Global James Bond Day – a celebration of 54 years of the Bond franchise

Today, Wednesday, 5th October, is a day that lives in Bond infamy. We celebrate Global James Bond Day – a celebration of 54 years of the Bond franchise, marking the anniversary of the release of Dr. No in 1962. This special Bond day first began in 2012 when the Bond films celebrated their golden anniversary (50 years) with events all around the world and the release of the theme song for SKYFALL by Adele.

All six James Bond actors
photo © Danjaq, LLC and United Artists Corporation / 007.com

This year we focus on Bond’s dress sense through the ages, opening the doors of his wardrobe which showcase some of the most iconic brands in cinematic fashion history. Some are part of historical archive and others have survived the test of time, but all are considered legendary.

In the beginning there was Anthony Sinclair, the now legendary tailor who crafted the suits for Sean Connery in the first Bond movies including Dr. No, From Russia With Love and Goldfinger. Then an unknown actor who had yet to embrace his inner suave, director Terence Young enlisted his own tailor Anthony Sinclair to take Connery under his wing. Connery was so enraptured with Sinclair’s work he continued to work with him for his own tailoring separate of Bond.

The iconic suit made famous by Connery was the Conduit suit, still available to purchase today. You can now customize suits with the Conduit Cut in a wide variety of fabrics, and with alterations including sleeve lenght and shoulder width, try it here.

Anthony Sinclair suit, shirt, tie and pocket square

Expertly paired with the famous tailoring was Turnbull & Asser, who also began to dress Bond in Dr. No. The famous James Bond Cuff was introduced, a turnback cuff style fastened with buttons instead of traditional cufflinks. Turnbull would echo throughout the Bond franchise, dressing Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig in later years.

Turnbull & Asser neck ties worn by Pierce Brosnan as James Bond

In 2012, SkyFall introduced N. Peal as a staple in Bond’s wardrobe, where the Round Neck cashmere sweater in colour Blue Wave, was worn by the James Bond character in the final action sequences, together with the popular Barbour X To Ki To jacket. The scene had a blue theme to it and the team were in search of a particular shade to pick up Craig’s eyes.

The choice was so successful the team returned in 2015 to have a series of jumpers developed especially for the latest film, settling on a superfine cashmere mock turtleneck and a cable roll neck.

“It’s the association that works well for us, we’re a heritage brand that lives in the contemporary, and to help provide cashmere to an iconic figure of style such as Bond is unbelievable. We are very honoured.” N. Peal MD and owner Adam Holdsworth explains.

The N.Peal sweaters

Just down the Burlington Arcade is one of Britain’s most distinctive shoe shops, Crockett and Jones. Opened with a business owners’ grant by brothers-in-law Charles Jones and James Crockett, the Northampton shoe brand epitomises traditional craft and unique innovation in shoemaking.

Crockett & Jones shoes seen in SPECTRE

Bond choses Crockett and Jones for durability and unique British style, featured in SkyFall and SPECTRE. Known for their reliability as well as sleek look, Crockett and Jones boots, particularly the Tetbury chukka boot in sleek, black nubuck leather worn in SPECTRE, will surely stand up against jumping between train carriages and scaling the walls of various buildings.

A Bond ensemble is not complete without one key accessory: the watch. While it is not easy to find one with built in laser functions, buzz saw or detonator, Swiss luxury watch brand Omega’s world-renowned Seamaster is not a bad alternative. Although Rolex fans were distraught at the change in brand in 1995, Omega assured audiences, citing its long associated military affiliation and, in particular, the Royal Navy Divers in the 1960s. Pierce Brosnan was the first Bond to strap on an Omega Seamaster Professional 300m in GoldenEye.

Selection of Omega Seamasters worn by James Bond

When Daniel Craig stepped into Bond's shoes in 2006, he wanted to shift the focus from the gimmicks to the hyper fit Bond. In Casino Royale, Craig wears two Omega models: a blue Omega Seamaster 300m chronometer and a sleek, black Seamaster Planet Ocean 600m Co-Axial chronometer on a rubber strap. Most recently, gracing Daniel Craig in SPECTRE are the Seamaster Aqua Terra and the special edition Seamaster 300.

For more spy style, check out the Clothing, Accessories and Gadgets sections on Bond Lifestyle.