Budgeted Bond (Pic Heavy)
001
ClassifiedPosts: 68MI6 Agent
I realize there are other threads on this, but most (if not all) are severely lacking in pics, links to buy the pieces, and explanations as to each piece and why it was purchased. I'm not using this thread as MY collection, but for everyone to post a 007 item on a budget.
And as for "budget", I mean budget compared to what the actual pieces really cost.
I'll kick things off, with my QoS Perla De Las Dunas outfit:
Jacket:
Banana Republic. Cost $50 on a sale day ($100 every day). It's a large, as a medium looked silly. I'm a 40L if that helps with sizing. It has side adjusters using buttons, two buttons on the stand-up collar, black zipper up the front and two zippered side pockets. It's water resistant, comfortable, and looks the part. Best part: No ribbed cuffs made of wool anywhere on it. Love this jacket.
http://bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=61447&vid=1&pid=768330
Shirt:
Claiborne. Cost $20 every day. It's a small, as I believe this is an "American" cut. Meaning, a small is really a medium, and so on. It's not too long, the sleeve cuffs hug the biceps (making them pop, my girlfriend loves it), and the collar stays pointed fairly well. Yes, there is no pocket. I didn't want a pocket. This is where personal opinion comes into play. I just think it looks almost as off as having a logo on it. So, if you'd rather have a 2-button, solid black polo, WITH a pocket, don't get this one.
http://www.jcpenney.com/dotcom/preppy/claiborne-short-sleeve-pima-polo-shirt/prod.jump?ppId=1cf8444&catId=cat100240025&deptId=dept20000014&selectedLotId=5023500&selectedSKUId=50235000091&navState=navState-:catId-cat100240025:subcatId-:subcatZone-false:N-100240027%201260:Ns-:Nao-0:ps-24:pn-1:Ntt-:Nf-:action-guided%20navigation
Jeans:
Levis 514 Slim Straight. Cost $40 every day. Amazing fit. But be warned: if you aren't EXACTLY the size, they won't look right. After a bit of a break-in period, these just feel amazing. Plus, they're Levi's. So, as far as branding is concerned, they're Bond approved. Color is Tumbled Rigid.
http://www.amazon.com/Levis-Mens-Straight-Highway-34X30/dp/B003M8I518/ref=sr_1_1_mc?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1343268827&sr=1-1
Boots:
Clarks Bushacre 2 in Dark Brown. $120 every day (though personally, I bought them for half that at a store called "Underground Station", but now they've stopped selling them). These are just great, great boots. They look almost exactly like in QoS. The only difference is the sole of the boot, which is tan. Thinking of getting some vibram soles to replace the current ones to match the look better. Be sure to get the dark brown suede boot, and if these aren't your style, keep your eyes out for a boot with just 2 eyelets for the laces, and you want round laces, not flat. Keep your eyes peeled for eBay and Amazon deals for these. The link I've posted is for the every day price, so they won't run out of stock here.
http://www.zappos.com/clarks-desert-boot-brown-suede
Belt:
Prada belt. Cost $310 every day. Ridiculous, I know. The belt in the pic was a gift from a friend who works at Prada. I'm not kidding. It's a damn nice belt, but I can't understand the price. He says it's for the name. I believe him. I'll post the link for it, and also for a good look alike that's pretty solid, too.
Pradahttp://store.prada.com/en/US/man/small-accessories/belts/2C3255_053_F0002
Cheaper Alternativehttp://www.amazon.com/Perry-Ellis-Mens-Tubular-Black/dp/B003XU6S5U/ref=sr_1_4?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1343270161&sr=1-4&keywords=black+leather+belt
Sunglasses and Watch:
Marc Anthony Shades. $20 every day. Invicta 6621. $85 every day. The shades look SOOO close to the Tom Ford ones in Quantum. The Marc Anthony ones feel solid, look the part, and are scratch-resistant. I love them. The Invicta is a hefty watch. 45mm actually. But when wearing it, it's a conversation piece. People love it! Would I like a different one? Maybe. But I've grown to love it. It looks like a Bond watch, and that's good enough for me.
Shades:http://www.kohls.com/kohlsStore/mens/more_for_men/hatssunglasses/sunglasses/PRD~1000739/Marc+Anthony+Round+Sunglasses.jsp
Watch:http://www.amazon.com/Invicta-Collection-Chronograph-Stainless-Steel/dp/B002PAPT22/ref=sr_1_7?s=watches&ie=UTF8&qid=1343270333&sr=1-7&keywords=invicta
I'll post more outfits in the following days. Please, feel free to add comments, questions, suggestions, and your own budget Bond items to the thread. Thanks for checking it out, and I hope this helps future Bond fans channel their inner Bonds.
