It isn't Tom Ford, but damn if it isn't good enough.

Batman007

For awhile I've wanted the Tom Ford cardigan from QoS. It is, in my opinion, such a perfectly designed piece turnback cuffs and all. So today I was bumbling around on the John Smedley website and found this:

http://www.johnsmedley.com/us/mens/shop-by-collection/imperial-cashmere/aw13-sherwood-in-black

I was gonna get the N. peal sweater but any money I had saved for that is going straight to this.

Cheers.

JMac88

It's a beautiful item no doubt. As much as I love John Smedley (I own 4 pullovers and 2 scarves), I find $450 CDN a bit steep just for a cardigan.

But I guess it's still far better than whatever stratospheric price the Tom Ford goes for on Ebay these days ) . I have no experience with the N. Peal, but it's hard to go wrong with a John Smedley item.

Batman007

Well it's $1,800 for Tom Ford vs $450 for John Smedley. That pretty much blows it out of the water for me.

There's also another cardigan called the Dover which has patch pockets on the front along with the shawl collar.

Flighty

Good frugal find! I may go for the Dover and swap out the horn buttons for leather!

minigeff

$450 for a cardigan is being frugal? )

Flighty

minigeff wrote:

$450 for a cardigan is being frugal? )

I suppose it depends how deep your pockets are, for me it's nicer than my M&S ultra frugal but a higher quality! £250? Not that bad!

minigeff

Flighty wrote:

minigeff wrote:

$450 for a cardigan is being frugal? )

I suppose it depends how deep your pockets are, for me it's nicer than my M&S ultra frugal but a higher quality! £250? Not that bad!

Aye, I guess the depth of the pocket does make a difference.

My only concern is that new members or prospective new members might see others talking about 'cheap' £280 cardigans and assume that it's a hobby they can't afford to keep up with.

DZ used to do a 'frugal' bond, but what is suggest to the wardrobe collectors is that they suggest proper frugal alternatives so others can feel a part of it and have a chance to join in.

Just my frugal 2 cents worth.

MG -{

Flighty

minigeff wrote:

Flighty wrote:

minigeff wrote:

$450 for a cardigan is being frugal? )

I suppose it depends how deep your pockets are, for me it's nicer than my M&S ultra frugal but a higher quality! £250? Not that bad!

Aye, I guess the depth of the pocket does make a difference.

My only concern is that new members or prospective new members might see others talking about 'cheap' £280 cardigans and assume that it's a hobby they can't afford to keep up with.

DZ used to do a 'frugal' bond, but what is suggest to the wardrobe collectors is that they suggest proper frugal alternatives so others can feel a part of it and have a chance to join in.

Just my frugal 2 cents worth.

MG -{

A very fair point minigeff!
I guess frugal is an overstatement, but a great find at that price compared with the Tom Ford price tag!

Niko

spotted this alternative yesterday for £39.99 at zara, sizing was too big for me so i didn't purchase it but it didn't feel too heavy and you could always aler the buttons if you are keen enough.

http://www.zara.com/uk/en/man/knitwear/knitted-cardigan-c269238p1421527.html

minigeff

Flighty wrote:

minigeff wrote:

Flighty wrote:

I suppose it depends how deep your pockets are, for me it's nicer than my M&S ultra frugal but a higher quality! £250? Not that bad!

Aye, I guess the depth of the pocket does make a difference.

My only concern is that new members or prospective new members might see others talking about 'cheap' £280 cardigans and assume that it's a hobby they can't afford to keep up with.

DZ used to do a 'frugal' bond, but what is suggest to the wardrobe collectors is that they suggest proper frugal alternatives so others can feel a part of it and have a chance to join in.

Just my frugal 2 cents worth.

MG -{

A very fair point minigeff!
I guess frugal is an overstatement, but a great find at that price compared with the Tom Ford price tag!

I agree that when compared to the utterly stupid price of $1800 for a TF cardy, $450 does seem a great deal.

