, Craig got some dark blue jeans in the mix in QOS. But I doubt we will see them again. He will probably wear a formal shirt and chinos again most likely, but they will be very high quality.