The Literary James Bond: How to Dress Like the Original 007

When most people think about secret agent 007, Sean Connery’s timeless elegance from the early films comes to mind. But the roots of James Bond’s style trace back further, to the literary creation of Ian Fleming. Are there any lessons we can take from the literary spy in the modern era?

This article was written for the Gentleman’s Gazette by guest contributor Jesse Beamish.

Whether it’s the narrow lapels and full-cut of Sean Connery’s suits, the smirk and the bellbottoms of Sir Roger Moore, the Italian sophistication of Pierce Brosnan or the shrunken, sometimes ill-fitting suits of Daniel Craig, people rarely think back to the original source material of the literary James Bond. Was the original “international man of mystery” always the best dressed man in the room? In this article, we’ll take a look at the wardrobe of the first 007, analyze some of his style quirks, and explain how to bring the original James Bond’s style into our modern day.

James Bond’s Wardrobe, According to Author Ian Fleming

Revisiting the original novels, Ian Fleming rarely describes the clothing worn by his protagonist–and when he does, he gives exceptionally sparse detail. The Bond of the original book series doesn’t have the extensive wardrobe of his counterpart on the silver screen. Far from it in fact. In the novels he has a very minimal, utilitarian style, what we might today describe as a capsule wardrobe. Everything is very specifically chosen, and every item is very old and well-worn. He wears what can essentially be described as a uniform. He is conservative and follows no fashion trends, but he can also be described as rebellious when it comes to some of his choices.

The Suits of James Bond

James Bond has two dark navy blue suits of two different weights. These are the suits Bond wears 90% of the time, forming the foundation of his wardrobe. One is a tropical lightweight worsted wool serge, the other is slightly heavier and is likely alpaca or an alpaca blend. Author Ian Fleming selected an anonymous, pared-down version of his own personal wardrobe for his central character. He passed on many of his own unconventional quirks, one being his penchant for lightweight suits. Although they would be considered heavy by today’s standards, at the time it was rather unusual to wear such lightweight suits, especially in England. Fleming’s own friends joked that when his suits wore out, he could simply take the buttons back to his tailor and have a new suit stitched onto them. It looks like Fleming got the last laugh, though, as modern-day suits are almost always lightweight.

Both navy blue suits are two-button and single-breasted. Bond breaks convention again here, as the three-button configuration was more common in the 1950s. Both of these suits are often described as “old” and “well-worn”, indicating Bond’s tendency to wear the same items repeatedly. It is well known that Fleming wore his own suits until they were in threads (as evidenced by the above anecdote). He, like Bond, dressed for comfort, not style. With his suits, Bond always wears a black leather belt, rather than suspenders/braces.

Regarding the more minute details of Bond’s navy suits, we can look to Ian Fleming’s own example for clues. Like Bond, Fleming was equally set in his ways as far as his preferences were concerned. Bond’s navy suits likely had slightly narrow lapels, with straight, flapped pockets, possibly a ticket pocket, and four-button cuffs. They also likely had soft shoulders with slightly roped sleeve-heads, a full chest and a gently suppressed waist. His trousers were probably high-rise with double forward pleats, and a full-cut thigh tapered to the hem with cuffs. Interestingly, unlike Bond Fleming preferred to wear bow ties over neckties.

Bond’s next suit is a black-and-white dogtooth tweed, intended for golf or working on assignment in the country. This suit is even worse for wear, often described as “battered” and “yellowing”. Additionally, this suit is described as light-weight, likely around 12oz. Echoing a nearly identical jacket owned by Fleming, it is single-breasted with notch lapels, a two-button darted front, welted breast pocket and flapped hip pockets, and short gauntlet turnback cuffs with two black leather buttons.

Bond’s Black-Tie Ensemble

Bond’s last suit is his black-tie ensemble. Also described as light-weight, his tuxedo is single breasted, most likely with a shawl lapel. With his dinner jacket, Bond wears a thin, double-ended black satin bowtie. Bond wears evening shirts of heavy silk, and adheres to tradition with long sleeves and French cuffs. In the original manuscript of Moonraker, Fleming specifies his cufflinks to be Cartier. He also likely switches out his loafers for black calfskin oxfords, but I wouldn’t put it past him to stick with slip-ons (see the section on footwear below).

James Bond’s Surprising Shirts

Things start to get more unconventional, bordering on baffling, when we discuss Bond’s shirts. First, let’s talk fabric and color. Bond’s shirts are always made from one of two fabrics: either very lightweight and breathable end-on-end sea island cotton in white or blue, or heavy silk in either white or cream. The blue is interesting, in that Fleming often describes them as “dark” blue. Fleming is not implying that the shirt is actually a dark tone, similar to his suit (which would look terrible with the lack of contrast). Rather, he likely means “dark” in comparison to the standard pale blue, which would be something like a medium blue.

Now for a positively shocking style quirk. All of James Bond’s dress shirts are short-sleeved! Yes, you read that right–the literary James Bond wears short-sleeved dress shirts with his suit and tie. As you might have guessed, Ian Fleming ported this strange approach directly from his own style. Another unfashionable detail, at least from a British perspective, is the fact that Bond’s shirts have a breast pocket. Although this is never stated directly in the books, Fleming’s own short-sleeve shirts all had breast pockets, and as we continue to see, he passes on many of his own style quirks to Bond. Also, short-sleeve dress shirts are casual and usually have breast pockets attached. Why the inclusion of the pocket? Fleming’s Bond is said to smoke 60 cigarettes a day, and the breast pocket of his shirt is where he might stow them.

