For James Bond’s two-day adventure in Norway in No Time to Die, he wears one outfit of a long needlecord coat, needlecord trousers, a sports shirt and boots, and he travels lightly with only an extra shirt to change into.
Within the list of the many controversial wardrobe choices in No Time to Die, the long green corduroy ‘duster’ needlecord coat from Massimo Alba in these scenes may be at the top of that list. It’s an unusual coat for James Bond, and long green corduroy coats are not a widely seen item.
The coat is the ‘RAIN2’ model in the olive green colour ‘agades’ (the name of a city in Niger) and in cotton needlecord. The coat has three buttons down the front, slash pockets, a Prussian collar and straps on the sleeves with two buttons for adjustment. There are a decorative half belt and a long vent in the rear.
Costume designer Suttirat Anne Larlarb told The Bond Experience that this is the kind of garment Bond would have grabbed from his home (or rather his storage garage since he no longer has a London home) in a hurry without having time to plan his outfit. Since this coat is an unusual garment for Bond, why would he have had this coat in the first place? If Bond had to grab a coat or jacket in a hurry, the Rogue Territory Supply Jacket might have made more sense for his Norway trip, since it was something he was already wearing a day earlier.
It’s a lightweight and unlined coat, so it isn’t for warmth. Bond wears it in the Norwegian wilderness, where the olive green colour helps Bond camouflage in his surroundings like Han Solo does in his long camoflage coat in Return of the Jedi. The length of the coat also helps protect Bond in the woods, though there’s a possibility that the coat could get caught in the brush in the course of action.
The long coat was most likely chosen for its dramatic look over a more practical waist-length or hip-length jacket. It never appears to be too cumbersome, unwieldy or out of place during the numerous scenes when Bond wears it, though Bond would have had an easier time moving in a shorter jacket. The long coat ends up looking like a piece of costume. I mentioned in my previous review of the No Time to Die wardrobe that the green Barbour jacket from Skyfall would have been a great alternative to this jacket. But considering the wear and tear it goes through in Skyfall, he likely tossed it after that adventure.
The trousers are also from Massimo Alba and are in the ‘MAUKO’ model in ‘nero lavato’, or washed black. The have a slim fit with a flat front, on-seam side pockets, two rear button-through jetted pockets, dark horn buttons and a waistband with belt loops and a button closure.
While there is nothing inherently wrong with the trousers, they clash with the rest of the outfit. The corduroy-on-corduroy look clashes, as do black trousers with brown shoes. Black jeans would have solved the first problem, while jeans or chinos in a shade of khaki or brown would have solved both problems while also better complementing the olive-coloured jacket than black does. While black shoes instead of brown would have also fixed the second issue, brown shoes go better with the coat and Bond’s earthy surroundings.
Bond wears two different shirts with this outfit. The first is an ‘oatmeal’-coloured shirt in 70% Linen and 30% Cotton from Connolly x Finamore, made by hand in Italy by the luxury Neapolitan shirtmaker Finamore 1925.
The shirt has a cutaway collar, a stitched plain front, rounded cuffs with a single button placed near the base of the cuff and a gauntlet button on each sleeve. The shirt’s buttons are beige mother of pearl. The shirt tails have a gusset at each corner. The shirt is made with a fitted shape and fits Daniel Craig very well without being too tight.
The second shirt is a much more casual henley from Rag & Bone. It is made of a slubbed cotton jersey and has a placket with three buttons at the neck. The edges of the collar are frayed, and the white buttons have darker worn-looking edges. The whole item is designed to have an aged look, which can be thought of as Bond putting this garment through the wringer.
The is the last shirt that Daniel Craig’s Bond ever wears, and he he wears it until the end of the film.
Both shirts go well with the outfit. The Connolly x Finamore shirt gives the outfit a smart but casual look, while the henley transforms the look to a much more casual one that is suitable for the rough action sequences.
Bond’s shoes are the Crockett & Jones ‘Molton’ chukka boots in dark brown rough-out suede with Dainite soles. The boots have a plain toe and lace up with three pairs of eyelets. The rough-out suede has a wax treatment for a rugged, casual look and some water resistance. A storm welt gives the boots more water resistance, but these are not waterproof boots. They have the right look for Bond’s outdoor escapades but they aren’t quite as appropriate for these activities as the Palladium boots that he wears briefly in the garage scene.
His belt is difficult to see in these scenes, but it is likely the Massimo Alba ‘MAX2’ black leather belt. While the belt goes well with the trousers, it clashes with the brown shoes.
Not a bad outfit for an outfit worn in the woods. This outfit gives off cowboy vibes, because of the duster coat and the casual dress shirt. If this attire does signifies a cowboy ensemble, I guess Bond had worn a poncho like Clint Eastwood in Moonraker. Which that outfit gave some comical relief, but this ensemble was a lot serious.
I don’t really mind the outfit, but I was considering the fact that the long coat would get stuck on loose bark. I could not pull of this ensemble, but it gives the right concealment. At least he did not wear camouflage pattern cargo pants! Overall, the outfit may seem controversial, but I do not mind the attire.
Matt, do you believe this setting could have worked for a olive green safari shirt-jacket or not?
I don’t think a safari jacket would have worked here. A field jacket would have, though.
I actually really like the duster and the overall ensemble. Gives Bond a sort of gunslinger look and I applaud the production team for being more daring in what he wears.
I strongly disliked this outfit. I understand what they were trying to do, but the duster looks very American or cowboyish. This is the end of Bond, he should look as British as possible throughout. The contrast with the end of Spectre outfit is stark, that is how Bond should look when he is casually facing death.
