Fashion Police: James Bond Fashion Crimes

James Bond is known for impeccably cut suits, suave style, expensive trinket and gorgeous girls.  It may surprise you to find that there have been many fashion don'ts in the run of this franchise...

I came across the hilarious round-up from I09 that brought these to my attention.  Number one, Mr.(machismo to the point of misogyny) Sean Connery in a terrycloth hotpants jumper from 1964's GoldFinger.

More hot pants? Love this shiny red scuba jacket?  Um, I am a scuba diver and I have never seen anyone where anything like this.  The red crotch is like a target for sharks.  This is from 1965's Thunderball.  Maybe the sexy fashions of the 1960's just didn't age well.

The article mocks some of the uniforms worn in films like Octopussy.  I don't mind these so much, they are no worse than superhero costumes in all the comic-book movies.

Criticizing the sartorial choices of the most flamboyant villains of James Bond seems a little unfair.  I think it adds to their character.  While I don't agree with the pyrite dentures of "Jaws" from 1979's Moonraker, I have to love the polka dots from Live and Let Die. Grace Jones in 1985's A View to a Kill is just the queen of fierce.  

Definite NOs:

Was is it just the 1970s? Roger Moore framed in fluffy feathers, embroidered cape like Liz Taylor in Cleopatra?  He looked like a parade float. Live and Let Die definitely had more than its share of fashion felonies. In the opening scene of The Spy Who Loved Me, he is dressed like Ronald McDonald making a ski jump. WTF.

Ursula Andress, Halle Berry and even Bond himself Daniel Craig have made some of the most memorable movie moments in their bathing suits (in a good way).  What were they thinking in putting poor Tiffany Case in a long sleeved, awkwardly belted, badly fit bottomed piece in 1971's Diamonds are Forever?  No. 

If you need to erase some of these from your eyes, check out Designing 007: 50 Years of Bond Style, an exhibit that features the good style from these films.  Did you know that designers like Oscar de la Renta, Givenchy and Miuccia Prada have all contributed to James Bond?