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And as for "budget", I mean budget compared to what the actual pieces really cost.
I'll kick things off, with my QoS Perla De Las Dunas outfit:
Jacket:
Banana Republic. Cost $50 on a sale day ($100 every day). It's a large, as a medium looked silly. I'm a 40L if that helps with sizing. It has side adjusters using buttons, two buttons on the stand-up collar, black zipper up the front and two zippered side pockets. It's water resistant, comfortable, and looks the part. Best part: No ribbed cuffs made of wool anywhere on it. Love this jacket.
http://bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=61447&vid=1&pid=768330
Shirt:
Claiborne. Cost $20 every day. It's a small, as I believe this is an "American" cut. Meaning, a small is really a medium, and so on. It's not too long, the sleeve cuffs hug the biceps (making them pop, my girlfriend loves it), and the collar stays pointed fairly well. Yes, there is no pocket. I didn't want a pocket. This is where personal opinion comes into play. I just think it looks almost as off as having a logo on it. So, if you'd rather have a 2-button, solid black polo, WITH a pocket, don't get this one.
http://www.jcpenney.com/dotcom/preppy/claiborne-short-sleeve-pima-polo-shirt/prod.jump?ppId=1cf8444&catId=cat100240025&deptId=dept20000014&selectedLotId=5023500&selectedSKUId=50235000091&navState=navState-:catId-cat100240025:subcatId-:subcatZone-false:N-100240027%201260:Ns-:Nao-0:ps-24:pn-1:Ntt-:Nf-:action-guided%20navigation
Jeans:
Levis 514 Slim Straight. Cost $40 every day. Amazing fit. But be warned: if you aren't EXACTLY the size, they won't look right. After a bit of a break-in period, these just feel amazing. Plus, they're Levi's. So, as far as branding is concerned, they're Bond approved. Color is Tumbled Rigid.
http://www.amazon.com/Levis-Mens-Straight-Highway-34X30/dp/B003M8I518/ref=sr_1_1_mc?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1343268827&sr=1-1
Boots:
Clarks Bushacre 2 in Dark Brown. $120 every day (though personally, I bought them for half that at a store called "Underground Station", but now they've stopped selling them). These are just great, great boots. They look almost exactly like in QoS. The only difference is the sole of the boot, which is tan. Thinking of getting some vibram soles to replace the current ones to match the look better. Be sure to get the dark brown suede boot, and if these aren't your style, keep your eyes out for a boot with just 2 eyelets for the laces, and you want round laces, not flat. Keep your eyes peeled for eBay and Amazon deals for these. The link I've posted is for the every day price, so they won't run out of stock here.
http://www.zappos.com/clarks-desert-boot-brown-suede
Belt:
Prada belt. Cost $310 every day. Ridiculous, I know. The belt in the pic was a gift from a friend who works at Prada. I'm not kidding. It's a damn nice belt, but I can't understand the price. He says it's for the name. I believe him. I'll post the link for it, and also for a good look alike that's pretty solid, too.
Pradahttp://store.prada.com/en/US/man/small-accessories/belts/2C3255_053_F0002
Cheaper Alternativehttp://www.amazon.com/Perry-Ellis-Mens-Tubular-Black/dp/B003XU6S5U/ref=sr_1_4?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1343270161&sr=1-4&keywords=black+leather+belt
Sunglasses and Watch:
Marc Anthony Shades. $20 every day. Invicta 6621. $85 every day. The shades look SOOO close to the Tom Ford ones in Quantum. The Marc Anthony ones feel solid, look the part, and are scratch-resistant. I love them. The Invicta is a hefty watch. 45mm actually. But when wearing it, it's a conversation piece. People love it! Would I like a different one? Maybe. But I've grown to love it. It looks like a Bond watch, and that's good enough for me.
Shades:http://www.kohls.com/kohlsStore/mens/more_for_men/hatssunglasses/sunglasses/PRD~1000739/Marc+Anthony+Round+Sunglasses.jsp
Watch:http://www.amazon.com/Invicta-Collection-Chronograph-Stainless-Steel/dp/B002PAPT22/ref=sr_1_7?s=watches&ie=UTF8&qid=1343270333&sr=1-7&keywords=invicta
I'll post more outfits in the following days. Please, feel free to add comments, questions, suggestions, and your own budget Bond items to the thread. Thanks for checking it out, and I hope this helps future Bond fans channel their inner Bonds.
