Skyfall Release Dates – U.S.: November 9th | U.K.: October 26th
To quote Bart Scott, can’t wait. After turning over every couch cushion and probably selling the Tin Man for scrap, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer pulled enough cash together to get the twenty third installment of the James Bond movie franchise made. Javier Bardem is on board to play the villain. Of course Dame Judi Dench is back as M. And in his third movie, Daniel Craig looks to continue making life hell for whoever has the unlucky task of assuming the role of Bond once Craig’s turn is up.
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So yeah. Pretty sure more than a few of us will be seeing this. Taking a few style cues from the character of James Bond, especially Daniel Craig’s version, doesn’t require an MI6 sized budget. These would be a few affordable alternatives to the luxury goods Bond will be wearing, and most likely destroying, in the upcoming film:
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The Grey Striped Suit: Hilfiger – $330 ($550) | Hickey Freeman – $359.40 ($1,500)
The suit shown in the trailer happens to go against what’s favored at the moment in a few ways:
- Grey instead of navy.
- Three button instead of two, but it’s rolled to look like a two.
- And striped instead of solid or shadow plaid.
It’s also tailored incredibly close. Enough so that the fit causes those lines/Xs/pulls that extend from the button. That’ll give some traditionalists a heart attack. Bottom line is this: If you’re fit as hell, the suit is comfortable, and you can move just fine, then some of those lines are fine. If the button is about to blow after lunch, it’s not. That thing fits Craig like a glove. And for those who think it’s too tight, feel free to ask your significant other how they think he looks in it. Both of the affordable alternatives are two button. The Hilfiger should drop down to the mid $200s during the next One Day Sale. The Hickey Freeman is made in the US, cut a little more traditional, and now an extra 40% off through LastCall.com. Sizes there are 40R and up. Want a splurge? Try this from J. Crew.
The Shirt + Tie: Express 1MX French Cuff – $37.23 (if you buy 2) | DKNY – $35.70 ($59.50)
A cool blue (leaning grey?), a point and not spread collar, and french cuffs Not the easiest of all combinations to find for cheap. So for this case go with the Express 1MX. Available with a french cuff, they really do have a more traditional, point collar when buttoned up. Just treat it carefully. It’s a so-so sale, but Express is doing a $15 off $75 w/ code 1409 through Sunday, and with the buy one get one 1/2 off deal, that puts two of these at $74.45. For the tie: Bond’s looks surprisingly slim. Dense dot pattern. Your call on navy or black. Ultra affordable TheTieBar option here.
UPDATE: Or, if you just want one shirt, use code 1405 to get $15 off every $60 you spend. Shirts are stubbornly $59.90 so you’ll have to tip the balance with something small to get the $15 off.
The Overcoat: Scotch & Soda – $145 ($215) | Hart Schaffer Marx – $215
($425)
May isn’t the best month for topcoat shopping. Craig’s Bond seems to favor double breasted coats, but there’s no front view in the trailer. It also moves a bit more like a single breasted topcoat, and if that’s the case, the long gone BR from this past winter would fit the bill. The Scotch & Soda is limited in sizes but on sale and available. Since we’re heading into summer, try the Cotton blend H.S.M. via Amazon for just over $200.
The Sweats: Topman Indigo Marl Raglan Crew – $40.00
My God. What have they done to Bond. The man who’s hardly ever out of reach of his tuxedo has been put in sweats. This has to be him being held against his will. There’s no other explanation. At least they haven’t put the word “Juicy” on the rear. Anyway, notice the lack of a hood. Well done. No, there’s no matching pants for this sweatshirt from Topman, but you could always get this and this for a matching set.
The Tux: Indochino Midnight Shawl – $379 | Hilfiger Shawl Collar – $319.99
It’s a shawl (see 1:15 in the trailer) and it just might be a midnight blue. Pretty much the only place to score one of those for an affordable price would be Indochino, and don’t forget to select the shawl collar during the customization process. It also comes with a $75 re-tailoring alterations credit, so with that extra value, this is actually closer to the low $300s. The Hilfiger Shawl comes in black, and while the pants are available through Macy’s, the jacket is short on sizes there. The reverse is true on Amazon. Buy one from each place and hope for the blacks to match?
The Watch: Seiko 5 SNKE51 Blue Dial – $79.99
Rumors are it’ll be an Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra, with a blue dial, at the very subtle size of 38.5 mm. That’s not big. At all. Neither is this one, and it’ll seem awfully dainty if you’re used to wearing something more substantial. Automatic, blue dial, and cheap.
The Haircut: Short, and embracing the power alleys.
Anybody else get the feeling that they were trying to hide Daniel Craig’s hair loss in Quantum of Solace? That’s not the case here. Craig gets an even closer cut that would spit in Pierce Brosnan’s hair gel, if in fact a haircut could hock a loogie. Probably a 3 or 4 clipper at the sides with a very short finger length scissors cut on top.
Lots of simple dark colors. Your thoughts? Is the minimalism terrific? Or boring? Hey, who knows, maybe he’ll wear a pair of pink chinos while sipping on his Heineken… Leave it all in the comments.