However it's still a bit elitist if you ask me, and AJB would benefit greatly if there was a dedicated section for cheap alternatives so we could get the same or a similar look for a bargain price.

By cheap I mean £20 for a cardy or a few hundred for a suit.

Now before anyone gets the wrong impression this isn't an attack or jealous rant at the fortunate ones who can afford the real deal.

I totally understand that higher prices usually mean better quality and there's the age old argument of only cheating yourself when it comes to buying replica items. But buying counterfeit items isn't what I'm suggesting. I'm on about bargain basement items that have a similar look about them.

And I'm sorry but $1800 for a cardy is daft. Does it really cost that much to make it? If you're a millionaire then 1800 isn't that much I guess but for me $1800 can feed my family for about 4 and a half months. See what I'm getting at? A cardy or food for over a third of the year?

Anyhow, for people like myself who can't afford TF suits etc, it kinda excludes them and might create a class system, whereas I believe it'd be better for all concerned if we helped each other out.

I'm not the clothes expert by a country mile, but if any of our resident wardrobe geniuses have some proper frugal suggestions I think you'd see even more involvement.

Just an idea like, like I say, I'm not trying to offend, just trying to get more people involved and open the door for more prospective members.

MG -{

Ens007

Great post MG - fully agree with a lot of what you've said. I'd dearly love the TF cardigan, but would be faced with needing the UN to resolve the ensuing argument that would follow with 'er indoors'.

The idea of a Bond On A Budget type sticky is a very good one for people to share finds & suggestions of cheaper alternatives to those worn in the movies. If you've no objection I will gladly start a thread & ask the mods to sticky it.

The Bond Experience

I have about six articles and three videos that focus on the frugal bond alternatives and would happily contribute to a sticky thread (that didn't sound right...)....we could start with some of those...

I have to say, if you are going for the TF cardi look, Old Navy and even Target have closer matches than the John Smedley...I am also not crazy about Smedley leading with the description of a Cashmere blend when only 10% of the sweater is cashmere either. Ah well...the ribbing, cut, and accents are very different from the TF one...for a long time I wore a black Old Navy cardigan that more than looked the part...$29

welshboy78

As well as Mantis's videos I believe the TF Cardigan has had tons and tons of frugal alternatives discussed over the years - prob buried a bit on here but they are certainly in the forum somewhere!!!

jon_1uk

welshboy78 wrote:

As well as Mantis's videos I believe the TF Cardigan has had tons and tons of frugal alternatives discussed over the years - prob buried a bit on here but they are certainly in the forum somewhere!!!

yup like this one I bought a few months ago ....

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/330943124860?var=540194150389&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649&clk_rvr_id=545311538530

Ens007

My thought would be to try to house stuff like this under one roof as a sticky, so suggestions like the one just posted aren't lost. It'd also hopefully stop hundreds of the same threads regarding a particular item springing up & clogging up the board.

Just my 2p worth!

Will gladly start one if its thought to be worthwhile.

screename

I too would be interested in a super-frugal thread. I know that there's one for Skyfall clothing, but the prices on that seem to be getting out of hand for us fellows with a tighter budget.

Higgins

Here is my opinion on these lookalike clothing stuff:

My priority has always been (since 1981) to get access to props or the SAME piece of clothing that Bond and others wore.
For example, I even bought M size Sunspel stuff because Danny has that size, personally I am more XL :v

If the SAME item - such as one particular prop - is not accessible, I'd go for an accurate replica but never for a "similar" one - exception the Octopussy egg replica because nothing accurate was available.

I never understood that people get their Bond feeling from a lookalike or similar item - then I'd prefer nozt to have this thing at all.

As for the TF cardigan: It goes for such a silly money, that I have long time ago decided to pass on it - and I never went for a cheaper similar item.

This is only my opinion, I respect everyone who does not share it.

minigeff

I think it's really down to expendable income.

If you can afford the real stuff then great, if not then you buy what you can afford.

