Just can't pull off a Bond look with clothing

IA-SteveB

Ok, I'm kind of trying to change my image a bit and I have always been struck by how sharp looking the Daniel Craig Bond is in any situation. I have followed threads here on various clothing items but most things are beyond my reach, i.e. Tom Ford. A single outfit from head to toe shouldn't be worth more than my car. I go to clothing stores like Von Maur and Dillards and I just can't seem to be able to get out of my comfort zone and find things that are smart looking. Bond on a budget isn't working for me and my fashion sense is almost non-existent. I mean, I know what I like when I see it on-screen, but if I go to a store and try to put together something smart, I am just lost.

Just sharing my quest to change my image a bit.

McCoy

You're not alone. I'm sure that most of those who frequent this board will, at one time or another, have struggled with the very issues you are experiencing. Identifying your style to the point that you feel comfortable with how you look and feel is a bit of a journey, in my opinion. And the task is never complete! The good news, I would say, is that you have identified an excellent (perhaps the best) role model for helping to start your journey. But don't be disheartened if it doesn't all come together flawlessly in a short space of time. My recommendation would be to try and focus on individual items of clothing and accessories and ensure you are comfortable with those before trying to put a whole ensemble together. You may find, in practice, that only 70% of what you see on the big screen works for you. Try focusing on one item, e.g. shoes, which can make a big difference to your overall dress sense and projected image. Think about what might work in your working/living/climate environment. Following which you'll find your choice of shoes helps to point you towards the next article of clothing. Others on this forum with far more experience than I may be able to offer some additional pointers on how to get started.

But don't give up - and good luck with the journey!

HalfMonk HalfHitman

This might have its own thread elsewhere, but our very own Matt S is working with a MTM suit company and there are some really exciting items in here.

http://thesuitsofjamesbond.com/the-spy-wear-collection-a-collaboration-with-oliver-wicks/

Congrats, Matt!

Matt S

HalfMonk HalfHitman wrote:

This might have its own thread elsewhere, but our very own Matt S is working with a MTM suit company and there are some really exciting items in here.

http://thesuitsofjamesbond.com/the-spy-wear-collection-a-collaboration-with-oliver-wicks/

Congrats, Matt!

Thanks!

Copying Bond's suit style is a bit easier than copying his casual style. His tailored style is very defined whilst his casual wear is all over the place. A navy polo shirt is a good place to start for casual clothes.

Westward_Drift

Bond led me to Billy Reid, and I purchased linen shirts, polos, and such on clearance and EBay. Same with Sunspel. Get some pieces that go well together and mix and match. In this day and age it doesn't take much to be above the crowd. Smart casual clothing is still better dressed than many.

canoe2

IA-SteveB wrote:

Ok, I'm kind of trying to change my image a bit and I have always been struck by how sharp looking the Daniel Craig Bond is in any situation. I have followed threads here on various clothing items but most things are beyond my reach, i.e. Tom Ford. A single outfit from head to toe shouldn't be worth more than my car. I go to clothing stores like Von Maur and Dillards and I just can't seem to be able to get out of my comfort zone and find things that are smart looking. Bond on a budget isn't working for me and my fashion sense is almost non-existent. I mean, I know what I like when I see it on-screen, but if I go to a store and try to put together something smart, I am just lost.

Just sharing my quest to change my image a bit.

I think there are 3 types of Bond fans when it comes to clothing:

The hardcore collector that wants every exact piece worn in the films.
The selective collector that can afford and/or likes certain pieces and plans on using them on a daily basis, but doesn't need the whole outfit.
Those that are inspired by Bond: like the look, but don't necessarily need (or can't afford ) the exact pieces.

Sounds like you and I are both in the 3rd category. -{

There are some excellent resources on these boards and out in the wild for dressing like Bond. Mantis's "Budget Bond" video series is a great starting point and Matt S's "The Suits of James Bond" site gives incredible detail on how a suit should fit.