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Comments
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Anyways can you describe how the material feels. Is it partly nylon like for the water resistant part or is it cotton-y lol.
The BR jacket feels very smooth, but it does have a slight "slick" feel to it. It's not a windbreaker in any sense of the word, but it's not as soft as cotton. It's a blend, but it's a good blend. It's not super light, and it doesn't require any ironing or steaming. Maybe dry cleaning if you spill on it. Otherwise, the feel is very nice. Always feels good to put it on. If a woman rubs the jacket, and this has happened to me, you will hear an "Ohhh" from her. If that isn't an endorsement, I don't know what is.
Now, as for the Haiti outfit on a budget. Since I'm on a budget, this particular outfit can be achieved (roughly) by using the same shirt, jacket, boots, belt, and watch for the Perla De Las Dunas outfit. The only difference I REALLY notice, is the jeans. Before you say anything, yes, I know it's a different jacket. Moving on.
Since these jeans are a seemingly hot topic for 007 fans, I'll go a bit in depth for these.
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Jeans:
Levi's 501 in Grit. $42 every day. I looked long and hard for these jeans. I did a lot of research. A LOT. Eventually, it's how I stumbled across this site. After reading reviews for these jeans, I decided that I had to get them. As you can see, they don't taper, as they're 501's. But the color? It's perfect. They aren't white, they aren't tan, they're cream. I tried to illustrate that with the photos above. Against paper, they look tan. Against tan wood, they look white. My camera is also my phone, so the colors are, obviously, off. That's why I did the comparison photos. As for the fit and feel: wonderful. They breathe very nicely on hot days, and they're exactly my size. I like getting the 501's because you can have them tailored. This, I think, is almost essential for the "Bond" look, for these jeans anyway. Trying to find these slim straight is a nightmare. I'm sure they're out there, but I bet they cost more than these.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Levis-501-Original-Jean-Various-Colors-Classic-Fashion-and-Sizes-Available-/271023566082?pt=US_CSA_MC_Jeans&var=&hash=item3f1a436d02#ht_2799wt_1165
Also look for Levis 508 in THE infamous Silver Birch.
http://macys.com/shop/product/levis-jeans-508-regular-taper-brushed-twill-silver-birch?ID=696875&PseudoCat=se-xx-xx-xx.esn_results
Only available at Macy's and on sale for 44.99 right now. These are slim taper, with a genorous waist and hip and tapered from the knee down. Might try sizing down. Brushed twill, so they feel more like a broken in chino than jeans.
Glad I could help with the jacket purchase. Bet you'll love it. And those 508's look GREAT. Nice post.
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http://bananarepublic.gap.eu/browse/product.do?cid=61447&vid=1&pid=100003587
However I've just tried to find it on the US Store and it's disappeared.
BTW, I'll be trying out the 508's tomorrow at Macy's. I'll post about it afterwards.
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They do fit more snugly, as I found a pair in 33w instead of 34w. Apart from that, the legs do taper a little TOO much, I must say. It took some work to get the jeans to get past the lip of my chukka boots, and if I walked, they rode up past the top of the boot and stuck there. Not a good look. They don't breathe as easily as the 501's (either due to the leg-hugging quality or a difference in the cotton), and the color looks almost the same as the 501's in Grit. For me, and for my money, I'll stick with the 501's. They looks good, they're cheaper, they breathe easier, and they don't get stuck on my boots. However, this is just IMHO. If anyone has the Silver Birch in 508 and feel differently, by all means, post it. Hope this helps.
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I have a few pairs of 511s in this material, and they do not breathe nearly as well as denim, but if you get a looser pair, you won't feel is stifled. Regarding the cuff catching on your boots, I get mine with a shorter inseam than I usually wear (a 32, when I usually wear a 33 or so), similar to how Craig wears his in QoS. I find that when you wear them at the shorter length, the boot catching ceases to be a problem.
Navy Cotton Zip Jacket
http://bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/product.do?searchCID=25789&vid=2&pid=905631&scid=905631002
Looks good minus the hanging back yoke? Price is up there, but you could hold out for a 30% off and it'd be about $105
hi,, the levi 514,, tumbled ridge, did you use the black, or blue jeans,,
thanks alot.....
although, i do have the 7 jeans,, i like the fit of levi,