If you try passing off your primark cardy for a TF one then that's a bit daft but if you're just going for the look then that's cool.

Glad people didn't get the wrong impression by my earlier post. -{

BLU8

There's a Tom Ford quote that's perfect for this thread:

"Style, for me, is something completely different. You can be, what we would consider in our culture, unattractive, and have great style. You can have no money, and have great style. You can have a lot of money and have great style. More often, you have a lot of money, and you have terrible style. And you just plaster yourself in what you think you're supposed to be wearing, and you've lost yourself."

*Taken from the OWN Visionaries documentary, seen here at approximately the 33:10 mark: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wOVAr_XY3k (Highly recommended for Tom Ford/menswear fans)

I love that quote, because I think it perfectly captures the idea behind dressing like Bond. Most of us (myself included) don't have the means or resources to afford a wardrobe full of bespoke suits and shirts and handmade shoes. But we can watch these films and this character, and use it as an inspiration to help develop our own personal style. You don't have to buy every single piece of clothing worn by Bond in Skyfall, but you can use the costumes to give you ideas for things that you would like to wear. Did you like that Billy Reid peacoat? Great! You can get one at Old Navy for $70, instead of $700. It's not the exact same one, but wear it with confidence, and you'll feel like Bond every time you put it on.

My belief has always been that you should buy the best clothing you can afford, whether it comes from Tom Ford or from Target. If you love what you're wearing, regardless of how much it cost, then you've pretty much nailed the essence of Bond's style.

My apologies for the long rant, but Bond-on-a-Budget is a way of life for me. Carry on, my fellow 00-agents!

welshboy78

Great post mate!!!!

Batman007

The Mantis wrote:

I have about six articles and three videos that focus on the frugal bond alternatives and would happily contribute to a sticky thread (that didn't sound right...)....we could start with some of those...

I have to say, if you are going for the TF cardi look, Old Navy and even Target have closer matches than the John Smedley...I am also not crazy about Smedley leading with the description of a Cashmere blend when only 10% of the sweater is cashmere either. Ah well...the ribbing, cut, and accents are very different from the TF one...for a long time I wore a black Old Navy cardigan that more than looked the part...$29

I'm not only interested in the look, I'm also interested in the quality and fabric.

I would imagine that yes an Old Navy cardi will look the part, but at that price it's bound to be made of a cheap cotton, which is absolutely unacceptable to me. I cannot wear anything less than merino wool when it comes to knitwear like this.

Charmed & Dangerous

BLU8 wrote:

There's a Tom Ford quote that's perfect for this thread:

"Style, for me, is something completely different. You can be, what we would consider in our culture, unattractive, and have great style. You can have no money, and have great style. You can have a lot of money and have great style. More often, you have a lot of money, and you have terrible style. And you just plaster yourself in what you think you're supposed to be wearing, and you've lost yourself."

*Taken from the OWN Visionaries documentary, seen here at approximately the 33:10 mark: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wOVAr_XY3k (Highly recommended for Tom Ford/menswear fans)

I love that quote, because I think it perfectly captures the idea behind dressing like Bond. Most of us (myself included) don't have the means or resources to afford a wardrobe full of bespoke suits and shirts and handmade shoes. But we can watch these films and this character, and use it as an inspiration to help develop our own personal style. You don't have to buy every single piece of clothing worn by Bond in Skyfall, but you can use the costumes to give you ideas for things that you would like to wear. Did you like that Billy Reid peacoat? Great! You can get one at Old Navy for $70, instead of $700. It's not the exact same one, but wear it with confidence, and you'll feel like Bond every time you put it on.

My belief has always been that you should buy the best clothing you can afford, whether it comes from Tom Ford or from Target. If you love what you're wearing, regardless of how much it cost, then you've pretty much nailed the essence of Bond's style.

My apologies for the long rant, but Bond-on-a-Budget is a way of life for me. Carry on, my fellow 00-agents!