I like this outfit as well! To me I think that it gave off this feeling of a cowboy gunslinger going into a final showdown. Which this was exactly what we had recieved in this scene. I will say to me I am happy that the filmmakers went to this level as you have this feeling that Bond will have to defend what he cares about.
If this was a completely different franchise I’d love this outfit. I love the collared shirt on craig, and like the coat itself. I have one very similar but in green moleskin, so it actually has some warmth to it.
I guess I would have preferred this one earlier in the film, while he’s still retired. I don’t hate the outfit on a personal level, but I agree that Craig’s Bond should have gone out looking like the British national treasure that is James Bond, not the expensive clothes hanger for Italian fashion houses that is Daniel Craig.
I love the “long coat worn like jacket” concept, and Craig’s been an advocate of this style (I.e. the Brioni coat in M’s flat in CR, the tight peacoat in Skyfall) but in all fairness ends up looking just a little too costume here. The colour is lovely on this coat though.
I thought this was a hot mess as an ensemble. Nothing really matched. I hate the brown boot black pants look. Corduroy is just cotton and rips easily on tree branches and thorns.
The skyfall brown cord pants and a Barbour Beaufort in either olive or sage would have been perfect. Remember Barbour cloth is called “thorn proof”.
Notice they way they shot it with very few whole body shots mostly waist up, the coat swallowed him up and made him look small.
I acknowledge that the Barbour may not have survived ‘Skyfall’, but I can’t be the only one who would’ve much rather seen that coat again in place of this one. This outfit is so… out of left field. Even for Craig-Bond. It’s like he watched some old Eastwood westerns and simply went all-in. The only thing he’s missing is a cowboy hat.
The flasher outfit…
Concurring with most of the above. Doesn’t look Bond-ian and there are several alternatives that would have been more in line with both Fleming’s Bond and the character as established and portrayed by Craig, which would have been more suitable to the surroundings.
I’m no fan of Barbour jackets but can’t deny that a Barbour or similar would have been more appropriate. Ditto for a USN style pea coat.
I wonder how much though costume designers put into the context of the character and the scene before being swayed by product placement and sponsorship. CraigBond took off to Norway to re-establish contact with his ex, and being Bond must surely have expected an element of action and fisticuffs might be on the menu. So – a Barbour, a Belstaff, a pea coat, an M-65, a leather, canvas or nylon blouson bomber jacket, a leather DAD Brosnan in the DMZ jacket all would have had an element of style that would still have been useful when it all starts kicking off with the villains. But no, she has to put him in a long, flowing, odd-looking, semi formal style coat in an informal cloth that doesn’t look smart or stylish and doesn’t fit the needs of a man on the move who (inevitably) gets embroiled in a Barney.
I agree with you. But this outfit was not determined by product placement and sponsorship. It’s filled with brands that Daniel Craig chose himself. Suttirat’s reason for choosing this coat makes little sense when we know that Bond already has the RGT jacket.
Yes – besides product placement and sponsorship, you’re right Matt, we also have to contend with Craig’s own … idiosyncratic … influence that he has brought to bear on the proceedings which, as you have aptly described on several posts herein, has brought about mixed results!
This is one of those myriad instances in film whereby the costume looks great but ultimately *does* look like just that – a costume rather than logical habiliments the character would likely wear in this scenario.
I’d have gone for black jeans and an olive drab jacket, maybe even a casual unlined olive cotton sport-coat.
Call me out for being vindictive, critical, and cynical, but let’s be honest, nothing after Quantum of Solace looks remotely decent, formal or casual. At most, the corduroy suit looks acceptable, but the quality and stylistic concern of Bond’s wardrobe throughout Craig’s tenure as Bond simply took an unrecoverable nosedive after Quantum of Solace, and never even remotely recovered.
Then again, much the same can be said of the altered nature of Bond, and as well the society we currently witness. Most had abandoned wit, intellect, and intelligence, instead settled for something else unrecognizable that only last as long as the season would last. Predictable, if I have to put it.
Apologies for being so heavy-handed and controversial, but someone has to say it, and I’ll take the spot.
I agree with Travers.
Spot on.
I’ve appreciated individual elements of the wardrobe, but few- if any- full outfits. My personal opinion is that stylistically speaking Quantum of Solace is the peak of the series, I’d happily wear each and every article of clothing. I’m glad that Craig managed to gain a consistent style after that, but to my eyes it was entirely inferior.
I do find QOS slightly overrated, but agree it was superior to anything that followed. As much as I like the Brioni suits in the Brosnan era, I thought they were a bit boxy when made for Craig, so the TF suits did improve on that. That said, I was not a fan of the low rise trousers at all and the ‘triangle of shame’ ruined what was an otherwise pretty classic look.
But like everything else about the Craig era, we’re all grading it on a curve, so…
Agreed completely. Ever since Skyfall it’s been sartorial chaos for Craig’s Bond. The only outfit that looked natural on him was the suede jacket, navy polo, and khaki chinos in Spectre. Everything else has either been ill-fitted, like all the suits, or downright bizarre, like this duster.
While I definitely agree that the shoes should have been black with this outfit, I’d like to note that Gentlemen’s Gazette’s piece on when to wear brown shoes not only recommends pairing them with black corduroy but goes so far as to recommend shades of tan https://www.gentlemansgazette.com/how-to-wear-brown-shoes-boots-men/ In this case, is it more that the brown shoes don’t look right because it’s Bond and being British he should theoretically be a little more strict and habitual about pairing black shoes with black pants, or is it that GG is espousing a more Neapolitan approach to pairing brown shoes with a more casual material?