TOM FORD DRESSES THE NEWEST JAMES BOND - Bond proves that just because...

TOM FORD DRESSES THE NEWEST JAMES BOND

Bond proves that just because you're wearing traditional clothes, your life can be anything but dull...

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By Samantha Critchell

When it comes to fashion, few would argue that 007 is anything less than a 10.

Along with sports cars, gadgets and sex appeal, an impeccable sense of style is a hallmark of the now 46-year-old James Bond movie franchise, which expands to 22 films with the release of "Quantum of Solace."

The look of the newest Bond, played for the second time by Daniel Craig, is rugged in the spirit of Sean Connery, who introduced 007 on screen. His wardrobe is sparse yet elegant, with a palette mostly limited to basic black, white, blue and gray, says Louise Frogley, costume designer of "Quantum of Solace."

To create a good chunk of it, she turned to Tom Ford, the former Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent designer who now has his own Saville Row-style brand.

"I contacted Tom Ford after seeing what he was doing--clothes that are iconic. They're not clothes where you know where you can buy them, there's more mystery," Frogley says. "They're clothes you wish you had."

Ford, who already had dressed Craig for red-carpet appearances, was happy to help.

"A lot of people in the fashion industry think that people who wear traditional clothes are dull. Bond proves that just because you're wearing traditional clothes, your life can be anything but dull."

He purposely kept the designs streamlined.

"By dressing him in a very simple way, it accentuates that it looks simple on the surface but it isn't. It's a metaphor for the perfect suit--the construction that goes into a good suit is a lot of hours of handiwork, but you shouldn't see any of that it the end result. It should look easy and natural and a part of you," he says.

"I do design things that are more extravagant, but that wouldn't be right for Daniel Craig or Bond. Bond wears more of a uniform."

Make that many uniforms: His label alone made 450 full outfits for 11 costume changes in the film. There were replicas for stuntmen and outfits with varying degrees of wear and tear.

Among his designs is Bond's tuxedo, done in midnight blue with a classic shawl collar.

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