Light blue is a popular colour for James Bond’s shirts, swimming shorts and bathrobes. The light blue terrycloth—a.k.a. towelling—bathrobe is a James Bond staple. The first example is the bathrobe in Dr. No that Sean Connery is given after his cleansing when he arrives at Dr No’s lair. Roger Moore wears a similar bathrobe in The Man with the Golden Gun in his Bangkok hotel room after Andrea Anders leaves.
This bathrobe wouldn’t likely have been Bond’s own but rather something that lives in the hotel room’s wardrobe. This is a very basic and practical yet comfortable bathrobe meant for wearing before and after a shower in the hotel room, and it contrasts with Scaramanga’s much more luxurious black silk dressing gown that Bond wears at the end of the film.
This bathrobe is made of light blue terrycloth and is knee length and has a turned-up shawl collar, turnback cuffs and open patch pockets. It fastens around the waist with a self belt, tied in an overhand knot. It is a classic style and likely from an English brand.
This is one of the most ordinary items Bond wears in the series, and because of that and its limited screen time it had been overlooked on this blog until now. Alongside the countless other bathrobes and dressing gowns that Roger Moore wears as Bond—after all, Moore is the Bathrobe Bond—this one is rather forgettable. Nevertheless, a basic bathrobe is a useful piece in a man’s wardrobe and light blue is a Bondian choice. Orlebar Brown will be releasing a similar Dr. No-inspired bathrobe next week, and they’ve added a few creative touches to make theirs more interesting and unique.
Washington tremlett maybe?
“—after all, Moore is the Bathrobe Bond—”
:-) Yes, indeed he is.
Great as always! It’s great that the two actors share continuity in this iconic cloth. Also another bathrobe – did you leave out the Japanese one that briefly appeared in AVTAK for the same reason?
I have one in white. I forget the make.
Hilton? Sheraton? Marriott?
Matt, will you be posting based on Bond 25 set photos (e.g. the recent shots of Craig filming in Jamaica) or are you waiting for a trailer? Also, how about something on “The American”? Suttirat Larlarb did a nice job on the clothes for George Clooney’s assassin character.
I will possibly be posting Bond 25 set photos. It depends on what pops up. I don’t think anything that has shown up yet deserves a full post from my, though I may post some things on the blog’s Facebook channel.
Good idea to look into The American!
George Clooney wears clothes from Zegna in The American. He also carries a Walther PPK like Bond.
The American? Inserting movie which I saw in the cinema and though I can’t really recall any of Clooney’s wardrobe in the movie I do vividly recall his female companion! I don’t think the movie did well with the general public though; i recall a lot of frustrated grunts and groans from the other moviegoers when the end credits appeared. Usually the sign of a good movie actually!
I liked ‘The American’ too. A moody, atmospheric slow burn of a movie (understandable from that director!) – I said to my wife if that had been a Bourne flick the entire story would have taken up about ten minutes!
I had overlooked this bathrobe too but what a great one it is. It certainly suits Roger’s complexion better than any others which he wore as Bond. A beautiful shade of blue. While on the topic, i always liked the decor of the hotel room in these scenes. A lovely aquamarine (I think) and not at all screaming out “70’s”. They even took the trouble to match Goodnight’s dress to the surrounding decor and to a lesser degree, Roger’s in this smashing robe.
Lashana Lynch had light blue at Goldeneye. Isn´t that also a homage to the tradition? For example the light blue playsuit in Goldfinger?
I doubt very much thought was put into that, it was probably just chosen as a spring colour that looks good on her.
A nice bathrobe indeed. I like the fact that in old Bond movies he often wore a bathrobe and/or a dressing gown, even for a less than one minute scene. We unfortunately see and use these items less and less nowadays.
Since we are speaking of covering other items. It will probably be even less interesting than this bathrobe, but Matt, will you cover Brosnan’s swimming trunks in Goldeneye soon ? They aren’t anything special, but summer is coming… :)