Bond’s Minimalist Neckwear

The only glaring difference between Bond and Fleming is in their neckwear choices. Fleming wore bow ties, usually with polka dots. His depiction of Bond, however, exclusively wears a thin, black, silk knit necktie. Bond is also particular about his choice of tie knot. He ties his necktie four-in-hand, and once remarked that the Windsor knot was “the mark of a cad.” His choice of color, meanwhile, is another example of Bond going against the grain. A black tie can be tricky to pull off, because it can appear quite severe and intense. It’s also hard to pair with a navy suit, as there is little contrast. It’s more at home with various shades of grey, creating a monochromatic effect. Bond would be relying on a contrast in fabric texture, since the black knit silk and the navy worsted wool are similar in tone.

Footwear for 007 – Also Unconventional

As we move on to the shoes of James Bond, things get even more unconventional. For one thing, the literary Bond abhors shoelaces. His shoes are described often as well-polished black slip-on moccasins. Basically Bond wears black penny or venetian loafers with his navy blue suits. His socks are always navy blue as well, made of cotton lisle. Here is another example of Bond unstylishly going against the grain. We notice a consistent trait of making his outfits as casual as possible within the parameters of his self-imposed “uniform.”

Perhaps the most mind-blowingly unconventional and rebellious style move is Bond’s penchant for wearing black saddle-stitched sandals on his bare feet with his suit, his “only concession to the tropics”. Imagine Bond, under sweltering 1950’s Nassau sunshine, wearing a dark but lightweight navy suit, a breathable short-sleeved white sea island cotton shirt with a black knit tie, bare feet with black leather strapped sandals. There is even a chance that Bond occasionally wore his navy socks with his sandals, as evidenced by Ian Fleming himself. The first person to wear that at Pitti Uomo will set a trend!

Bond’s Accessories – or Lack Thereof

As for accessories, Bond has no time for affectation. He wears no tie clip, tie pin, or any other ornamentation. He also never wears a pocket square, though he does have handkerchiefs of white silk which he keeps in an inside pocket. Bond’s only accessories are a Dunhill gunmetal-finish cigarette case and a black oxidized Ronson lighter. Bond is never without his Rolex Oyster Perpetual diver’s wristwatch on an expanding metal bracelet, and he always travels with his “battered but once expensive” pigskin suitcase.

Outerwear and Other Outfits

For outerwear, the literary James Bond owns only one overcoat. Fleming consistently references the spy wearing a belted, dark blue Burberry macintosh, likely in a single-breasted balmacaan style. Other details probably include five buttons down the front, raglan sleeves, Prussian collar, fly front and slash pockets. On one occasion, he is described as wearing a soft black hat with his dark blue raincoat.

There are a few other outfits that Bond wears in the novels that are described in some detail, but I have omitted them as, in those instances, Bond wears a disguise, dressing in character undercover. For example, In the Thunderball novel, Bond poses as a new-money millionaire property hunting in the Bahamas. On this occasion, he wears an ivory dinner jacket with a merlot cummerbund. In Live And Let Die, Bond is in New York posing as an American, and he wears louder ties with sack suits and dress shirts that have Ivy style details. Bond, when left to his own devices, never strays from his aging but trustworthy, compact but classic wardrobe.

Conclusion – What Does Bond’s Style Tell US?

So what style lessons can we derive from James Bond‘s minimalist, utilitarian approach to dressing? You may not have the personality or even the inclination to emulate Bond’s tendency for wearing sandals with dark suits in the tropics, but there is something we can learn here. Bond has chosen his style within tight, self-imposed parameters, never deviating in any way. He has peculiar quirks, but he owns these and pulls them off naturally. He decides he likes the black knit tie, so that’s the only tie he wears. Because Bond hates shoelaces, he simply chooses slip-ons. Every gentleman’s guide on Earth recommends against loafers with suits–Bond doesn’t care. He is aware of the rules, as shown by his adherence to the rules of black tie. But he will also break the rules and go against convention at the earliest opportunity, as evidenced by the other choices highlighted here.

The modern-day gentleman can certainly glean inspiration from Bond’s approach. Know the rules, then decide when and how to break them. Once you have curated your own personal style, stick with it despite the opinions of others. Bond is authentically himself and has no interest in being any other way. The fact that Bond wears lightweight suits, short-sleeve shirts and loafers through a harsh British winter flies in the face of convention, but Bond owns it. He is a non-conformist, classic but rebellious. Bond follows no fashion trends. He buys timeless, quality pieces, then wears these items into the ground. I imagine he has a sense of pride and attachment to his clothing, but at the same time would never give it a second thought. His garments are functional, and he wears them like a second skin. His wardrobe is small, compact and interchangeable. It is no-nonsense and without affectation. He is set in his own unconventional tradition–and that is where he will remain, forever memorialized in the writings of Ian Fleming.

What do you think about the literary James Bond’s sense of style? Are any of his lessons worth adopting, or should this mission be aborted? Let us know in the comments below. For more on the clothing of 007 check out bondsuits.com