American Icon: James Bond

James Bond, Tom Ford and AmericanSunglass

 

When it comes to movie heroes, there is arguably none cooler than James Bond. Of course, when his name comes up, the inevitable question arises – which Bond is your favorite?

There is Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig. We’re not here to play favorites (we’ll leave that up to you), but we do acknowledge that each brings a certain aesthetic to the role.

As to why audiences love Bond, it comes down to several factors. He’s confident, charming and clever. He’s sophisticated, a quality that partially is the result of his British background and partially the result of his status as a secret agent. And he’s fearless.

We also love him because of his gadgets – exploding pen, ring camera and jetpack to name a few – and fancy cars that include names like Aston Martin, Bentley and Lotus.

Finally, we love 007 because of his fashion sense, from his perfectly tailored suits to his sunglasses.

With the 24th installment of James Bond released last month, we thought it would be fun to look at some of the styles the iconic agent has worn over the years.

Sean Connery

One of the most beloved Bonds in the franchise’s history, the Scottish actor is first seen wearing shades in a rather peculiar place, inside Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia, in the 1963 film “From Russia With Love.” They appear to be simple, but stylish wayfarers, similar to the ones he’s donning by the ocean’s edge in the tropical setting that serves as the primary backdrop for “Thunderball.”

The wayfarer style is well-suited to Connery’s Bond who is polished, but subtle and has a businesslike attitude that is conveyed through his eyewear.

Pierce Brosnan

No actor took sunglasses to the next level for Bond than Brosnan. They are a focal point in “The World Is Not Enough” when Bond dons his blue-tinted rectangular sunglasses not only for fashion, but for utility as they reveal the weapons of those inside Valentin Zukovski’s casino thanks to their X-ray technology.

 Brosnan continued to rock the shades in “Golden Eye” and his final film in 2002, “Die Another Day” where he sported Persol’s designed specifically for Bond. The popular brand stated that they “were specially crafted to tie into the brand characteristics of the eyewear with those of the Bond character – understated elegance and sophistication.”

Daniel Craig

Today’s Bond is not unlike many of our present-day customers who wear different styles and looks depending on their mood, wardrobe and need. Craig is similarly eclectic, wearing a range of styles from plastic to metal-rimmed sunglasses. Some are more rounded, others squared off, but all present this latest iteration of Bond as a rugged, no-nonsense character.

Audiences first welcomed Craig to the franchise nine years ago in “Casino Royale” where he takes a page out of his predecessor’s book, sporting two pairs of Persol. The first is metal with a rectangular frame while the second is a more classic tortoiseshell frame.

Two years later, Craig changed his look going for the simpler, but just as refined aviators in “Quantum of Solace.” He wears a similar pair (both are designed by Tom Ford) in “Skyfall.”

In “Spectre,” Craig is once again sporting a pair of Tom Fords  - these ones are shiny black square sunglasses – that continue to define what it really means to be cool. If you are looking for that iconic Bond factor in your sunglasses, then take a look at these brands – Ray-Ban, Randolph, Tom Ford and Marc – that would make any secret agent proud.

Words of an Icon: “I don’t stop when I’m tired. I stop when I’m done.” – James Bond