Congratulations BLU8 - you've hit the nail exactly on the head. I couldn't agree more. -{

Peppermill

Charmed & Dangerous wrote:

BLU8 wrote:

There's a Tom Ford quote that's perfect for this thread:

"Style, for me, is something completely different. You can be, what we would consider in our culture, unattractive, and have great style. You can have no money, and have great style. You can have a lot of money and have great style. More often, you have a lot of money, and you have terrible style. And you just plaster yourself in what you think you're supposed to be wearing, and you've lost yourself."

*Taken from the OWN Visionaries documentary, seen here at approximately the 33:10 mark: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wOVAr_XY3k (Highly recommended for Tom Ford/menswear fans)

I love that quote, because I think it perfectly captures the idea behind dressing like Bond. Most of us (myself included) don't have the means or resources to afford a wardrobe full of bespoke suits and shirts and handmade shoes. But we can watch these films and this character, and use it as an inspiration to help develop our own personal style. You don't have to buy every single piece of clothing worn by Bond in Skyfall, but you can use the costumes to give you ideas for things that you would like to wear. Did you like that Billy Reid peacoat? Great! You can get one at Old Navy for $70, instead of $700. It's not the exact same one, but wear it with confidence, and you'll feel like Bond every time you put it on.

My belief has always been that you should buy the best clothing you can afford, whether it comes from Tom Ford or from Target. If you love what you're wearing, regardless of how much it cost, then you've pretty much nailed the essence of Bond's style.

My apologies for the long rant, but Bond-on-a-Budget is a way of life for me. Carry on, my fellow 00-agents!

Congratulations BLU8 - you've hit the nail exactly on the head. I couldn't agree more. -{

Fantastic response and my thoughts exactly. Couldn't have said it any better.

thelordflasheart

Great quote, and I agree completely. I'd even add a couple of other points to it. To paraphrase a friend, probably none of us here will be able to "out-Daniel Craig" the man Daniel Craig himself, just as none of us will ever be as Bond-y as James Bond. IMHO we look like a pale imitation or look like we're wearing a costume - do we really think that people can't tell that we're dressed up as James Bond if we wear the exact same, very distinctive outfit as him such as the lodge outfit or the MI6 training outfit?

And then we make ourselves look poor in comparison to the way he looks in those clothes. Those of us who have different colouring than Daniel Craig will not look as good as he does in the colours he wears. Those who don't have the same physique as him won't look as good in the same outfits (substitute whichever Bond actor you prefer). The great thing about dressing well (regardless of cost) is the way that you can accentuate your positives and mask your negatives. I learned a long time ago that the most important rule of clothing is fit, and not every clothing manufacturers' clothes will suit your frame. For instance, I have a $1,200 Hugo Boss suit that doesn't look as good on me as a $200 H&M suit that I bought on a whim, but is now my second-most worn suit. I spent a lot of money on clothes that I was "supposed" to, only to find out to my regret that I paid for the name and not a better overall look.

The fantastic thing these days is that you don't need to spend a lot of money to dress well, which is very different from when I was younger. The big investment now is patience. Look at enough places and you'll find reasonably priced alternatives to what you want. But spend a lot of time and have patience and you'll find surprisingly well-made clothes for cheap - sometimes ones that will fool all but the most experienced eye and last for years and years.

I wish that I had resources like this site even ten years ago; now, instead of going to the mall three days a week after work I can just sit back and wait for people on the internet to alert me to great finds and deals (which I reciprocate). We really are fortunate these days in that we don't need a lot of time or money to look great.

Having said that, if an opportunity to buy a great original piece comes up then I'll take it. But I realize that it's a great bonus, not a need.

BLU8 wrote:

There's a Tom Ford quote that's perfect for this thread:

"Style, for me, is something completely different. You can be, what we would consider in our culture, unattractive, and have great style. You can have no money, and have great style. You can have a lot of money and have great style. More often, you have a lot of money, and you have terrible style. And you just plaster yourself in what you think you're supposed to be wearing, and you've lost yourself."

