James Bond-Inspired Sportswear Has Arrived

Be your own 007 with this sartorial partnership of Ian Fleming and clothier Sunspel.

March 26, 2018 5:00 am
james bond
James Bond in "Quantum of Solace" (via YouTube)

There’s no doubt about it, James Bond has some killer style, and at one point or another, every man has wanted to channel the signature look synonymous with the international spy and ladykiller. There are, of course, the sharply tailored tuxedos, the expertly crafted knits, and who could forget the thigh-baring swimsuits? And make no mistake, these aren’t your standard government-issued threads. Rather, Bond’s wardrobe is a trove of various rare goods, with many of them hailing from English clothing cornerstone, Sunspel. Founded in 1860, the brand is credited with introducing the first pair of boxer shorts to the United Kingdom, and the rest, as the saying goes, is history. Now, Sunspel is teaming up with the estate of Bond author Ian Fleming, responsible for all fourteen Bond novels, to bring the best-selling badass character to life through a set of must-have wardrobe staples.

Taking inspiration notes from 1950s resort wear, the tightly curated five-piece collection is engineered for Bond and you alike. For starters, there’s the camp collar shirt, perfectly suitable to wear to during a high-speed boat chase on the Italian Riviera or a backyard BBQ. There’s a group of crew neck tees that offer a bang-on mixture of weight and fit, making them ideal for a weekend coffee run or unwinding in your London pied-a-terre. Polos are in the mix too, with an updated, physique-flattering fit, and serve as an homage to 007’s unmistakable off-duty look. But perhaps our favorite in the collection, are the knits — a cardigan and a crew-collared jumper — fitting for both work and play.

Part of the James Bond collection.
ABC

All of these tightly curated options are spun using the impossibly rare, hand-picked Sea Island Cotton. Grown in the Caribbean, this precious textile accounts for only 0.0004% of the world’s cotton supply making it one of the rarest cottons on Earth. In fact, Ian Fleming, a Bond-esqe character in his own right, often wore his own Sea Island cotton apparel at his tropical retreat at Goldeneye, Jamaica, where he wrote many of his blockbuster tales that have now sold over 100 million copies and counting. Served up in a beautifully understated palette of sky blue, light navy, and white, these minimalist treasures forgo flash in favor of timelessness, and we are certain that any or all of these pieces would happily fit right into your closet.

Available now, the Ian Fleming Collection will retail for $145.00-$295.00 on Sunspel.com.

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