Dress like 007 with Turnbull & Asser’s latest collection
Explore the latest additions to The James Bond Collection, including Pierce Brosnan’s pocket square and Sean Connery’s shirt
Words: Jonathan Wells
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It’s been a tough year for Bond enthusiasts. Just last weekend, we said goodbye to Sir Sean Connery. And No Time To Die feels so increasingly distant that we’ve stopped worrying about it altogether. Instead, we’re looking back at the franchise — revisiting the best Bonds from decades past.
We’ve been watching Connery mix cocktails, Dalton go dark and Pierce Brosnan’s take on the superspy bring suave to a whole new level. In fact, that shirt hanging over this article is identical to the one worn by Brosnan’s 007 in Die Another Day. With a pleated front, double cuffs and delicate voile construction, it’s an immaculate recreation of the original — and leads the new additions to Turnbull & Asser’s ‘The James Bond Collection’.
The heritage Jermyn Street shirtmaker has long been associated with the superspy; dressing incarnations of the man from MI6 for 58 glamorous, globe-trotting years. This year, the brand has introduced five new products to its Bond collection, recreating shirts and accessories by scouring original film and footage. So, along with Brosnan’s debonair dress shirt above, we’ve picked the best new pieces in the range — along with a couple of old favourites…
From Casino Royale, Daniel Craig's dress shirt
Turnbull & Asser Casino Royale White Dress Shirt, £270; Turnbull & Asser Casino Royale Bow Tie, £120
It may not be new to the collection, but where else would we begin? The white cotton dress shirt crafted for Daniel Craig in Casino Royale is the cornerstone of Turnbull & Asser’s Bond range. Designed specifically for the actor’s inaugural performance in 2006’s hard-hitting, new-era adaptation of the novel, this shirt is like an extension of the spy himself — practical, refined and without frills.
The buttons are slickly hidden behind a simple placket, the shirt eschews silk or satin for reliably high quality cotton and the collar is of a unique design; the ‘Bond’ style created especially for Craig. It’s tasteful, graceful and endlessly versatile; an ideal investment if you’ve got any high-stakes poker games coming up…
From Pierce Brosnan's tenure, silk and jacquard ties
Turnbull & Asser Tomorrow Never Dies Diamond Silk Tie, £165; Turnbull & Asser Tomorrow Never Dies Square Silk Tie, £165; Turnbull & Asser Die Another Day Circle Silk Tie, £165; Turnbull & Asser Die Another Day Stripe Silk Tie, £165; Turnbull & Asser The World Is Not Enough Square Silk Tie, £165; Turnbull & Asser The World Is Not Enough Zigzag Silk Tie, £165
Turnbull & Asser The World Is Not Enough Zigzag Silk Tie, £165; Turnbull & Asser The World Is Not Enough Square Silk Tie, £165
Three of the five new additions to Turnbull & Asser’s Bond range are ties. During Pierce Brosnan’s seven-year tenure as the superspy, the British brand crafted and created a series of neckties to keep his Double Windsors looking as dapper as they could. A trio of these designs have been available to buy at Turnbull & Asser for years — but now the range has doubled.
If you’re an ardent admirer of Brosnan’s Bond, these new ties are the perfect way to fold his performance into your own formalwear. Handcrafted in the brand’s English workrooms, the red jacquard tie from Die Another Day is the most understated option — but our eyes have instead been drawn to the angular-patterned, blue-and-gold silk offerings from Tomorrow Never Dies and The World Is Not Enough.
From Dr. No, Sean Connery's cocktail cuff shirt
Turnbull & Asser Dr. No Blue Cotton Shirt with Cocktail Cuff, £225
Earlier this week, we revealed the true story behind Sean Connery’s casting as James Bond. After Harry Saltzman and Albert R. Broccoli signed off on the actor, Dr. No director Terence Young was tasked with teaching the Scotsman the art of becoming a gentleman. The first stop? Turnbull & Asser, of course.
The shirt that sprung from this initial Jermyn Street meeting was to become a sartorial icon. Faithfully recreated in this new 100% cotton poplin design, it features the spy’s signature cocktail cuffs. Rakish and flamboyant, this curious turnback design doesn’t require cufflinks. Like Daniel Craig’s cotton dress shirt above, it’s another nice nod to Bond’s practical, yet endlessly elegant eye for style.
From Die Another Day, Pierce Brosnan's pocket square
Turnbull & Asser James Bond Voile Pocket Square, £70
Pierce Brosnan’s Bond loved an accessory. But, if the three new ties above hadn’t already attested to that, Turnbull & Asser’s latest 007 drop also includes a Die Another Day pocket square. Inspired by Bond’s love of the subtle style flourish, this particular pocket square has been spun back to life using knowledge gleaned from archived order receipts.
Hand-rolled from voile, the pure-white pocket square is perhaps the subtlest nod to 007 in the range. It’s a piece of genuine film history disguised as a simple accessory — flying quietly under the fashion radar despite being icon in its own way. But discretion is a key tenet of espionage; and this the perfect display of stealthy style.
Who’s your favourite Bond? Here, we’ve definitely ranked the 007 actors…
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