Style lessons from James Bond

Bond has always been a sharp dressed gentleman, there’s no denying that. But what style lessons from James Bond can we adopt, sartorially speaking? Why is it that he always looks so sharp? Let’s break it down and see what style lessons we can learn from Bond.

Tailoring

Obviously, tailoring is a big reason Bond looks the way he does in his clothes. He’s certainly not wearing anything off the rack. From Connery to Craig, Bond has always worn a well-fitted suit. Even though Daniel Craig’s suits have been almost skin tight, there’s no denying the fact that they are bespoke.

Now you certainly don’t need to wear a very slim suit (and honestly, it’s not a good look for all body types), but if you want to improve upon your style, you need to wear a tailored suit. Be that MTM or true bespoke, a suit or jacket that’s made to your body’s contour will look far better than anything else.

Lesson: There’s no substitute for custom.

Stick to the basics

Throughout the Bond films, there was always a nod to present day fashion. For instance, Roger Moore wore a large lapel on his suits, as was the trend in the 1970s. Similarly, Daniel Craig is wearing very small (maybe too small!) suits in Spectre and Skyfall. The latter being an accentuation of modern day fit, that is slim and reminiscent of the mid-century look.

However, Bond keeps his overall style relatively low key. He is never wearing bright colors and taking any “fashion risks.” I would say that his overall style is relatively conservative, actually. But moviegoers never feel this way about Bond, right? They can just tell that he’s well dressed. I think that this is in large part due to the fact that he sticks to the basics and does them very, very well.

Lesson: Stick to a neutral color palette

Wear a pocket square

Bond almost always wears a pocket square. And it’s almost always a clean fold, with about 1/4 inch extending beyond his chest pocket.

I think many guys tend to think that pocket squares should be reserved only for weddings. After all, that’s where we usually see them, right? However, as Bond shows us over and over again, a crisp white pocket square, or some other soft tone, offers up an understated elegance that is never distracting nor flamboyant.

Lesson: Wear a pocket square already!!

Never worrying about being overdressed

For years, I would always dress down to suit my surroundings. For instance, when going to get a haircut, I would leave my sport coat at home and just wear a dress shirt and pants. I was worried about being overdressed. In the years that BE has been in operation, I have fortunately kicked this habit and embraced my passion to dress sharp everywhere I go.

I may not walk into a business meeting at a coffee shop wearing a tuxedo, but I do wear a suit, or at least a sharp sportcoat. Yes, I may be the only guy dressed up in a jacket, but you know what? The other guys are probably wishing that they wore one.

Lesson: There’s nothing wrong with being the best dressed man in the room.

Always having your jacket buttoned

This is something that you may not have noticed watching the Bond films, unless you’re a suit guy, like me. That Bond always has his jacket buttoned when standing or walking, as he should. He doesn’t leave it unbuttoned in some misguided effort to appear casual. It’s a subtlety, but one that really contributes to Bond’s elegance in menswear.

Lesson: Button your jacket anytime you’re standing.

Style lessons: Further reading

Here’s an excellent blog on all things related to James Bond style — well worth a read for some additional style lessons: The Suits of James Bond.