James Bond Style Icons

James Bond has a strong claim to be the best-dressed character in movie history. From the well-tailored power suits to super tight rollnecks, from uber-fashionable linen suits to the best towel-wear imaginable (see Goldfinger), 007 has long set the standard for fashion in film. But surrounding the main man are female accomplices, villains and henchmen who allow the costume designers to really cut loose. Here are a cavalcade of characters whose look would be at home on any fashion catwalk or Met Gala staircase. Strike a pose. 

Dr. No

Dr. No (1962)

Costume Designer: Tessa Prendergast

The first on-screen 007 villain, Dr. No’s (Joseph Wiseman) look is perhaps the most influential fashion choice from the whole Bond series. Too busy being a criminal mastermind to worry about choosing a suit and tie, No’s Mandarin-collared Nehru jacket is deeply influenced by the military uniforms and has become an inspiration for many Bond baddies and beyond, from Blofeld to No Time To Die’s Lyutsifer Safin.

Pussy Galore

Goldfinger (1964)

Costume Designer: Elsa Fennell

The head pilot of Goldfinger’s personal air force, Pussy Galore dresses for business and practically, but always with oodles of panache. Be it on board Goldfinger’s jet, wearing a black suit trimmed with, aptly enough, gold, to a purple wrap blouse that belies her skill at judo, her sartorial splendour is always a match for Bond.

Auric Goldfinger

Goldfinger (1964)

Costume Designer: Elsa Fennell

The original hipster, Auric Goldfinger (Gert Fröbe), is a larger-than-life criminal with a dress sense to match. His wardrobe often mirrors his love of gold, clothes swathed in ambers, browns and honeys. But perhaps his most striking look comes when he takes on 007 (Sean Connery) on a golf course, sporting a striking woollen ensemble — a flat cap to put Peaky Blinders to shame, a preppy jacket, plus fours — so classy you could almost forgive him his cheating. Almost.

Tracy di Vincenzo

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969)

Costume Designer: Marjory Cornelius

From the first moment we meet Tracy di Vicenzo (Diana Rigg), wading out to sea in a gown boasting huge diaphanous sleeves, she is an instant style exemplar. In a film full of bold female fashion choices — also see Blofeld’s Angels Of Death — Tracy is the standout, be it showing off a crisp white gown in a casino or sporting a fedora hat while horse-riding with Bond (George Lazenby). In the film’s poignant finale, she is seen wearing a beautiful daisy-appliqué jumpsuit for her wedding, only to be Mrs. Bond for a tragically short period. 

Solitaire

Live And Let Die (1973)

Costume Designer: Julie Harris

There are not many characters in the James Bond universe who get more colourful costume changes than Jane Seymour’s Solitaire. Her dreamy outfits redefine lavish, from an intricately detailed turquoise jumpsuit to an elaborate red and gold dress to a pink translucent night gown. Being an enigmatic tarot reader, she’s also not afraid to rock a headdress. It’s all incredibly ‘70s but completely unforgettable. 

May Day

A View To A Kill (1985)

Costume Designer: Emma Porteous, Azzedine Alaïa

The bodyguard and lover of crazed industrialist Max Zorin (Christopher Walken), May Day (Grace Jones), oozes flamboyance, especially in her outrageous fashion sense. Created by Jones’ fashion designer friend Azzedine Alaïa. May Day’s signature look includes hooded capes, clingy dresses and touches of leather that were good for any occasion, be it a day at the races or diving off the Eiffel Tower. Iconic. 

Pam Bouvier

Licence To Kill (1989)

Costume Designer: Jodie Tillen

Played by Carey Lowell, a former top model who walked Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein’s runways, Pam Bouvier has a dress sense that might not be the most outlandish but it does include one piece that warrants celebration: a dress that allows the hem to be ripped away, enabling Bouvier to quickly access the gun in her garter or run faster in a chase (the idea came from director John Glen). Utilising 160 fasteners and good old Velcro, the garment is also a thing of beauty, graced with beadwork that took a month of workmanship. Like Pam, it’s organised, efficient, sophisticated.

Xenia Onatopp

GoldenEye (1995)

Costume Designer: Lindy Hemming

“Cruella De Vil meets Morticia Addams” is costume designer Lindy Hemming’s snappy description of Xenia Onatopp (Famke Janssen)’s look. The Russian assassin’s look is dominated by razor-sharp suits, slinky gothic mini-dresses (black gloves a must), sometimes adorned with icy mirrored accoutrements. On board a military ship in Monaco, she kills two helicopter pilots; her dramatic, wide-brimmed hat covers a multitude of sins (the headwear was designed by Philip Somerville, who also created the striking fur hat worn by Elektra King in The World Is Not Enough’s ski sequences).

Vesper Lynd

Casino Royale (2006)

Costume Designer: Lindy Hemming

“I’m the money”, announces Vesper Lynd (Eva Green), wearing an Alexander McQueen overcoat, to James Bond (Daniel Craig) as she sits opposite him on a train bound for Montenegro. It’s an introduction that could easily describe her expensive, chic wardrobe. The star of the show is perhaps the deep purple Roberto Cavalli gown, complete with a plunging neckline and low open back, that Vesper wears at Casino Royale, designed to distract the other players in the high-stakes poker game. 

Silva 

Skyfall (2012)

Costume Designer: Jany Temime

When it comes to being well-dressed, Silva (Javier Bardem) gives 007 (Daniel Craig) a run for his money. On his introduction in the computer room of the dead city on his unnamed island, he sports a cream, single-breasted silk jacket, a Prada silk shirt, an olive waistcoat and Jeffery-West Marriott Brogue Cricket Chelsea Boots. It’s a well-tailored Mediterranean look that still perfectly conveys the character’s sensitive but unstable sensibility.