James Bond's Guide to Style, Part II
Summer shirts & bold colors
James Bond is a man better known for his black-and-white tuxedos than his pink linen button downs. And yet, when it comes to dressing for the summer, the latter is far more appropriate. Homme élégant that he is, Bond knows this, and dresses accordingly when operating in tropical regions.
But why is color more appropriate in hot climates? The answer might surprise you, as biology has a large role to play. As I’ve written elsewhere,
Neither your skin color nor facial contrast are static, and indeed they often change with the seasons. Sun exposure, for example, tends to increase the degree of contrast in your facial features: it lightens your hair while darkening your skin. But since light reflects less off of tanned skin, the relative brightness of your features changes, too. The whites of your teeth and eyes, as well as the natural redness of your lips or cheeks, now appear brighter by comparison.
The result of this is that men and women who typically wear austere colors in cold climates can dress far more vibrantly in the tropics. The Duke of Windsor, for example, when Governor of the Bahamas, was able to dress in a way he never would have been able to in England:
Last week, we broke down a classic Bond look from the 1965 film Thunderball. We looked at camp collars, linen trousers, and the versatility of cream colored clothing. It was a great intro on how to dress well in the heat, but it lacked one thing: a healthy dose of color.
This week, we return to the Bahamas to study Bond at his most colorful. We’ll analyze the color, pattern, and fabric of four different shirts to share inspiration for your summer wardrobe. We’ll also look at one of 007’s rare stylistic mishaps, and how you can beat Bond at his own game this summer…
