BE WARNED, THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS BIG, BIG SPOILERS.
We never thought he’d give in, but James Bond has finally crumbled under the irresistible force of ‘dad dressing’. According to Wikipedia, Bond was born in 1917, so it’s impressive he didn’t succumb to soft fabrics, earthy tones and comfy shoes sooner, but in No Time To Die, we finally get to see Bond’s wardrobe hit retirement.
At the start of the film, Bond is happily in his dotage, waltzing around Italy in an old Aston Martin, and lounging past breakfast in a hotel room, gleefully unsure of the next destination. He is out to pasture, and he dresses accordingly in a tan Massimo Alba suit so soft in the shoulder, it might just be painted onto his hulking frame. He pairs it with a chambray button-down and knitted tie, which when combined with his brown moccasins, give off serious history teacher vibes. A history teacher that could drink you under the table and kill you with a gherkin, but a history teacher nonetheless.
Craig’s Bond has long favoured too-tight business tailoring – we know you’re muscly, Daniel! – so it’s a relief to see him embrace the soft, earthy textures suited to advanced years. And because it’s by Massimo Alba, the king of off-duty menswear, those tones and textures are formed of the finest fabrics and cut to be at once roomy and flattering – just the sort of thing a man north of fifty should be wearing.
Later, in what was probably the briefest but best look of the whole movie, Bond pilots a launch into harbour wearing a so-far-undisclosed shirt/jacket thing, big shades and a baseball hat. It’s very varsity; very JFK. Very Steve McQueen in the Thomas Crown Affair (1968), which is the perfect parallel here. A younger, sillier Bond might have opted for neoprene, or something garish and many-pocketed, but Ol’ Papa Craigo kept it Hamptons, as any aged sailor with style should do. And the same goes for his endgame look, which was a tale of two lewks. Business down below – tactical trousers and hybrid hiking boots – and pleasure up-top – cosy cashmere sweater, cotton Henley and braces. If you met him on Zoom, you’d think Big Jim was off down’t mines in 1973.
The biggest reason for Bond to embrace his inner dad is because the film sees him finally embrace his outer dad. After decades of carefree sex, an actual daughter materialises (told you there’d be spoilers) and he needs to adjust his wardrobe. Cue the arrival of another soft-shouldered Massimo Alba number, which, with big buttons and lapels fit for a circus master, borders on the bohemian. Bond normally only dons tailored outerwear when he’s in Whitehall for a telling-off and flirt with Moneypenny, so to see him cradling an actual toddler in something Jude Law might wear around Primrose Hill felt weird. But ultimately, it looked right.
Who know what’s coming down the line for Bond, James Bond, but we’d like to see him carry on the same sartorial trajectory. Maybe some New Balance, a Patagonia half-zip; a trip to Pret for a decaf latte in the Keep-Cup. This was Craig’s last Bond film, so maybe the character’s dedication to Savile Row will leave the franchise with him. Dads of the world – unite and rejoice.
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