When chatting with Mathis on the balcony of his hotel suite in Casino Royale, James Bond wears a shawl-collared cardigan over a t-shirt and checked trousers. The outfit is stylish and urbane, yet it’s also young and very relaxed. This cardigan is the second in the film. Bond wears the first cardigan under his pea coat in the film’s opening scene. This second cardigan is black wool with six buttons down the front. The top button is placed in the middle of the shawl collar and is smaller than the other buttons. The bottom two buttons are spaced close together. The cardigan’s ribbed shawl collar continues down the front into a placket. There are two patch pockets on the front. The cuffs, pocket openings and hem are ribbed and elastic. Bond also wears this cardigan in Venice at the end of the film.
Under the cardigan, Craig wears a charcoal grey crew-neck fitted T-shirt from Sunspel. The dark t-shirt has a more refined look than a lighter grey or white t-shirt would have, but it keeps the outfit looking casual, relaxed and young. His trousers are the same checked trousers that he wears under his topcoat when breaking into M’s flat earlier in the film. They are in a small black and white glen check with an overlaid light blue check and have a flat front and turn-ups. Bond also wears black socks and black calf John Lobb Romsey two-eyelet chukka boots.
Though Bond changes his clothes many time in Casino Royale, he mixes and matches many of the same pieces as a real person would do. This adds a realism to the film’s wardrobe that most other Bond films do not share. The shawl-collared cardigan and checked trousers are only two of the many pieces that make multiple appearances in the film. The t-shirt he wears in this scene may also be the same t-shirt he wears under his pea coat in the film’s opening scene.
I like Mathis’ outfit here, the suit cloth and the tie flatter him although I suppose it could fit a lot better. Another great post, thanks Matt. Also looking forward to your coverage of M’s other outfits in Spectre.
This is not the same cardigan he wears when visiting Mathis villa in Italy in QoS ? But they look very similar. I know the other one is Tom Ford but what brand is this and what’s the difference between them?
Also if anyone know of a website where I can buy a black shawl collar cardigan like this for a reasonable price that also ship to Sweden I would very much appreciate it. Been looking for it for a while now but all I find is navy and grey ones.
This is not the same cardigan from Quantum of Solace. I do not know who made this one. This cardigan looks lighter and a little larger.
One of Craig’s best casual outfits, keeps him looking young but refined. He doesn’t look like he’s trying to hard to look young and trendy. The checked trousers keep the outfit from looking too casual, jeans or chinos would bring it all down. A shawl-collared cardigan is a classic casual garment, it wasn’t hard for Craig to make it fashionable again.
Thoughts about the buttoning here? I thought I’d read either all (but the bottom) or none on a cardigan.
There are no rules for buttoning a cardigan.
Matt are the trousers Brioni ? I know he wore a few items from Ted Baker in Casino Royale. The legs weren’t as nearly as wide on his Ted Baker trousers he wears in the Bahamas. A full suit with the type of check of the trousers would have been good.
I don’t know who made them.
I brought a narrow wrap double breasted cardigan in a dark navy shortly after the QOS. I still have it and it doesn’t date, but then again neither does sports jackets and blazer’s, there all classic items for the well dressed. Only ignorant people say this jacket looks old mannish, cardigan’s are for grandad’s. Pretty stupid ideas.
Hear, hear!
Nice cool and young look, another casual outfit nailed by Craig. Good update of what I could imagine Fleming’s Bond would wear in 2006.
As for the “old-mannish” aspect of the cardigan, I think it is more an issue that for many decades, the cardigan seemed to be worn by nothing buy old men, who didn’t exactly have Craig’s physique and that appeared to have been purchased many decades before. Now, however, the cardigan has been fashionable for almost a decade (in fact, it’s probably going back out of fashion by now, which I will gladly take if it takes the short suit jackets with it).
I don’t have a problem with a slightly shorter jacket, but too short as Craig has worn just doesn’t look good. I prefer a slightly shorter jacket which gives me a little more length as I’m under 5’10. George Lazenby’s jacket length should be the norm if one wants a slightly shorter jacket.
I agree with Ryan.
Bond should always wear slacks or at minimum chinos or cotton trousers in a warmer climate. He’s not that casual even if he’s wearing a casual outfit. I often wear casual slacks dark or light with a more casual polo or t-shirt, which I pair with a cardigan or casual jacket. It’s relaxed but not too dressed down as jeans would be.
My wife and I went to Italy this year for a couple weeks and I packed my shawl collar cardigan and had outfits similar to this and khaki / white v-neck in venice look. She loved both of them but didn’t make the connection to bond.
A great, simpe yet stylish and casual look for Bond, and Craig sports it perfectly. This is the difference between the casual clothing -which I like a lot, even the infamous Madagascar shirt- of Casino Royale and the one of the last two movies, in which the costume designer, as somebody wisely pointed it, want Bond to look like a young and trendy fashion model at any price -compare it to the outfit in Austria in Spectre !
The light grey checked trousers are really a great staple of a casual wardrobe, they can be worn with almost anything. Lindy Hemming knew her job !
Craig pulls off casual-but-smart better than pure casual or pure smart. He’s the first Bond who looks better when not wearing a suit. That either says something about modern fashion trends or it says something about the recent approach to the Bond character. Craig is also the first Bond who looks like he’s dressed by a costume designer, which isn’t a good thing. Very few of his fashion choices have looked natural on him, especially in the past two films. He got through CR and QOS well enough though.
Hi Matt,
What is Mathis wearing here, will we be getting a full review at some point?
In my opinion, the balcony outfit deserves more attention than it gets. It’s a great weekend look. H&M has a slim-fit version of the T-shirt which feels fantastic. Your wallet will thank you.