Published:
Sept 2021
Paperback
Bloomsbury
Publishing
320
pages
8
colour and 46 B&W images
ISBN:
9781350164666
RRP:
£19.99
Review by Adrian
Smith
James
Bond is almost surely the franchise that we here
at Cinema Retro have been the most closely associated with, with many of
our contributors having written Bond books, not forgetting our editors-in-chief
and Bond experts Lee Pfeiffer and Dave Worrall’s many tomes including the The
Essential James Bond. There are so many other books about the James Bond
films out there as well that one might be forgiven for thinking that there
can’t possibly be anything left to say about them, but Llewella Chapman’s new
book Fashioning James Bond is proof that there is life in the old spy
yet.
This is the first
book to study the costuming of the Bond franchise, from Dr No (1962)
right through to Spectre (2015), drawing on material from many different
archives, looking at, amongst other things, scripts, correspondence, call
sheets and publicity materials, as well as new interviews with the families of
tailors and shirtmakers who made clothing for Bond, and of course the films
themselves. Clothing was always so important to Ian Fleming, who would
regularly take time out from the action to describe what characters were
wearing in perfect detail, and this was translated over to the films
themselves.
Chapman goes through
each film and analyses the iconic outfits in detail. The measurements of the
stars are supplied (have you always wanted to know Sean Connery’s collar size?
17”), the budget allowances for costuming and how much each outfit cost, and
call sheets provide details as to which costumes were needed at which
locations. Specific costumes such as Dr No’s famous Nehru suit are discussed at
length – it’s historical significance, what kind of shirt would need to be worn
underneath it, and the significance of its Asian stylings as a signifier of the
‘cultural politics of Bond villainy.’
George Lazenby’s sole
effort as Bond is also discussed, with plenty of information about the
different costumes he needed: twenty, more changes than any other Bond actor in
one single film. When Roger Moore came on the scene, his keen interest in
fashion (he had a credit on The Persuaders! for designing his own
costumes) was a big influence on the look that his James Bond would establish
in Live and Let Die (1973) and develop over the next decade. Timothy
Dalton also had some input when he arrived on the scene, preferring that Bond
wore more casual clothing such as a leather jacket, to be more in keeping with
the times.
When Pierce Brosnan
was chosen as Bond and the news got out that he would wear Italian suits there
was an outcry in the press, something which Chapman details. The Independent
claimed that ‘Fleming would be doing somersaults in his grave’! Daniel Craig
also wore Italian suits, before moving on to suits designed by Tom Ford, which
was deemed to suit his grittier, more edgy Bond.
Of course, it’s not
just the various Bonds whose clothing is put under the microscope by Chapman. The
costumes worn by the various ‘Bond Girls’ are also examined in great detail,
from Ursula Andress’ iconic bikini (totally improvised on set using her own bra
and a utility belt from a passing sailor), to Jill St. John’s fabulously
seventies outfits (and wigs), always being sure that the collars and cuffs
match. Again we get details of measurements and designs, and designers, and it
is fascinating to see just how much work goes into this aspect of the
filmmaking process, one which is often easily overlooked in favour of the more
bombastic elements of your average Bond film.
This review has only
really scratched the surface of Fashioning James Bond. There is such a
wealth of insight and information in here that it will keep any Bond fan happy
and will ensure that the next time you watch any of the films your eyes will
linger just that bit longer on the designs and the stitching.
Llewella Chapman was
a recent guest on my podcast to talk about the book and her favourite Bond
film, Diamonds are Forever (1971). You can listen to it here: https://shows.acast.com/second-features/episodes/diamonds-are-forever-1971-with-llewella-chapman
You can order a copy
of the book here: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/fashioning-james-bond-9781350164666/
Click here to order from Amazon USA