If I could offer anything, it would be to start with the basics: fit and quality. Quality doesn't necessarily mean spending $900 on a TF polo; just get the best you can afford (a site I like for inspiration, advice and finding about sales is www.dappered.com).

Then start hunting down the foundation pieces that can be used for more than one of Craig's iconic looks. For example, a starter list could be: navy blue polo, jeans in darker denim and light beige, good dark brown suede chukkas, a black cardigan in cotton or light wool, a casual white shirt (non-button down), and good white and grey t-shirts. Just focusing on those pieces, finding the ones that fit right and are the best quality you can afford, would (I think) give you a solid base. You can then add pieces you like a little at a time (a suit here, a tie there, a leather or suede jacket when you find one you like).

As a final thought: since I know I'm not the type to spend $1000's on a suit or jacket, a big part of the fun for me is getting well priced pieces that are "close enough" to the real thing. And I like to keep things simple: solid, more neutral colors (brown, blues, greys and beige), limited patterns (usually very subtle) in suits and ties, and more of a focus on the texture of the materials, which matches the Craig Bond style pretty well. With Spectre, I was happy to find out I already owned several pieces that were "close enough" to the screen versions.

Hope this helps and good luck!!

IA-SteveB

Thanks for the great responses. I am going to take this advice with me and hit the stores this weekend. I think I do need to get a variety of things to mix and match because I don't have a ton of money to throw at it. If I can make a number of looks out of meager purchases, that would be ideal. Foundation pieces it is!

kadd

Great advice from everyone.

I'm no expert but here are some rules I've learnt just by looking at outfits I like from Bond or retailers like Sunspel and Orlebar Brown.

1) Fit is half the battle to looking smarter. This means trying different brands and cuts until you find ones that suit you
2) Start with a few key items that will be the highest cost - like pant/chinos. Get one in a light colour (beige or khaki) and then dark (navy).
3) Then pair them with the opposite tone for the top. Dark goes with light and vice versa. So a navy polo with the beige chinos, a sky blue or white top with the darker trousers.
4) going with block colours means things are easier to match with other outfits as you don't get clash from bold stripes or unusual colours etc

Matt S

kadd wrote:

Great advice from everyone.

I'm no expert but here are some rules I've learnt just by looking at outfits I like from Bond or retailers like Sunspel and Orlebar Brown.

1) Fit is half the battle to looking smarter. This means trying different brands and cuts until you find ones that suit you
2) Start with a few key items that will be the highest cost - like pant/chinos. Get one in a light colour (beige or khaki) and then dark (navy).
3) Then pair them with the opposite tone for the top. Dark goes with light and vice versa. So a navy polo with the beige chinos, a sky blue or white top with the darker trousers.
4) going with block colours means things are easier to match with other outfits as you don't get clash from bold stripes or unusual colours etc

Bond doesn't wear a lot of dark trousers. Either light trousers and dark top, or medium-light trousers with a light top. It's harder to do the light top and dark trousers. This is regarding casual clothing. For suits, the shirt should be light no matter what.

welshboy78

As said above. Many modern Bond type wardrobe staples are in most shops nowadays

Polo shirts (Navy)
Harrington Jacket
Shawl Cardigan
Chinos / trousers
White shirt
Grey T / white T
Peacoat

canoe2

IA-SteveB wrote:

Thanks for the great responses. I am going to take this advice with me and hit the stores this weekend. I think I do need to get a variety of things to mix and match because I don't have a ton of money to throw at it. If I can make a number of looks out of meager purchases, that would be ideal. Foundation pieces it is!

