The best-dressed James Bonds in the history of the 007 franchise
James Bond is one of the most famous characters in film. He's also one of the best-dressed, with each of the actors portraying him giving a unique edge to 007.
Words: Zak Maoui
Film packs a punch when it comes to fashion. You've got Patrick Bateman rocking Valentino in American Psycho, Steve McQueen wearing Gianni Campagna three-piece suits in The Thomas Crown Affair, and Mike Feist, Zendaya and Josh O'Connor going full Jonathan Anderson-designed normcore in Challengers. James Bond is undeniably one of the most stylist film franchises in the history of cinema. Bond, in whatever iteration of the character you think of first, dresses to kill. Whether it's Daniel Craig's Tom Ford-wearing take, or Roger Moore's famously sharp version, Bond is the blueprint for slick style. And he always got his shirts at Turnbull & Asser.
Over the years the costume department has worked hard to deliver a Bond as captivating as the next - there have been nine portrayals spanning 25 films- and we've been given more depth to the secret agent's wardrobe.
Not all actors were fortunate in the costume department, however, and below we've listed our favourite Bond wardrobes to date...
Roger Moore
Roger Moore, who played Bond for seven films (Live And Let Die, A View To Kill and Octopussy among them), is known best for being the Playboy Bond. He took on the role in 1973 and enlisted his personal tailor Cyril Castle, who was situated on Mayfair's Conduit Street and was known for his relaxed and more liberal Seventies-vibing suiting, to dress him.
Moore introduced the double-breasted suit to Bond and he served ultra-wide lapels, snatched waists and big, open collars. Throw in big ties and grey checked sports coats, paired with bell-bottoms, and you've got a Bond that was as much about the way he looked as the missions he was meant to be completing. Oh, and he did wonders for the sales of safari jackets.
Sean Connery
The late Sean Connery stepped into Bond's shoes in 1962, and at 6ft 2in he is one of the tallest actors to play 007. And clothes just worked on him. He was known for his power dressing by way of three-piece suits, and he often wore a waistcoat under his Anthony Sinclair Glen plaid, melange grey suit.
But Connery's wardrobe went further than just tailoring. By 1965 Connery was on to his fourth Bond, and in Thunderball the costume department began to have a little bit of fun. On location in the Bahamas he wore a vacation look consisting of a bubblegum-pink camp-collared bowling shirt and super-short shorts that still serves as a lesson in holiday style, and we're sure is pinned to your favourite fashion designer's moodboard season after season.
Daniel Craig
Mostly labelled the best dressed Bond, Daniel Craig's version had the sharpest outfits going. He wore Tom Ford (suits and very nice overcoats), Brioni and Brunello Cucinelli. He favoured Omega watches. And obviously there was also that Speedo moment, which is introduced the world to a different side of the secret agent. He could look extremely sharp in his well tailored suits, but at the same time made casual wear - by way of Sunspel roll necks - look equally as slick.
Pierce Brosnan
ePierce Brosnan portrayed Bond in Brioni. Every single time. It was his go-to brand during his tenure between 1995 and 2002. Arguably the most famous Bond of our time, Brosnan might be best known for his Brioni herringbone, three-button linen suit, with tan buttons, which he wore in 1999's The World Is Not Enough. That said, while every Bond has a tuxedo moment, few wore one like Pierce Brosnan. He went for black and midnight navy, shawl and notch lapels aplenty. It was a masterclass in proper evening-wear that lives on in thew Bond playbook of style.
George Lazenby
While George Lazenby might not be seen as the best Bond actor in history of the franchise, acting aside, his Bond had a wardrobe worth talking about. On Her Majesty's Secret Service was released in 1969 and Lazenby introduced a new kind of Bond.
Lazenby’s blue and grey suits in herringbone glen check and chalk stripe are timeless, while his suit jackets had soft shoulders with natural sleeve heads, and he wore two-button jackets. He was also the first Bond to wear three buttons, which became a signature for the secret agent right up until Craig's final outing.
Now read about who might be the next James Bond actor
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