Tom Ford dresses newest James Bond

By The Associated Press - 11/15/2008

Bond's style

NEW YORK (AP) — When it comes to fashion, few would argue that 007 is anything less than a 10.

Along with sports cars, gadgets and sex appeal, an impeccable sense of style is a hallmark of the now 46-year-old James Bond movie franchise, which expands to 22 films with the release of "Quantum of Solace." The look of the newest Bond, played for the second time by Daniel Craig, is rugged in the spirit of Sean Connery, who introduced 007 on screen. Craig's wardrobe is sparse yet elegant, with a palette mostly limited to basic black, white, blue and gray, says Louise Frogley, costume designer of "Quantum of Solace." To create a good chunk of it, she turned to Tom Ford, the former Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent designer who now has his own Saville Row-style brand.

"I contacted Tom Ford after seeing what he was doing — clothes that are iconic. They're not clothes where you know where you can buy them, there's more mystery," Frogley says. "They're clothes you wish you had." Ford, who already had dressed Craig for red-carpet appearances, was happy to help.

"A lot of people in the fashion industry think that people who wear traditional clothes are dull. Bond proves that just because you're wearing traditional clothes, your life can be anything but dull." He purposely kept the designs streamlined.

"By dressing him in a very simple way, it accentuates that it looks simple on the surface but it isn't. It's a metaphor for the perfect suit — the construction that goes into a good suit is a lot of hours of handiwork, but you shouldn't see any of that it the end result. It should look easy and natural and a part of you," he says.

Among his designs is Bond's tuxedo, done in midnight blue with a classic shawl collar.

The Bond tuxedo was the perfect symbol for sophistication and untold wealth. In that suit, he'd go to exotic places his fans could only dream of, yet the simplicity of the ensemble also made it relatable.

The cut of the garment is particularly important, since Bond has to run, jump and dodge bullets, while still looking good doing it. The Ford-designed jackets have a roomy skirt, the section of a suit jacket that hangs below the waist, to make action possible.

Yet Frogley didn't want Craig's muscular physique to be distracting. "You want to hide the muscles in a suit, otherwise he ends up looking like Arnold Schwarzenegger. You want to leave that as a wonderful surprise when he's wearing something else or less," she says with a laugh.

Ah yes, Bond taking off some clothes is another important part of the franchise.

It's his way with the ladies — as well as his maturity, sophistication, glamour, humor and resourcefulness — that makes Bond the guy many men dream of being, says Mark Rozzo, deputy editor of Men's Vogue, which features Craig as Bond on its November cover.

He also has all the right toys.

It won't eject you from a plane, but the limited-edition "Quantum of Solace" watch by Omega can plunge 2,000 feet under the sea.

The watch, which Bond wears in the movie, has a black dial with a textured surface that mimics the grip of Bond's Walther PPK pistol, and a 007 logo is engraved on the buckle of the stainless steel bracelet. The words "Quantum of Solace" are engraved, discreetly, of course, on the inside of the sapphire crystal and there's blood-red tip on the second hand.

Omega is releasing a total of 5,007 of these watches.