If it helps, here are some of the websites (mainly U.S. based) I use to find things:

www.dappered.com (as I said above, I think it is a great site with lots of useful information; very down to earth and practical).
www.dsw.com (great for shoes and boots)
www.nordstromrack.com and www.saksoff5th.com: you need to dig around sometimes, but you can find great deals.
www.grailed.com: kind of a specialized, high end ebay for men's wear.
www.therealreal.com: same idea as grailed.
www.6pm.com: clearance site for shoes and clothes.
www.styleforum.net: just what the name says; some great advice and inspiration and some great deals in the buy and sell area.

These are in addition to the more common gap, macys, landsend, jcrew, banana republic, amazon, ebay, etc.

One of the big lessons I learned about fit: to get closer to the Bond look, try on a size smaller than you would normally wear, especially when you are buying from a large chain retailer (Gap, Target, Macy's, etc.) (Mantis really reinforces this tip in his videos). Things will look more fitted and tailored. But in the end, wear what feels most comfortable to you.

Have fun!

Skippy

canoe2 wrote:

I think there are 3 types of Bond fans when it comes to clothing:

The hardcore collector that wants every exact piece worn in the films.
The selective collector that can afford and/or likes certain pieces and plans on using them on a daily basis, but doesn't need the whole outfit.
Those that are inspired by Bond: like the look, but don't necessarily need (or can't afford ) the exact pieces.

Sounds like you and I are both in the 3rd category. -{

There are some excellent resources on these boards and out in the wild for dressing like Bond. Mantis's "Budget Bond" video series is a great starting point and Matt S's "The Suits of James Bond" site gives incredible detail on how a suit should fit.

If I could offer anything, it would be to start with the basics: fit and quality. Quality doesn't necessarily mean spending $900 on a TF polo; just get the best you can afford (a site I like for inspiration, advice and finding about sales is www.dappered.com).

Then start hunting down the foundation pieces that can be used for more than one of Craig's iconic looks. For example, a starter list could be: navy blue polo, jeans in darker denim and light beige, good dark brown suede chukkas, a black cardigan in cotton or light wool, a casual white shirt (non-button down), and good white and grey t-shirts. Just focusing on those pieces, finding the ones that fit right and are the best quality you can afford, would (I think) give you a solid base. You can then add pieces you like a little at a time (a suit here, a tie there, a leather or suede jacket when you find one you like).

As a final thought: since I know I'm not the type to spend $1000's on a suit or jacket, a big part of the fun for me is getting well priced pieces that are "close enough" to the real thing. And I like to keep things simple: solid, more neutral colors (brown, blues, greys and beige), limited patterns (usually very subtle) in suits and ties, and more of a focus on the texture of the materials, which matches the Craig Bond style pretty well. With Spectre, I was happy to find out I already owned several pieces that were "close enough" to the screen versions.

Hope this helps and good luck!!

Will post a proper response when I have time, but what canoe2 has written here is almost exactly what I would have said anyway and is very, very good advice {[]

canoe2

Skippy wrote:

Will post a proper response when I have time, but what canoe2 has written here is almost exactly what I would have said anyway and is very, very good advice {[]

Thanks. The words are mine, but the advice shared is based on the experience of many others (and a few of my own expensive mistakes). Cheers! -{

Bond Collectors' Weekends

Might I recommend John Malloy's and Bill Thourlby's books on dressing smartly as well? Thourlby is less well known but helped dress four US Presidents and was a guest at one of my events... even Sir Roger Moore has great advice out there for the sartorially splendid man...

Julius No M.D.

Fit matters more than brand but if you want specific feedback, post pictures of what the clothes look like on you.

Julius No M.D.

canoe2 wrote:

If it helps, here are some of the websites (mainly U.S. based) I use to find things:

I would also recommend buying from an Ebay seller called "BHFO". They're a massive online outlet which liquidates excess supply from designer brands. So, essentially, I've bought $150 Calvin Klein dress shoes for $20 among other purchases.

martini

What do you wear on a daily basis? What are you wearing right now?

As others have said, fit is key. I personally don't wear [visible] labels, either. Even a good fitting Tshirt will look smarter than an ill-fitting shirt.