The suits of James Bond

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“Nobody in Hollywood wore terrycloth or linen better than 007.”

I’ve heard it said that nobody does anything better.

Makes me feel sad for the rest.

:stuck_out_tongue:

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Looking at the critique … makes me realize I have NO idea what makes for a good suit or good fit. And makes me even more glad my wife picks out my clothes. I’d look like a goof and not even know it!

For the actually interested, a large number of suits and dresses were/are part of a travelling exhibit in 2012-2013 entitled “Designing 007: 50 Years of Bond Style.”

No joke, I asked this blogger for assistance in dressing the protagonist of my latest novel. He was very kind and helpful, especially given the strangeness of my request.

Someone here at BoingBoing once linked to http://effortlessgent.com/. Some useful stuff there.

Linen is a sadly underrated fabric. I should start looking for it more actively.

It’s not too hard to find, and doesn’t have to be expensive (especially at the end of summer… here’s a nice shirt for $15 (originally 30) - I tried these on in the store and they are great (as most things from Uniqlo are). They had jackets (sport coats) too and of course there are lots of other places to get linen things - its popularity has seen a resurgence lately.

But it gives off a certain vibe that may or may not work for you… despite it being described as a casual fabric (and the fact that it wrinkles) it isn’t something you can generally wear casually by today’s standards. Even just a plain shirt will give you a sort of Riviera vibe, if you know what I mean, and goes better with dressier pants and shoes than with jeans etc.

If you’re wearing suits and sport coats already, though, then linen is definitely something to seek out. It’s great for those and in that case turns the formality down a notch.

I remember coming across this site a while back.

Say what you like about Roger Moore, dude could rock a safari suit.

That site looks good, but putthison.com is the best site I know to learn about how things should fit etc. (and I know a lot of these sites…) - effortless gent links to them in many of their articles, actually. Often if you’re unclear on a certain thing you have to look at articles on several different sites, of course.

Both of these sites tend towards more classic fit and style - which suits James Bond well, even the trendy-ish stuff Daniel craig wears - for more current fashion there are of course many other sites to check, but I think starting on sites like these is the best idea.

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