*Taken from the OWN Visionaries documentary, seen here at approximately the 33:10 mark: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wOVAr_XY3k (Highly recommended for Tom Ford/menswear fans)

I love that quote, because I think it perfectly captures the idea behind dressing like Bond. Most of us (myself included) don't have the means or resources to afford a wardrobe full of bespoke suits and shirts and handmade shoes. But we can watch these films and this character, and use it as an inspiration to help develop our own personal style. You don't have to buy every single piece of clothing worn by Bond in Skyfall, but you can use the costumes to give you ideas for things that you would like to wear. Did you like that Billy Reid peacoat? Great! You can get one at Old Navy for $70, instead of $700. It's not the exact same one, but wear it with confidence, and you'll feel like Bond every time you put it on.

My belief has always been that you should buy the best clothing you can afford, whether it comes from Tom Ford or from Target. If you love what you're wearing, regardless of how much it cost, then you've pretty much nailed the essence of Bond's style.

My apologies for the long rant, but Bond-on-a-Budget is a way of life for me. Carry on, my fellow 00-agents!

UNCLE27

Two excellent posts by BLU8 and Lord Flasheart. I agree with both.

Apart from one little thing...
I don't think other people do think we're dressing up as James Bond. We forget that for most people it's just a film they may watch once or twice. Most people would not be able to tell you what colour tie Bond wears in any given scene let alone what shoes he wears. Nobody has yet recognised my (very distinctive) Madagascar Shirt as far as I know and that includes people who think of themselves as dedicated Bond fans. We're in a VERY small group here guys!

Some items I think are worth paying the extra for but really...
Buy and wear what works for you. :007) -{

welshboy78

Agree with you Uncle, my mate considers himself a big Bond fan, watches the films fairly often but never clocked on with regards to my numerous Bond jackets, sunglasses, shoes or Planet Ocean.

The only thing he has recognised is my Seamaster however that watch is very iconic from the Brosnan era since it was also part gadget and had crazy marketing at the time!!

jon_1uk

i find that when i make an effort at work on a friday( when we can wear casual ) and i put on my budget bond stuff i quite often get compliments from other people that i look smart ....

screename

Bondtoys wrote:

Here is my opinion on these lookalike clothing stuff:

My priority has always been (since 1981) to get access to props or the SAME piece of clothing that Bond and others wore.
For example, I even bought M size Sunspel stuff because Danny has that size, personally I am more XL :v

If the SAME item - such as one particular prop - is not accessible, I'd go for an accurate replica but never for a "similar" one - exception the Octopussy egg replica because nothing accurate was available.

I never understood that people get their Bond feeling from a lookalike or similar item - then I'd prefer nozt to have this thing at all.

As for the TF cardigan: It goes for such a silly money, that I have long time ago decided to pass on it - and I never went for a cheaper similar item.

This is only my opinion, I respect everyone who does not share it.

Well, the difference is whether you're buying the style or the brand. I own a midrange divers watch that I'm quite satisfied with. I don't try and pass it off as a PO or Seamaster, but I feel good when I wear it and I get a lot of compliments. The same goes for my pair of White Levis and my brown suede chukkas. They aren't the items and I don't pretend that they are, but it doesn't stop me from felling good in them. Although I buy items purely for function whereas it seems you buy them for collection and display. And for that then obviously it doesn't make any sense to buy "close-enough"

Paperbill

It's funny, we all define what our limits are for ourselves. I like the Bond inspired look and if I can afford it will buy the proper item in MY size. I recently slammed someone for wearing a knock off Omega, to me that's illegal and crossing the line, but I have been slammed for buying the Aqua Terra in 41mm vs 38mm because it's not the "actual Skyfall watch size" YET it looks so much better on me.

kadd

The John Smedley black Dover cardigan is now on sale. Down from £295 to £89

Limited sizes only - S, L, XL, XXL

Good price for anyone who was considering one
http://www.johnsmedley.com/uk/mens/specials/aw13-30-sale/aw13-dover-in-black